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Cochran Is a Friend of The Marshall County Animal Shelter

Over his long career as a journalist, Jim Cochran has made a special friend in the Marshall County Animal Shelter, which officials said owes its growth to Cochran’s pen. Cochran is a columnist and retired staff writer for The Intelligencer and News-Register

The Tiffany Dlesk Spay-Neuter Clinic, which operates in conjunction with the Animal Shelter, honored Cochran’s 42 years of service to the community and in assisting their mission by engraving his name on one of the bricks paving the facility’s patio. Cochran’s name joins more than 70 others who are honored or remembered for their contributions to the growth and success of the organization.

Barb Scanlon, a Marshall County Animal Rescue League board member and founding member, recalls Cochran covering their goings-on when the Animal Shelter was a self-described “Shanty Town” in the hills of Marshall County, housing numerous dogs and seeking the support of the county commission.

“From the very beginning, I remember the very first article Jim wrote for the Animal Rescue League,” Scanlon said Wednesday. “We had a made a makeshift shelter in (a resident’s) backyard, and he came out there, visited and wrote an article about ‘Shanty Town,’ as he called it. … Our intent at that time was to have an animal shelter in Marshall County — if we had that, then we’d be satisfied; but, of course, we were never satisfied.”

“Jim has always supported us with articles and comments, attended dinners,” said Denise Nalley, executive director with the Marshall County Animal Shelter. “The most important fact was, at the time, all we had was the (newspapers). We didn’t have the internet. We didn’t have rescues. All we had were the local agencies that helped us so much, and Jim has always been so supportive. We just wanted to let him know how much we appreciated his impact on the number of dogs that have been adopted, and how well our agency has done.”

Nalley said the exposure Cochran has brought to the community was instrumental in the Animal Shelter developing as well as it did.

“Jim has been so wonderful throughout his career in helping the Rescue League out,” she said. “Promoting us, and really being such a benefit to the Rescue League, anytime we ever had a need. … Raising public awareness and extending to the community the fact that we needed monetary donations, volunteerism, all of those things, he’s made our presence known in the community that we need that.”

Nalley added that while she does not know Cochran personally, his continual support of the shelter had reached her through the grapevine.

“The ladies here must really respect him, because they don’t mention names like (Cochran’s) very often,” she said. “For them to mention him, they must really appreciate what he’s done for us. … Whatever he’s done, it must resonate; there’s just a handful of people that they’ve had in their back pocket, who have really stuck with them.”

“They’re starting to want to recognize people before they’ve passed on,” she said.

Cochran declined to speak much about his decades working with the Animal Shelter, other than to thank them for their appreciation.

His wife, Linda Cochran, has been a continual presence in Jim’s life, at home and at work, and said Jim works to find the good in the community and bring their activities to light.

“He always kept up with what they were doing – what new items they got, how they remodeled, and how they made it better for the community,” Linda said of her husband. “He’s very good at building up, and giving credit to those who are in the background. A lot of things, there are these things and people who don’t get focused on, but need to be, so he builds up the good stuff that nobody really recognizes.”

“I just can’t say enough about Jim,” Scanlon added. “He’s just always there to get a picture in the paper, and by keeping us in front of the public, Marshall County has been very supportive.”

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