The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Club celebrates 25 years of cat rescue and adoptions
BRANFORD — Branford Compassion Club is celebrating its 25th anniversaryon Sept. 23 with a gala at the Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club.
The club has arranged the adoption of more than 4,000 cats and kittens into homes since its inception, according to a news release.
The volunteer-based nonprofit organization was formed in 1997 by a group of animal lovers concerned about the health and welfare of a growing population of feral cats in their town. They began feeding the cats and humanely trapping them so they could be spayed or neutered. Shelters were built to protect the cats from the elements, and homes were found for those not too shy or aggressive, the release said.
The work soon expanded to answering calls to rescue stray and abandoned cats, making sure they were spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and treated for any acute medical conditions.
Shy or aggressive cats, and kittens born from feral moms, were taken into foster care so they could be socialized to become adoptable, according to a spokesperson from the club.
In 2011, the organization opened its brick-and-mortar shelter at 2037 Foxon Road, North Branford. Thousands of cats have passed through its doors on their way from the streets to loving families.
Board President Margaret “Peg” Johnson said in the release,
“Throughout its history, BCC has been wholly supported by private donations and run by volunteers. Our board of directors is comprised of actively working and retired professional women, and our volunteer network, now nearly 150 strong, is the backbone of the organization.”
For information, go to branfordcompassionclub.org.