On Nov. 30, 2010, Linda Atherton of Waterford died. Her husband, Richard Atherton, was left alone and in poor health. He was concerned that he would not be able to care for the couple’s Boston terrier, Rosie.
At Atherton's request, Waterford Animal Control Officer Robert Yuchniuk came to the home and took the dog. But the next day, the 82-year-old called and said he wanted his dog back, because it was the only thing he had left.
Over the next year, Atherton and Yuchniuk would form a friendship as the animal control officer would help the man take care of the dog, and then after Atherton had to go to a Norwich nursing home, Yuchniuk adopted Rosie. The animal control officer would bring Rosie to visit Atherton at the nursing home.
On Sept. 29, Atherton died. And about two weeks ago, Yuchniuk received a phone call from a probate judge, telling him the man left half of his estate (around $35,000) to build a new animal shelter.
“It was awesome,” Yuchniuk said. “It is going to help us tremendously.”
The full story
On Dec. 1, 2010, after Atherton said he wanted to keep Rosie, Yuchniuk said he would help. Yuchniuk and his son would go over to Atherton’s house about once a week to help take care of the dog.
In May, Atherton’s health worsened, and he had to go into a nursing home. That was a tough day, Yuchniuk said.
“He was rational enough to know exactly what was going on, that he probably was going to go there and never come back,” Yuchniuk said.
To help ease the pain, Yuchniuk said he would adopt the dog and bring Rosie back to visit Atherton in the nursing home. The adoption was more of the same for Yuchniuk, as he already has three Boston terriers.
For the remainder of Atherton's life, Yuchniuk would visit him from time to time, and bring Rosie. Yuchniuk also printed out pictures of Rosie to hang in Atherton’s room, so he could remember her when she wasn’t there.
“It would bring tears to his eyes when I would bring her up there,” Yuchniuk said. “He really perked up whenever I brought her.”
On Sept. 29, Atherton died. He never once discussed leaving any money to Yuchniuk for the animal shelter.
"We never talked about it," Yuchniuk said.
Then, in November, Yuchniuk got a call from a probate judge telling him Atherton left half of his estate, or about $35,000, to the fund to build a new animal shelter. To this point the animal shelter committee had raised $30,000 to build a new shelter, so this will more than double it, Yuchniuk said.
“He had no other family really, besides the wife and the dog,” Yuchniuk said. “I had no idea he was going to leave it.”
Update on the shelter
With the new total, which has not yet been collected, the animal shelter committee will have raised $65,000. First Selectman Dan Steward told the group to raise $100,000 to build a new shelter, Yuchniuk said.
“We are more than halfway there,” he said.
Steward, in a Friday interview, said that the money could be used to update the existing structure. Major concerns, such as the heating and ventilation system (currently water bowls occasionally freeze in the winter time) could be addressed, he said.
