Florence woman bequeaths $350,000 to humane society

FLORENCE — Josephine M. Mathis wasn’t one to pamper herself. Those who knew her said she bought her clothes at yard sales and never, ever splurged for a special gift or luxury for herself. By all accounts, Mathis lived a simple life.

But she was saving up for something big.

“She had a dog she loved dearly, and it was always her lifelong dream to do something for animals,” Florence Area Humane Society President Jayne Boswell said. “Animals were her love, and she wanted to do something to help all animals.”

Mathis died in March at the age of 79. But her gift came to fruition Thursday night at the third annual Bone-E-Fit when a representative of her estate presented Florence Area Humane Society officials with a check for $350,000.

“What a wonderful, unbelievable surprise,” Boswell said. “Every penny she saved was saved so she could do something for animals. Just an unbelievable act of generosity.

“We heard a story about how she was going to a pet show one year. She wanted to go, but she said she couldn’t because her car wasn’t air conditioned so her dog couldn’t ride in it. Some people arranged to take her,” she said. “Her dog rode in the air conditioned car, and she rode behind in the un-air conditioned car. I don’t know many people who would sacrifice like that, but that’s how much she thought of her dog and other animals.”

The Bone-E-Fit, the humane society’s annual benefit, began three years ago as a mechanism to raise money to build a no-kill animal shelter and fund spay and neuter educational programs. Mathis’ donation provides the “seed money” needed to create the spay and neuter program. And ultimately, Boswell said, she hopes it will evolve into an actual clinic at the shelter.

“We will never be able to build a shelter big enough to house all the stray animals if we don’t begin to control the population,” she said. “If we can cut down on the number of animals being born, we will definitely cut down on the number of animals being euthanized. Having our own program will mean that we can make sure that every animal that leaves the shelter to go to a home is already fixed.”

In addition, Boswell said, the “seed money” will make it easier for the shelter to obtain grants to further the program.

“It’s just an awesome donation and a great surprise,” Boswell said. “Ms. Mathis will live on forever though this gift.”

About 1,000 people attended Thursday’s Bone-E-Fit. Organizers didn’t have a tally on how much money was raised by press time Friday, but Bone-E-Fit Chairman Jeff Murrie said the night was an obvious success.

“Once again, I am speechless and overwhelmed by the overwhelming support of the Florence community,” he said. “It’s just so great to know that one unforgettable evening will give so many of God’s creatures, both small and large, many unforgettable nights of happiness and comfort in a loving home.”

The humane society’s current shelter is located at 1007 Stockade Drive, off of National Cemetery Road, in Florence and is open from noon to 5 p.m. every day except Wednesday and Sunday. Call (843) 669-2921 for more information.