Everything is just plain better when you hug a dog or cuddle a cat (those with allergies, sorry, DNA). We decided to schedule a visit to an animal shelter during the extra busy weeks leading up to the holidays. A visit to The Little Guild in West Cornwall was just what we needed – a little animal-loving is good for the soul.
There was a lot of wiggle to put up with but Lora’s a pro. Check out the pics – so cute! If you see anyone you like, give us a shout, we’ll meet you at the shelter and give an introduction!
The Little Guild – For the Welfare of Animals
The Little Guild was founded in 1960 and is the only no-kill shelter in Northwest Connecticut. Their mission is “to save unwanted, abused and neglected cats and dogs, provide medical care and enrichment to make them more adoptable and, through our pet adoption center, match them with homes where they can thrive.”
Dr. Katie Vagliano (VP on the board of directors) was there to show us around the newly renovated facility.
When we first arrived we witnessed a beautiful moment occurring in the lobby…
These two potential adopters were meeting some possible forever-home pups. The first puppy they met was PeeWee, a very lively young fellow!
Perhaps a lil too lively for this fam. Next out was Blade. And I think we all knew almost immediately that he was the one. We may have got quite enthusiastic in this family’s decision…hope they didn’t mind!
He literally walked right up to this lucky lady and lodged himself under her arm. “Hello!” All together now…Awwwwwwww!
They would spend another hour or so getting to know Blade in a separate bonding room and begin the adoption procedure. The adoption process is thorough and requires a 24-hour minimum waiting period after the application has been completed. An adoption committee reviews and checks the suitability of each adoption. Compatibility is key for a happy long lasting adoption. The Little Guild has facilitated over 500 adoptions this year (there’s a count at the bottom of their website…pretty cool). Impressive!
Welcome to one of the many community cat rooms. These are some of the newer cat condos that give the kitties a place to eat, sleep, hang out, or have some private time. The next room had the fish channel on which we found hilarious. I think Lora may be looking into getting this channel at home for her three.
This would be the equivalent of us binge-watching Reign, our current TV obsession.
Some cats come as pairs, and that’s ok, there’s housing for them too.
Agreed
Doggie time!!
That’s exactly how we felt in our holiday sweaters, buddy!
We decided that when we’re rich and fabulous we’ll open pet sanctuaries. Unlocking animal shelters! Hmmm.
There are lots of walking paths right outside the back door. It’s a fantastic place to volunteer your time, and they’re always looking for new recruits! The Little Guild matches dogs to volunteers through a dog walking training course. Besides dog walking, there are many ways for volunteers to get involved.
These are boxes made at a recent workshop teaching community members how to make a warm place for feral cats to shelter.
One of the many programs they have recently introduced is the “trap-neuter-return” program which helps reduce the feral cat population. They also partner with the Susan B. Anthony Project to temporarily house or re-home pets of victims of domestic violence. There’s a food pantry to help families in need, plus low-income vaccine clinics are offered in Torrington and Winsted. The Little Guild believes in providing support for animals within their homes.
Donations are always needed, they have a big 2017 to do list. Click here for details. Please consider making even a small donation this holiday season.
And we’ll just leave this here……
The Little Guild of St.Francis
285 Sharon-Goshen Turnpike, West Cornwall, CT 06796.
860-672-6346