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Memorial Planned for Harley the Camel

Harley the Camel, a fixture at Door County fundraisers, parades, and other public events in recent years, died suddenly Dec. 2.

Owner Lisa Jeansonne of Carlsville said there was little that could be done to save the popular camel.

Harley appeared on the cover of the Pulse in January of 2007.

“He had been ill for about two weeks with peritonitis, a real bad infection that likely came from a lesion or ulcer,” Jeansonne said. “It was something we probably couldn’t have done anything to avoid.”

Harley wasn’t quite five years old but had already become a popular sight at Door County events. He led the Door County Humane Society’s Bark in the Park, appeared in parades, and even took a turn in Southern Door High School’s performance of the musical Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat in 2008.

He participated in fundraisers for the Birch Creek Performance Center and the Door County Humane Society, and last summer he caught the eye of the Wisconsin Gardner television show during a visit to Mayflower Greenhouse in Green Bay. Harley will appear on the show on Wisconsin Public Television in the spring of 2011.

A memorial service for Harley will be held at Crossroads at Big Creek Dec. 15 from 6 – 8 pm. People are encouraged to bring pictures of Harley. Contact Carrie Counihan, executive director of the Door County Humane Society, at 920.746.1111 with questions.

The Jeansonnes hope to purchase a baby camel this spring in Harley’s memory.