What is the Pat Brody Shelter for Cats?
It is a Limited door shelter for cats dedicated to the rescue, care & placement of homeless cats.

Mission Statement  – Please download our 2011 Mission Statement
The Shelter’s primary function is the rescue, sheltering, and adoption of stray and abandoned cats. Volunteers maintain, clean, and feed the animals and shelter facility.

The shelter is a clean, safe, caring refuge. Approximately 80 volunteers maintain the shelter and give needed attention to the animals. Volunteers solicit appropriate home-placement for all shelter animals and educate the public about animal welfare issues through the distribution of a newsletter and participation in community events.

In order to ensure that rescued cats do not contribute to overpopulation, ALL cats and kittens are spay/neutered, microchipped, given FVRCP and Rabies shots, and tested for FELV/FIV before adoption. Shelter kittens are spay/neutered between 8 and 12 weeks of age, depending upon their weight. Rescued animals are put to sleep by veterinarians only if they are diagnosed as severely ill or diseased.

How did the Shelter begin?
Pat Brody’s love of cats and her concern for the number of strays prompted her to start a shelter in 1984. When Pat passed away in 1991, volunteers vowed to continue her work.

Is it a non-profit Shelter?
Yes. We are a state and federally sanctioned not-for-profit organization. All work is done solely by volunteers.

How many cats does the Shelter house?
We house an average of 75 cats & kittens at one time. We adopt out on the average of 750 cats per year.

How do you get these cats?
Through rescues, contact with vets and people who find strays or who are unable to care for their cat any longer.  We also take in cats who have been scheduled for euthanasia from other agencies.

Do you charge to adopt a cat?

Our adoption fees are as follows: Donation prices for our cats range from $175.00 – $400.00 depending on the age, health, breed and disposition of the cat. Special breeds and exotics can range from $250.00-$450.00 Payment is by check or cash only. 

Although the shelter does receive special rates from veterinarians, the $225.00/$175.00+ fees cover only one-half to one-third of our costs. The cost of providing each cat with a complete physical, microchipping, all shots, testing for Feline Leukemia and FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) and spaying or neutering is approximately $250 – $300 if the veterinary work was done individually. Without the fee, we could not keep the shelter functioning. We depend on donations and fundraisers to raise money for the rest of the costs.  Also, many cats need special medications and surgery prior to being adopted. The shelter also absorbs these costs.

Do you have any other programs?
Yes. Our Foster Program places special needs cats in homes for a short period of the time. Kittens without mothers or cats recovering from surgery are a few examples.

Our Spay-Neuter Programsubsidizes low-income guardians so their cat can be spayed or neutered at reduced rates.

Our volunteers also bring some of the cats to nursing homes for visits and are available for educational lectures at schools.

Is this an all volunteer organization?
Yes. No one is paid. Volunteers generously donate their time and talents to the shelter. Volunteers are needed for all aspects of running the shelter. Cleaning (the shelter is thoroughly cleaned daily), dispensing medications, feeding, trips to the vet, purchasing food & supplies, foster care, visits to nursing homes & schools, making crafts to be sold at cat shows, soliciting donations, maintaining this web site …. the list goes on & on.  Would you like to volunteer?

How do you get the funds to run a shelter?
Through donations, fund-raisers, and adoptions. We make and sell crafts at cat shows, have a yard sale twice a year and are currently looking into other fund raising ideas. Donations are collected through the cat coin boxes found in many local businesses and are sent to us by caring concerned citizens. Donations of food are collected in cat food barrels at local supermarkets.

What is the long-term goal of the Shelter?
Besides the rescue, care & placement of needy cats, the Shelter’s long-term goal is to spay or neuter 100 cats per year of low-income guardians and to set up Rabies Clinics so more cats are inoculated each year.

How can I donate time or money to the Pat Brody Shelter?
Send us an E-mail or call us at (978)582-6116.  You can also fill in our online Volunteer Form or Adoption Form and we’ll get back to you once we receive it.

You can now make online donations by using PayPal’s secure web site.