SKIP TRIMBLE: A VOICE FOR THE ANIMALS AND THEIR ADVOCATES

EDITION OF FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2022 [PetPowellPress] I hardly know how to begin this all-too-brief item about a heroic man. Diving right in, I’ll just tell you that Skip Trimble died Saturday at 82. 
Word had been making its way around the animal advocacy community all week.
I got the news from my longtime pal, the animal advocate and rescuer Beverly Fyfe. She was stunned and saddened, too. I suspect that’s a common reaction to the loss of Skip. He earned lots of stars as a role model for animal advocacy and just plain being a critter fan and a fine human being.
Anybody who’s been around animal issues in Texas and in Dallas for the past umpteen years knows of Skip Trimble.
After word of the loss came to me from Beverly, I found a Dallas CultureMap story about a Texas Humane Legislation Network event honoring Skip in September of 2017. The writer was my ol’ pal and newspaper colleague Teresa Gubbins. Her opening wonderfully explained why so many people loved this guy. She wrote, “Animal advocates from across Texas and beyond came together in a reverential yet fun ‘Tribute to Skip Trimble.’ Dubbed the ‘Godfather of Animal Law,’ Trimble is nationally known as the force behind many of the animal-friendly legislative initiatives that have been passed in Texas in the past decade.”

What a nice guy. And a lawyer and a devoted animal advocate. He didn’t just work with the law, Skip worked with the animals and the people who were trying to save them. 
I’m convinced that he is among the leading reasons Dallas has an actual grown-up animal shelter instead of continuing to move listlessly along with small, old mid-20th century brick structures that were nothing more than storage facilities for animals awaiting the needle.
He helped change a lot of things about the way animals are treated in Dallas and in Texas and, probably, lots of other places. It’s the theory of “See what Dallas did? Let’s do it, too.” It’s a version of the “save ‘em all” philosophy. And keep in mind, it wasn’t like City Hall didn’t need to be primed to comprehend the mission of decency. The animals needed a firm advocate.
I remember walking into meetings and animal events and having someone whisper to me in awe, “Skip Trimble is here!” And there he would be, the really nice guy with a determined soul.
 Maybe at one earthly point on Saturday, there was a sudden gathering at the Heavenly Rainbow Bridge and lots of animals that had gotten to live blessed lives in Dallas and beyond, gathered and whispered with honor and gratitude and love, “Skip Trimble is Here!”

[LARRY ASIDE: Here’s the link to Teresa’s 2017 CultureMap celebration story — it helps paint the vast picture of this role model Skip Trimble’s life. And, now, these years later, here is the link to Teresa’s CultureMap obituary of this great guiding light for animal advocacy.]
-- Please leave thoughts and appreciations about this great animal advocate by clicking on 'comment' below. ---