FARMINGTON — Staff at the Franklin County Animal Shelter have had a longtime dream to make the facility a happier place for cats.
Thanks to nine people who quickly answered the WishList request on their Web and Facebook pages, the $600 needed for materials was donated in less than a week, Director Heidi Jordan said.
Five contractors have also volunteered to build a cattery, she said. There will also be some new lofty cubbies built above their cages and around the two cat rooms with a staircase for them to climb, she said. Another volunteer will help design the new space.
“It will be a vertical space,” Jordan said. “The 46 cats now at the shelter can live a little more normal life.”
The cattery provides an enclosed outdoor space where cats can go in and out as they want through a door in each of two cat rooms, she said. It will have a floor and be off the ground with some sun and shade areas. It will also feature some high places for the cats to climb up to rest.
This is not the only quick response to listed wish items. Funds for a kitten who needed surgery to correct a bad eye came in within hours, she said.
The estimated cost of surgery was $350. A total of $370 was given by 17 people, according to the website. The donations came from around New England, including Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Jordan said.
A dog, Salt, who needed some extra training before being adopted reached people’s hearts. A total of $225 from nine donors was given in hours, she said.
“It’s just another example of the great community here,” Jordan said.
In March 2013 when 75 dogs were brought to the shelter from a home in Wilton, an outpouring of support brought much needed supplies and dog food.
“We’re still using the dog food we were given,” she said. “We haven’t bought dog food in almost a year.”
The dogs were all quickly adopted once the state signed them over, she said.
A new website provides a forum for people to help meet the needs expressed by staff. It’s a place for people to donate, volunteer or adopt.
The staff were preparing Tuesday for the arrival of seven small dogs from Pasadena, Calif. They were being flown to Boston for pickup Tuesday.
Other than transportation from Boston, there is no cost.
“We get so many requests for small dogs,” she said.
The shelter is at 550 Industry Road and is open from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The website is fcanimalshelter.org.
abryant@sunjournal.com
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- A playful cat attracts the attention of Gretchen the dog at the Franklin County Animal Shelter in Farmington. Gretchen belongs to shelter Director Heidi Jordan, who helps cats adjust to a dog’s presence, she said.
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- Three cats enjoy a lofty perch on a cat tree Tuesday at Franklin County Animal Shelter in Farmington.
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