Sandy Nelson had a problem.

Nelson, the director of the Humane Society of Skagit Valley near Burlington, needed a vehicle to transport shelter animals, one with heat and air conditioning, and that could accommodate cages of all sizes.

Little did she know that a 1995 Oldsmobile minivan was in the shelter’s future.

Nelson began a public appeal a few months ago on the Humane Society Web site (http://www.skagithumane.com) and in the newspaper for a van with side doors and an automatic transmission. Weeks went by with no response, then a Good Samaritan stepped up to the plate.

Nelson remembered her delight when Susan Duffy of Mount Vernon called in early October.

“Sandy, are you still looking for a van? Well, I found one,” Nelson recalled.

The van would cost $2,500, but don’t worry about it, Duffy told her.

“She said ‘I’m going to get the money’ and I knew she would,” Nelson said. “She is a very active person in the community. She knows everyone and is very energetic.”

Duffy, 67, is an avid volunteer and a long-time member of several area clubs and boards. She figured she could use those connections to help a good cause.

True to her word, Duffy got on the phone and called members of other clubs and organizations.

“I told them, ‘If you can give money to places out of the country, surely you can find enough money to help a local animal shelter,’” she said.

Duffy presented her plan to the Burlington Soroptimist Club, the Burlington Lions, Burlington Rotary and Skagit Women in Business. Soon, money started flowing in.

Some gave $1, some $5 or $20, others threw in $100.

Even friends and acquaintances pitched in. They would have had a tough time saying no, as real estate broker Rick Ishmael of Mount Vernon can attest. He has known Duffy for several years and has seen how focused she gets.

“She is an amazing person,” Ishmael said. “She’s always working on something; she’s like a white tornado.”

When Duffy ran into him at the Elks Lodge, Ishmael not only threw in some cash, he even offered to detail the van and help with signage.

When Duffy had accumulated about $1,400, an anonymous donor offered matching funds. Then, with $2,800 in hand, Duffy purchased the minivan she had found — a 1995 Oldsmobile Silhouette with air conditioning and side and back doors.

“It has perfect access” for loading cages and animals, Nelson said. “And tinted windows, too.”

The darker windows and air conditioning are important for keeping the animals cool on hot days, she said.

Nelson said the van is in excellent condition, and now animals can easily be transported to veterinary appointments for spaying or neutering, or to new homes if necessary.

“We were really happy to get it,” she said.

Duffy is busy again, working with the Humane Society on a second part of the van project — raising funds to pay for painting graphics and lettering the shelter name on both sides of the van. And Nelson is confident she’ll deliver.

“It shows what one person can do when they put their mind to it,” she said.

Kathy Boyd can be reached at or 360-416-2153.