Volunteering/Fostering
Information about Volunteering/Fostering and stories about our volunteers and their activities.
Volunteer Stories/Activities
The young kitten and the older cat lay on shaded sweet grass watching the reunions. Sometimes a man, sometimes a woman, sometimes a whole family would approach the Rainbow Bridge, be greeted by their loving pets and cross the bridge together.
The kitten playfully swatted at the old cat. “Look! Something wonderful is happening!” The old cat stood up and meowed, “Quickly, get over to the path.” “But that’s not my owner,” mewed the kitten, but he did as he was told.
Thousands of pets surged forward as a figure in white walked on the path toward the Bridge. As the glowing figure passed each animal, that animal bowed its head in love and respect. The figure finally approached the bridge and was met by a menagerie of joyous animals. Together they all walked over the Bridge and disappeared.
The kitten was still in awe. “Was that an angel?” he whispered. “No son,” the old cat replied, “that was a person who worked rescue.”
Volunteering
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! We are always in need of volunteers to come one weekday morning per week, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., to help with cleaning and housekeeping duties. If you can help, please fill out the volunteer form and let us know your availability.
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We can always use more volunteers to help us take care of the cats or to help make the crafts that we sell at cat shows and craft fairs.
You have to be at least 16 years old to volunteer, unless accompanied by a parent.
It is a very rewarding experience to watch over the cats, help them adjust to their new home and hopefully get adopted as quickly as possible. And if you don’t have the time to volunteer, you could become a foster parent.
For those of us who work full-time, our volunteer commitment is usually only 4 hours per month. That’s so little time for so much reward. If you’d like to learn more about volunteering, please call the shelter at 978-582-6116 or fill out our volunteer form.
Twice daily, volunteers take care of:
- Cleaning all cages
- Feeding
- Cleaning the rooms
- Washing dirty towels, blankets, cage liners
- Washing dirty dishes and litter pans
- Adminstering medications
- Noting the condition of all cats
- Socializing the babies and newcomers
- Playing, grooming and just loving them all
What we get in return is unconditional love. It’s an amazing feeling to watch a cat who had been abused, abandoned or neglected come to the realization that humans can be trusted and that life isn’t only filled with pain and hunger.
Foster Homes Needed – call us 978-582-6116 or send email
We are always in need of foster homes for kittens. We are looking for people to take in one of these four groups:
- Orphaned Kittens with no Mother
- Mothers with Kittens
- Kittens who need to be bottle fed
- Kittens who are eating on their own
To take care of these cats, you will need:
- A warm, dry safe place, away from other cats
- Resources to feed them the proper food
- Enough time to foster them until they reach 2 pounds. At that time they will go to our veterinary clinic for shots, testing and spaying/neutering. The shelter will pick them up from the clinic. This can be anywhere from 4 – 6 weeks of foster time, depending upon the age of the kittens.
If you are “a cat lover”, this is your chance to make a difference between life or death for these kittens. During kitten season, many rescue groups call on us for help!
Foster Policies
- Kittens & nursing moms are considered to be under Pat Brody Shelter care management.
- If you have friends or family who are interested in adopting someone from the litter you are fostering, they must call the shelter at 978-582-6116 and go through the regular screening procedure that all prospective adopters are put through.
- We try to protect our foster parents from the pressure of the adoption procedure as the shelter is qualified to screen potential clients with an objective outlook toward the welfare of the cat.
- They must be told that:
— Adoption Fee is $175.00/per kitten
— All kittens are spayed and neutered by our clinic before they can be adopted
— They must have a proper carrier to pick up the kitten(s)
Crafts
We meet the third Wednesday of each month. Please send us an email if you’d like to attend and we’ll give you the location details.
You don’t have to know how to sew to join. As long as you can trace a pattern, cut with scissors or stuff some toys, you’re qualified. Come meet some of the shelter volunteers and listen to our amazing cat stories.