The Bartholomew County Humane Society is setting up a new memorial fund in memory of a woman from Columbus who died attempting to save a dog that was lost near the Flat Rock River in 2017.
The Jackie (Kleine) Watts Memorial Fund for Senior Animals has been adopted as a 2020 project for the humane society, as volunteers are hoping to raise $10,000 to give special care to senior animals (7 years old and older) this year.
Watts, a former Columbus resident, died March 3, 2017 after leaving her car that day in the 2300 block of Riverside Drive to try to save a dog, police reported.
The older, small, white poodle, named Ringo, had been reported lost. The owners later said the dog was nearly deaf and had vision problems and would most likely run away from anyone approaching it.
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It was unknown how long Ringo had been lost before Watts saw it and left her car to try to catch it along the Flat Rock River bank. Police believe the two entered the water heading south somewhere near the low-head dam. Her body was found at 8:01 a.m. March 4, 2017 on a sandbar in the river, about a half mile south of Riverside Drive. Her cause of death was listed as accidental drowning.
The dog also perished and was found March 5 by police south of Noblitt Park on the east bank of the East Fork White River.
Humane Society representatives said because Watts loved animals, and was active in many groups caring for animals, the fund is being set up in her name. Among the needs that would be funded for older animals would be diagnostic blood tests and X-rays, heartworm testing, treatment and prevention, teeth cleaning, eye and skin problems, obesity and malnutrition, and heart and other systemic correctable problems.
All the medical procedures are expensive, but human society officials say they could provide many senior animals a second chance at finding a loving home.
Watts, who was 33 when she died, was the daughter of Ric and Peggy Kleine of Columbus, and graduated from Columbus East High School in 2002. She graduated from Butler University in 2007 where she studied in the College of Education.
In a statement from the Watts family about her death, the family expressed its gratitude to the public safety agencies who worked to find Jackie, and to those who offered overwhelming love and support in the days after her death.
"In the days following Jacquelyn’s passing, we have learned of many kind acts honoring her memory," the family wrote. "It has lifted up our hearts to see that Jackie touched so many lives … From her work as a teaching assistant in the Indianapolis Public Schools, as events coordinator for Big Brother Big Sisters of Indianapolis and through her vocation as an esthetician, Jackie saw beauty and value in everyone."
The family noted in their statement that Jackie had a life-long love of animals, which began when she was a child.
"She cared deeply about the well-being of animals," the statement said. "If she believed she could help an animal in need, she was going to do so without hesitation. We know that Jackie gave her life for what she believed in."
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Tax-deductible donations to the Jackie (Kleine) Watts Memorial Fund for Senior Animals may be sent to the Bartholomew County Humane Society, P.O. Box 1088, Columbus, IN 47202.
For more information, call 812-372-6063 or visit bartholomewhumane.org.
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