Those around Joy Evilsizor marveled at her ability to charm creatures big and small, both of the four-legged and two-legged variety.
Evilsizor, the former executive director of the Humane Society of Cobb County and chair of the county’s Animal Services Board, was known for her trademark smile and friendly demeanor. When it came to cats, dogs and other critters, from docile pets to skittish strays to snarling ferals, she was masterful at calming, settling and bonding with animals.
“She could see the temperament of the animals when she picked them up and see if they were really listening to her or not,” said her husband, Gail Evilsizor, a steady partner in her shelter work.
“She treated them as they should be — living creatures with feelings,” said Sarah Cant, current Humane Society executive director. “She was understanding and patient and kind.”
Joy Catherine Evilsizor, 79, died Sept. 29 in Kennesaw, a month after suffering a stroke. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children Doug, Jeff and Scott Grant, stepdaughter Wendy, their partners and her three grandchildren.
Evilsizor often turned her low-key charm loose on owners who brought pets to Cobb’s animal shelter intending to leave them, sometimes convincing them to hang on to their four-legged friends and giving advice on handling difficult animals.
Former colleagues and friends say she was far more than some version of a pet whisperer. Her passionate advocacy on behalf of animal welfare and education spurred donations to the Humane Society.
Gail Evilsizor said his wife waded into the nonprofit world of animal care/management about two years after the family relocated from Cincinnati to east Cobb. A death provided the trigger.
“In 1991,” he recounted, “one of our two cats passed away.” Looking for another feline companion, they found their way to the Cobb County animal shelter, which at the time also housed the Humane Society of Cobb County.
Evilsizor added, “When she came down here and saw the facilities and how they rescued animals, she wanted to join and do that.”
Joy Evilsizor learned the protocols of animal care and began taking on more responsibility.
By 1997, she was general manager. Armed with a large bequest from a local business owner, she oversaw the agency’s acquisition of its first freestanding building, on Fairground Street in Marietta, and the retrofitting and remodeling of it to house pets. The same process played out as the society later acquired two other properties and expanded its shelter and programs.
Evilsizor eschewed functioning as simply an administrator behind a desk. She was quick to step up to fill gaps.
“If there was an animal that needed to be taken care of in the evening and there was nobody else to do it, (she would),” said Connie Morris, a past Humane Society head.
“She’d be there all day, go home for dinner and come back at 10 o’clock to do whatever needed to be done,” she added.
Cant, at the time a volunteer, recalled sitting outside the shelter with Evilsizor and a clutch of kittens in a pet carrier, hoping their mewing would attract their mother, who had run off.
The nightly pet stakeout paid off. The mom returned and all involved were adopted out.
Over Evilsizor’s years as executive director, the Humane Society not only expanded its facilities but its outreach as well, partnering with a local TV station for a “pet of the week” feature, inaugurating a pet therapy program in nursing homes and taking animals to elementary schools to educate fifth graders in animal science.
The director also focused on bringing euthanasia rates down across the board.
Said Gail Evilsizor, “She wouldn’t euthanize any animals. And, if she didn’t have room for them, she’d bring them home. At one time, we had 35 cats in our double-car garage because we didn’t have room at the shelter.”
In addition to Joy Evilsizor’s skills at rescuing, advocating and educating, her prior background in real estate gave her the know-how to manage the Humane Society budget, organize programs, supervise employees and bring in funds through savvy marketing campaigns that she had designed, said those close to her.
Evilsizor brought the same approach to the Cobb County Animal Services Board, serving almost seven years as chair and navigating through policy issues such as how many pets the county’s residents could keep at one time.
“If there was a decision to be made in the best interests of the animals, she would lead the board in that direction,” Cant said.
Evilsizor was a woman who chose her words carefully and somewhat sparingly, her colleagues said. But when she spoke, people listened.
“She had a quiet strength,” longtime friend Ralph Paulk said. “She wasn’t one of those people who was loud and bossy, but she could get things done.”
About the Author
