By JENNIFER COMPSTON-STROUGH

MORRISTOWN — For nearly her entire life, Candace Fleagane has known she was meant to care for animals.

The moment she realized that came during her third birthday party.

“Something horrible happened to my dog,” she said. “Even though I was very young, I knew I had to help the animals that could not help themselves.”

Fleagane was raised in the local area and attended Catholic school in Lafferty for eight years before graduating from Union Local High School. Beginning at age 10, she studied dance in New York City every summer then moved to New York at age 17. In the Big Apple, she worked with the Joffrey Ballet Co. and “did a little modeling.”

Upon returning to Ohio three years later, she married and had two children, Stephanie and Louie. In her professional life, Fleagane opened dance and gymnastics studios in Barnesville where many local children studied.

“My daughter and I modeled for Jay Stock Photography,” she said. “I was fortunate to be included in his documentary of outstanding women in the Ohio Valley. My photo was given as a gift to many important people, including John F. Kennedy.”

While living in Barnesville, Fleagane worked with the Belmont County Historical Society. She also started working with animals many years ago.

“I lived next door and volunteered at the Gay ’90s Mansion Museum,” she said. “I always volunteered at the Belmont County Animal Shelter.”

Some years later, she started a new chapter.

“Later in life, I married Nick Fleagane and retired from dance,” she said, noting that she has since been widowed. “I started Belmont County Cat Stray Shun to help low-income families spay and neuter their cats. My dance student, (veterinarian) Dr. Christy Stephen, provided a discount to help my project.

“Everything escalated, and our organization now spays and neuters around 100 cats a month,” she continued. “The organization is solely financially responsible for all vet care of cats at the Belmont County Animal Shelter. We do adoption and fundraisers at least two days a week.”

To any young woman starting out in the field of animal care or to a young girl interested in the field, Fleagane offers this advice: “Do not lose heart. This is a stressful and sometimes heartbreaking undertaking. Every life you save will make your life whole. Do your best, and God will take care of the rest.”

She said she is proud of the fact that at least three of her dance students have become veterinarians.

“I always tried to instill compassion for animals in the minds and hearts of my students,” she noted. “I meet a lot of women of all ages when I am fundraising and doing adoption days. I’m always happy to provide information to them and hope that my love of animals will be contagious. I hope that many young women will follow in my footsteps in this endeavor to spay and neuter animals and find them loving homes.”

Fleagane would like to see the state of Ohio alter its laws regarding animal welfare.

“We are in desperate need of spay/neuter laws and more ways to hire humane officers,” she said. “A very bright spot is that the county will be building a new animal shelter and that we have some lovely, enthusiastic young ladies volunteering at the Belmont County Animal Shelter” as well as “some wonderful, compassionate, hard-working employees.”

She also offered some words to live by: “If an animal doesn’t like someone, don’t trust them.”

Fleagane learned early on not to be jealous of others and to be happy for what others have acquired.

“I realize if I do my best, I will always receive what I need,” she added.