IT ’ S ONE OF THOSE FALL DAYS , A CLASSIC New England nor ’ easter sending the rain sideways . On the radio , I hear that wind gusts could reach sixty miles per hour . Driving past the white-capped Sakonnet River , I believe it .
My destination — a Victorian home sitting imposingly at the crest of a hill — appears almost ominous in this weather . I park and struggle with my car door , trying not to lose it to a gust of wind , then walk the rest of the way up the drive . I am looking at the outbuildings on this unusual property , wondering where I ’ ll find my host , when I see her : a tiny figure in coveralls and rain gear , smiling widely and waving as she strides up the hill . The wind and rain do not seem to bother Wendy Taylor in the least .
We sit in the small building that houses both her office and the kennels that serve Animal Control in the towns of Tiverton and Little Compton . Wendy , founder and executive director of West Place Animal Sanctuary , tucks her feet up beneath herself on her chair , and rubs her hands together . Maybe the weather has affected her a little bit . Still , there is that smile .
You can learn the general story of Wendy ’ s rescue , which works with law enforcement and other agencies in the absolute worst cases of animal cruelty and neglect , on the sanctuary website . Wendy , a lawyer for more than twenty years , wanted to do something to honor the memory of several beloved animals she lost in a fire at her home . What began as a personal effort to
56 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l FEBRUARY 2021