Being closed to the public isn’t exactly ideal when a group’s mission is to find forever homes for homeless felines – or when kitten season turns out to be epic during those two years, organizers said.

“We hope people feel comfortable going out for a fun family day,” said Fundraising President Chris Gagné. “It was a crazy challenge, because it’s the first live event in two years, and we want it to be special, so we have high hopes that people are ready to go out and have some fun.”

Animal Awareness Day, hosted by Dennis Nardella, is BCC’s free annual celebration of their love of animals, marked by the Animal Blessing at 1:30 p.m., which attracts an array of pets.

The always-awaited bake sale will be back, along with children’s activities, games, live music from Sal Annunziato, an eclectic group of vendors, food trucks, a WPLR-FM booth, mini therapy horses from Professor Donna Latella from Quinnipiac University, a dog kissing booth, search and rescue dog demonstrations and a presentation by Carolyn Sires and Victory of Educated Canines Assisting People with Disabilities.

Financial difficulties

In the pandemic’s first year, when people weren’t leaving their homes, BCC fared better than they do today, President Peg Johnson said.

“In the first year of COVID, the shelter was operating with less than half of the normal volunteer staff, and it was very difficult for the few volunteers who were working long hours and multiple shifts. [to care for the cats]”Said Johnson.” Fortunately, we are coming back to an almost full squad.

“But this year, the difficulties are more financial, caused in part by the inability to organize public fundraisers, but mainly because of the expenses incurred with a sharp increase in the number of cats given up and abandoned by their owners. . “

Many people were looking for companionship or a pet for homebound children and took a leap of faith by adopting kittens they had selected through Zoom chats with foster families, videos and stories. photos and then ended the curbside adoptions, BCC said. None were returned. But this year, the organization reports, adoptions are down.

During the pandemic, phones rang with people unable to pay for their pets, begging BCC to take their animals, because other shelters and rescues had turned them away, shelter manager Lianne Soucy said.

“We welcome them, because that’s what we do. This is our mission, ”she added.

Hoarding situations increase the problem

There has also been an increase in hoarding situations to which BCC has responded, they said, which has really strained resources. Take, for example, the collection of 27 cats from one site, 25 of which needed spaying or neutering and / or medical attention. They included a mother with seven kittens, five of which had died.

“It starts with good intentions with compassionate and caring people, but if you don’t sterilize you’re going to end up with a problem,” Soucy said of hoarding. “On one site, there were four pregnant mothers, which resulted in 25 kittens…”

Even individual rescues may require medical attention, like Alyssia, a “charmer” who arrived with facial and eye trauma that turned into a sinus infection that interfered with her sense of smell, causing her to stop eating. . Another obstacle: she was pregnant, which excluded certain medications. A month ago, she endured the birth of seven kittens, one of which died, BCC said.

Holds

With no benefits or fundraising, and with summer vet bills hovering around $ 40,000 for sterilization / sterilization and medical check-up, the shelter says “no” for the first time.

“I was asked to suspend our admission… because of our financial situation, just because it costs so much money to do the screening,” Soucy said.

“It’s really difficult. … We are often asked to step in and help when other shelters cannot. We’re kind of like the go-to refuge, but not now because our admission is on hold… “they can’t,” she said.

Johnson is optimistic, however, and is looking ahead to 2022, when BCC will celebrate its 25th anniversary. “We plan to celebrate throughout 2022 and invite animal lovers to follow us on Facebook and our website. “

Thanks to its sponsors and suppliers, Animal Awareness Day will be free, but donations are welcome on site or on the BCC website, where visitors can also seek lasting donation and sponsorship of cats housed at the shelter. at 2037 Foxon Road, North Branford.

“Every little bit counts,” Soucy said. “It doesn’t have to be a huge amount. It all makes the difference.

You can find information about the pet photo contest and more details at branfordcompassionclub.org.

Donna Doherty is the former Artistic Editor of the New Haven Register and a volunteer for the Branford Compassion Club.