A donor and a doer
Marion Auray has had a long and deep love for animals. That's why she decided to spend a day volunteering her time at the very building that bears her and her husband's names: The 'Marion & Bob Auray Companion Animal Clinic' is located on the main campus of St. Vincent de Paul in south Phoenix, and it's a dream come true for Marion.
"My background is more in animal rescue which has been wonderful, and I've enjoyed that. But this opportunity that SVdP has given us to be really involved in something bigger is the most meaningful thing that I could have done in my life," she said.
Marion knows that having an animal clinic on SVdP's campus for people transitioning off the streets is invaluable.
"People that have pets that are living on the streets are not leaving the streets without their pets. The beauty of this program, having developed in this way, is to offer first care, food, supplies and medical care and now this on campus opportunity," she said. "Put simply, if people are in need of care, pets also are in need of care. They go hand in hand if they're together. And with this clinic on site, it can best serve residents and their pets. This is beyond thrilling."
Marion could have simply written a check and walked away letting others do the work, but she preferred to roll up her sleeves as well.
"We have doers, and we have donors, and we have people who like to do both," she said. "And I like to do both."
She loves getting the chance just to interact with the people benefitting from the clinic.
"There's nothing more fulfilling than I get to sit at the registration desk all day and meet everyone coming into the clinic," she said. "For me that's joy, that's soul-filling."
Alberto Diaz, the animal companion program manager, observes first-hand the love, passion and dedication Marion demonstrates at the clinic.
"Every animal that's up here, and every owner she has personally met, has a story," he said. "I think it's great we have her here and Bob to be a part of this program."
For Marion, it's a purpose that money couldn't buy and a legacy measured not in dollars but in lives changed—both human and animal alike.
