Folks calling Broadway Animal Hospital learned to announce themselves by saying their pets’ names. If someone said they were Sue Jones or Bob Smith, it might take a moment for recognition.
If they said “It’s Fido” or “It’s Fifi,” Joan Collins knew exactly who was calling.
“She was much more tuned to your pet than to you,” said Broadway customer Marjorie Heidrich.
Known for her skill with rescued dogs, Vonny McCarver said if Collins could have lived 20 more years, she could have saved another 20,000 animals.
Collins, 46, died June 5 of a heart attack at her Everett home. She worked at the veterinary office in Everett for more than 16 years, fostered many litters of kittens and rescued dogs and held a special place in her heart for pit bulls.
A volunteer for Purrfect Pals in Arlington, Mary Cathey, said Collins will be sorely missed by clients and friends who loved her dearly.
Born in Monroe, Collins spent her childhood in Oklahoma. Her adult life was spent in Everett.
She leaves her husband, Elroy Collins, and three children, Kim Petryk, and partner, Sean Biegel; Charles (Tony) Jackson; Amy Collins and partner, Ken Linares; grandchildren Corinne Petryk, Ciara Petryk, Diego Linares and Kiera Biegel; stepdaughter Stacy (Bobby) Piker and stepgrandchildren Caitlynne, Krystin, and Mitchell; siblings Lori Landers, Howard Jackson, and Jeanne Ward.
Her daughter, Kim Petryk, said regardless of her devotion to animals. her mother put her children first in her life.
“Her emphasis was on her family,” Petryk said. “She was oh so caring.”
Her mother was strong-willed, independent and self-sufficient. Collins preferred wearing shorts, tank tops and Birkenstocks year-round. She shunned makeup and yelled at “Jerry Springer” guests on television. The workaholic took chores home from the vet clinic and loved music by Queen.
Her nephew, Mike Darlington, said she changed his life.
When he was on the wrong path as a young man, she steered him right. Now an engineer, he called her at all hours for advice and was the only one who could wake her up with a telephone call and not get chided.
Needing to kennel his dog, Chocolate, in Montana, customer Duane Parker said he forgot required paperwork. He called Collins and she provided the information.
“She concluded the conversation saying to the Montana attendant, ‘I encourage you to keep the dog but get rid of the character,’ ” Parker said. “That was Joan, always helpful, very sharp, and a fun person.”
Friend Sharon Iverson’s cat, Norman Bates, was vicious but Collins loved him, Iverson said.
“She understood my love for that cat and supported my decision to keep him. She was the funniest, sassiest, most headstrong woman I ever had the pleasure of knowing.”
A friend and customer, Debbie Magill, talked to Collins every week.
“I had a dog that had special needs, so I was constantly needing advice or medicine or food,” Magill said. “Joan was the one I would call. If I was unable to pick what I needed up within business hours, she would put my things in a bag and set them out back for me to pick up later.”
The most amazing thing about Collins was her compassion, her willingness to go out of her way for her clients, and the intensity with which she loved animals, Magill said.
“One day I remember going in there, it was near the end of the day, and Joan was down,” Magill said. She looked like she was near tears. The reason she was sad was because they ‘had a lot of losses’ that day. So even though she was a receptionist in a vet clinic, she still had a hard time when the inevitability of death came around too often.”
Readers may recall a Herald story from 2002 about Collins and the office blood-donor cat named Hoss. Everyone in Everett seemed to know the lifesaving cat.
The cat just gives and gives, Collins said then. She said Hoss sensed when someone in the waiting room was stressed about a sick pet and would make his way to each lap and offer feline support.
Collins adored every animal in her care said Shaney Riley, whose companion and confidante is Harley, a rescued pit bull.
“She saved hundreds if not thousands of animal lives,” Riley said. “Joan left behind a legacy, in her friends, her family and all pets that were benefactors of her love.”
Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.
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