Chris Collins and wife Jennifer with their dog Wilbur.Photo:Courtesy of The Collins Family
Courtesy of The Collins Family
By the end of his shift, “Splash was completely doe-eyed and enamored with Chris, head over heels in love,” founder Kirstin Mende tells PEOPLE. “He was exactly the kind of volunteer that makes a difficult, challenging, sometimes heartbreaking charity like rescue that much brighter.”
Chris Collins.Cana Dunlap Photography
Cana Dunlap Photography
When Chris didn’t appear for his volunteer shift on Thursday evening, the day after the crash, rescue leaders initially attributed his absence to a family emergency or a busy day at work.
“We didn’t put two and two together,” says Mende.
Their concern grew when he failed to text them to explain his absence. The next day, Mende learned that he’d been a passenger on the plane. “The first thing I did was call my Lucky Dog director,” she says. “I told her, ‘I know why Chris didn’t come yesterday, and he’s not going to be coming anymore.’ I will never forget the way she screamed.”
Chris Collins and his wife Jennifer.Lucky Dog Refuge
Lucky Dog Refuge
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Chris and his wife Jennifer were introduced to the rescue world during the pandemic when they adopted a senior terrier mix named Wilbur from a North Carolina shelter. Chris began working with Lucky Dog in 2023, and in the last year logged 150 hours. He’d come in at dinnertime, usually three times per week, and stay as long as he was needed.
He had a special rapport with staff members and volunteers, says Mende, who adds that he always seemed to find something in common with everyone.
(L-R) Chris Collins and wife Jennifer with their dog.Courtesy of The Collins Family
But it was the dogs who benefited the most. Mende says it wasn’t just about getting the dogs out of the kennels for walks, “it was making sure that each one felt so incredibly loved.”
Of course he had his special dogs — most notably those who were long-timers at the rescue — and would celebrate each adoption as a win. He was especially attached to Bryce, a lab-pitbull mix with a burn scar down her back — a result of intentional cruelty, the rescue surmises.
(L-R) Splash and Bryce.Courtesy of Tischman Pets; Lucky Dog Refuge
Courtesy of Tischman Pets; Lucky Dog Refuge
“Bryce is the sweetest, most loving, trusting and resilient dog you could ever meet. And I do think Chris had a lot to do with that, because he spent so much time with her, teaching her that people are good," Mende says, noting that Bryce is still with the rescue, waiting to be adopted.
His impact in the rescue world is being felt in ripples. As people have learned of his death, Mende says, “even volunteers whom we haven’t seen in the last few months or even the last year or so are signing up to come in, saying, ‘We’re here because of Chris; we’re here to honor him. We’re back because he’s reminded us of just how important this is.’ ”
source: people.com