Mark Greenwood Memorial Donation

Meet my Uncle Mark and his beloved dog, Darius.



Mark is my dad's brother. I never met my dad because he chose a life of drugs and my mother needed to protect me. I was still in diapers when my mom divorced my dad and after the divorce, I never had any contact with my dad's side of the family, including Uncle Mark.  Turns out all this time, while I was growing up feeling abandoned by my dad, I had an uncle who cared about me.. even sharing my story with his coworkers. He listed me as his next of kin on his paperwork, and when he suffered a heart attack at work in January of this year, his coworkers set out to find me. It didn't take long.. I only lived an hour away.. this entire time!

Mark and I were reunited after he miraculously recovered from his heart attack. We had just about 30 days together to get to know each other. He was so eager to share as much as could about his side of the family. I learned about my Grandmother Ethel and Grandfather Harry and what my dad was like before the drugs. But most of all, he loved sharing about his 'kids'.. his dog, Darius, and his cat, Mr. Whiskers.

Sadly, our time together was cut short when Mark suffered a second and fatal heart attack in February. I am grateful for the time we had together, even though I had so many unanswered questions. But I have learned that above all else, he loved his animals, all of whom were adopted thru the Animal Samaritans. He kept all the records of their medical checkups and procedures, had them all licensed thru the Palm Springs Animal Shelter and were all in excellent health. Darius is a boxer mix and is the biggest lovebug you'll ever meet. Mr. Whiskers is a domestic short hair black cat, with very distinctive folded ears and two white whiskers.  If Mr. Whiskers isn't sleeping on Darius, you can find him wanting to cuddle on our laps. Both of these animals were obviously well loved and cared for, and its our privilege to have them live out the rest of their days with our family. 


As an expression of sympathy and to honor of Mark, who loved his animal companions, we would like to raise $500 to donate to the Animal Samaritans. Would you please join me in making a difference in the lives of these animals and the people who adopt them. My Uncle was a shy man.. but he beamed when talked about his furbabies. 

Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

More information about Animal Samaritans (Animal Samaritans SPCA Inc.): Animal Samaritans is committed to "Improving the Lives of Animals and People". Animal Samaritans was founded in 1978, and is a leading 501(c)(3) no-kill animal shelter, full-service veterinary clinic, and comprehensive outreach animal welfare organization  committed to “Improving the Lives of Animals and People."   Animal Samaritans relies on foundation grants and the generosity of  individual and corporate donors to protect and save abused and abandoned animals; educate students and the public about the  importance of  humane treatment of animals through our Humane Education Program; provide Animal Assisted Therapy to patients in hospitals, residents in  assisted living facilities and nursing homes,  as well as the disabled; offer financial assistance programs for pet owners on a limited income, discounts to our active military, and low-cost high-quality veterinary care for all pet owners.