Contact
Heather DinneenThe Little Guild of Saint Francis
860-672-6346
littleguild.director@gmail.com
Casa Bacchus & La Cupola Wine Tasting to Benefit The Little Guild
Casa Bacchus has partnered with La Cupola Restaurant to host a Wine Tasting to Benefit the Little Guild of St. Francis.
The mission of The Little Guild of St.Francis is to save unwanted, abused and neglected cats and dogs, provide medical care and enrichment to make them more adoptable and, through our pet adoption center, match them with homes where they can thrive.
The Little Guild’s History
The Little Guild of Saint Francis for the Welfare of Animals, Inc., the only no-kill shelter in Northwest Connecticut, was founded in 1960 by Muriel Alvord Ward and Eleanora Kleinschmidt. The current 3,000-square-foot facility accommodates 20 dogs and 40 cats comfortably at any time. 2015 was a year of transformation for the Guild.
Transformation – Phase I
To date we have invested $500,000 in what we consider Phase 1 of a two-phase capacity-building project begun in 2015.
Phase 1 included:
Renovating the lobby area and community cat rooms;
Enhancing technology to better track animals in shelter; and
Expanding our staff, including hiring experienced veterinary technicians and one staff member focused primarily on canine enrichment, to ensure that animals are enriched and become more adoptable with each day in our care.
These initial investments have already helped us save more animals.
During 2015, we adopted out 515 dogs and cats – more than double the previous record. As a participating shelter in Clear the Shelter Day in August, 40 animals were adopted in a single day – a record for us!
Transformation – Phase II
Plans are under way for Phase 2, which includes:
Improving our kennel environment to reduce stress for the dogs, anticipate changes in quarantine regulations and minimize the spread of illness;
Expanding partnerships with local and regional rescue groups and animal control officers so that we can help more animals; and
Expanding the metrics we use to measure our success from total adoptions to total animals impacted in the community. We are adapting the Pets for Life model developed by the Humane Society of the United States, which comprehensively addresses the lack of accessible, affordable pet care in under-served communities. Pets for Life keeps pets in the homes they already have, improving their quality of life and elevating the human-animal bond.
During 2015, we opened a community Pet Food Pantry, which has increased our reach in the community, as we have been able to provide dog and cat food and supplies to dozens of families, as well as share donated pet food with local food pantries for distribution.
We hope we can count on your support and will see you at the event!