WORCESTER—For Hope Haven Pet Rescue, winter is usually a time to slow down. This January, it hasn’t worked out that way.
The Worcester-based nonprofit currently has about 40 cats and kittens in foster care — a higher-than-normal number for the season — and is hoping an in-person adoption event Saturday, Jan. 24, will help move more animals into permanent homes.
The event is happening from noon to 3 p.m. at Funky Stuff, 97 Webster St., in partnership with the local business. From noon to 1 p.m., the space is reserved for adopters who have already been pre-screened and approved. From 1-3 p.m., applicants who submitted paperwork in advance may complete in-person screenings and adoptions. The public is welcome from 1-3 p.m. to meet the cats and kittens, though applications must be submitted ahead of time to take an animal home the same day.
Right now, the rescue is juggling more animals than it typically would in January, founder Emily Patton told the Worcester Guardian.
“Right now we have about 40 cats and kittens in foster care,” Patton said. “That is a higher number than usual for January. During the winter months, I try to limit intakes so volunteers can have some time off and be rested for the busy kitten season.”
Hope Haven’s foster population fluctuates widely throughout the year, she said, ranging from as few as 10 animals to as many as 60 during peak months in the spring, summer and fall, depending on available resources.
In-person adoption events play a key role in managing that demand, Patton said, both for the animals and for the organization’s visibility in the community.
“In-person adoption events are extremely important,” she said. “The cats benefit from meeting many more potential adopters in a short period of time and hopefully finding their families more quickly. The adoption events are also a great time for myself and the volunteers to make connections with the public and hopefully establish Hope Haven as a resource for the community.”
Founded by Patton and Sally Patton Willey, Hope Haven Pet Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that focuses exclusively on cats and kittens. Animals taken in by the group are placed in foster homes, receive medical care as needed and remain there until they are ready for adoption.
Patton said the rescue receives daily requests to take in owned cats that people no longer want or feel they can no longer care for, with one trend standing out in Worcester.
“Sadly the type of surrender requests I get more than any other are from property managers whose tenants moved away and left their cats behind,” she said, describing situations where animals are abandoned in vacant apartments, common areas or, in some cases, dumped outdoors.
Of the hundreds of stray cats that have come through Hope Haven’s care, Patton said, only one has ever been reunited with an owner who was actively searching.
Housing instability in Worcester plays a significant role, she said.
“The housing shortage in Worcester plays a big part in abandonment of pets,” Patton said. “Finding housing is extremely difficult and when you finally do find someplace, your cat isn’t welcome. People are forced to choose between having a place to live and their pet.”
She said the organization encourages owners who are struggling to reach out before abandoning an animal.
“I want people to know that if they find themselves in a situation where they can’t or don’t want to keep their pet any longer, reach out,” Patton said. “We might not have space or resources to take in the cat but we will do our best to help you find a safe and humane solution for your pet.”
Hope Haven requires prospective adopters to complete an application in advance, a process Patton described as conversational rather than punitive.
“Our application is not a pass/fail exam, it is simply an introduction or a starting place in the process,” she said. “We don’t nag or lecture, we get to know people and talk to them and hopefully provide some education where it is needed.”
Among the rescue’s non-negotiable requirements: cats must live indoors, must never be declawed, and adopters must be willing to ask for help if problems arise.
“We are here support a successful relationship between the adopters and their pet,” Patton said.
Donations are accepted during Saturday’s event, including cat food, litter and pet supplies. The organization listed Iams, Purina and Friskies as preferred food brands, along with paper or pine pellet litter or lightweight clumping litter.
While Hope Haven hopes to expand its capacity in the future, Patton said its focus remains on caring for cats and kittens — and finding them homes — one adoption at a time.
Have news, tips, or a story worth telling? A good recipe or a funny joke? Reach Editor Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org—because good stories (and great scoops) deserve to be shared.
- The Worcester Guardian is an independent nonprofit news organization. Support local journalism by making a DONATION today.
