For the Love of Dogs

Joy Hallinan, who works at Atlanta Humane Society, has included a bequest with a named endowment fund in her estate plans. At age 60 and faced with the COVID-19 pandemic reality, Joy decided to work on her legacy and chose four organizations close to her heart to support.

Joy said that whereas Proust measured his life in coffee spoons—she has measured her life in the wonderful but, never long enough 15-year average life spans of her dogs. A love of dogs runs deep for Joy from the earliest time she remembers. The Joy Kurts Hallinan Fund will be in honor of the six dogs she has shared her life with until now including Trissy, the scrappy barking rat terrier who would alert her parents when she woke up in her crib. Sue-Sue was the pretty white toy poodle of her childhood who loved to chase a flashlight beam on the living room walls and floor. Jillian, the tiniest 8 pound Indianapolis shelter rescue terrier mix of Joy’s 20’s had black, white and scruffy grey hair and the will power to carry her own pack and boulder on hikes. Jillian was also the dog who was by her side through many moves from Indianapolis to Washington D.C. and then after her divorce in her 30’s to Boston. Mina, aka Noet Wilhelmina, was a purebred Kooikerhunje born in Denmark in 2000. She loved to bound head first into fresh snow in Providence, Rhode Island and hike 5 miles every weekend at Stone Mountain after they moved to Atlanta. Mina stayed right by her side through treatment for breast cancer in 2004 and was the best nurse. Joy, now healthy, shares her home with two 15 pound rescue mixes, Sophie (an Atlanta Humane alumna) and Sami both in the photograph. Sophie is high energy, a little neurotic and proudly wears a dog tag “Squirrel Patrol.” Sami is happiest with a slower pace burrowing under blankets and napping in sun-spots. His tag reads “Feed Me!”

Her generosity to Atlanta Humane is another layer in a deep engagement with working for and donating to not-for-profit organizations throughout her career. “I want to continue to have my values carry forward and make a difference. I hope that more Atlantans who love their dogs and cats will consider a planned gift to the Atlanta Humane Society.”