On August 1, 2024, we lost a giant of rescue, Ron Manor. Among Ron and Kathy Manor’s many contributions to Northwest Samoyed Rescue over the course of 23 years was to host the annual Samoyed rescue picnic at their home near Centralia, Washington. It was a great opportunity for the Samoyed rescue community to gather and see the success stories in person, a collective impact made evident by the group photo taken midway through the picnic.
In recent years, health challenges personally and the COVID pandemic more broadly conspired to take the picnic off the calendar. Ron’s family thought there would be no better way to celebrate his life than to gather rescued Samoyeds and their people together for one last “arooo” at Ron and Kathy’s, scheduled for Saturday, August 17th from 12:00pm to 5:00pm. The big group photo will be taken around 3:00pm.
Whether you knew Ron personally, or just know the effect of his work and dedication (which if you’ve adopted a Samoyed from Northwest Samoyed Rescue in the last 23 years, you definitely do), please join us. To RSVP and get the specific address, contact us and we’ll respond promptly with the details.
Ron Manor ran Northwest Samoyed Rescue starting in 2001, and while he was quick to attribute that quote to his predecessor, he would go on to fully live its credo for the next 23 years.
Ron didn’t do it alone, but he was the clear leader of the Northwest Samoyed Rescue pack, and led by example — handling surrenders, adoptions, fosters, administrative details and occasional drama (whether dog or human). When things got challenging, he’d remind everyone involved that “it’s all about the dog”, and that generally cleared up next steps real quick.
Ron was willing to do the hard work of NWSR, and also the harder work: taking in the hard-to-place dogs, the older dogs, even the dogs that did not play well with others and required separation to manage. Some of those dogs were clear “permanent fosters,” but Ron and his wife Kathy (herself a longtime and essential force of Rescue) took them in, and once they were in the Manors’ safe haven, those dogs would often prove to be their most rewarding foster experiences.
The apex of each “rescue year” was the annual Northwest Samoyed Rescue picnic, held each summer at Ron and Kathy’s place in central Washington. In addition to being an avid dog rescuer, Ron was an avid photographer. Those passions blended beautifully at each event, with the lineup of people and dogs whose lives had been changed for the better by Northwest Samoyed Rescue requiring an extra-wide-angle lens to capture.
Ron’s affinity for being behind the camera means that photos of him are surprisingly hard to find, now that he’s gone. Ron’s passing on August 1 was not unexpected, and Ron, ever the planner, was early to see around the corner to the day when someone else would need to take Northwest Samoyed Rescue forward in his stead.
The problem is that the core premise of “replacing Ron” is flawed. There is no replacing Ron. It’s taken the full engagement of several board members to even come close. The validation came, however, once Ron confirmed he liked the progress he saw, and was confident that Northwest Samoyed Rescue would continue its work beyond him. It does feel some days like we’re all just standing on each other’s shoulders doing our best to work the superhero suit, but the expectations set by Ron’s legacy are high: If there were a Mt. Rushmore for heroes of dog rescue, Ron Manor would be on it.
Ron would, of course, want any tribute to him to ultimately be “all about the dog” and to direct that energy to improving the lives of Samoyeds at whatever moment they need it most. In Ron’s absence, the thing NWSR could most use is committed foster homes, then committed adoption applicants, and then contributions, pretty much in that order.
Ron’s family will be hosting one last rescue picnic at his and Kathy’s place later this month in his honor. If you’d like to attend, please contact us for details. We’ll all have different appreciations to share for Ron and what he’s done for Samoyeds during his life, but there’s one thing we’ll all know for sure about his passing: There were a lot of appreciative Samoyeds waiting to greet him on the other side.
