Shelby's Coronation

Shelby's Coronation

 

One word jumps from everybody's lips when they see Shelby...princess!  Especially when she is perched on a lap that she has made her throne.  She surveys her subjects and lets them know that their adoration is well deserved.

Shelby has not always been so regal, however.  She came to us from animal control after she was found running loose and lost.  When she arrived, she was very scared and suspicious...and loud!  She did not want to be left alone in her crate and not only would she let you know about it, she'd let anyone within a 500 foot radius know about it.  We moved her in with a roommate, Allie, and showered her with lots of exercise and attention, and the noise level lowered considerably.

Today, Shelby has assumed her reign in a lovely home that adores her as much as we do.  She has a new roommate and friend and rules with a benevolent heart.

Allie Is Moving On Up

Allie Is Moving On Up!

Allie's future is looking bright.  Allie came to us from a home that may have loved her, but could not take care of her.  She was nine years old and was rarely taken out of her apartment home for any exercise or adventure.  She was overweight with poor muscle development and fell into a bit of a depression over the loss of the only home she had known.

But thanks to the work of our volunteers and her new friends, Shelby and Zack, Allie quickly rebounded and decided that walks and playtime were a bunch of fun.  And then came her absolute favorite activities: trips to obedience class and trips to the local state park for a dip in the river.  And while she was never one to seek out lots of attention, you could just look into her eyes and see how content she had become.  

Now a great young couple that shares Allie's quiet, soulful personality has found her and brought her home.  She's living in a house with a yard and gets to go on lots of trips to the park.  And even better, she'll be continuing her favorite activity: obedience class.  Allie's come a long way and shown amazing resilience and enthusiasm.  We'll miss her.

Zoey Has Gone Home

Zoey Has Gone Home

Zoey found her forever home last week.  Zoey came to us just a little while back and, luckily, we were just a quick pit stop on her journey home.  She arrived a little overweight and with symptoms of food allergies that included skin and ear irritations.  Nothing a little Our Companions TLC couldn't fix.  Our volunteers came to her aid, gently seeing her through her transition to our facility and getting her on to a healthy exercise routine.

Zoey blossomed into a sweet girl that everyone loved during her time with us.  She enjoyed her walks and playing fetch, though she was definitely a little disgruntled at being put on a diet (who isn't?).  Zoey's new family took her home on Friday.  They will continue her progress and spoil her in the healthiest possible way.  We will miss her, but everyone is so happy she landed right where she belonged. 

Summer Fun

Summer’s in full swing here at the Our Companions Sanctuary in Ashford and our dogs are taking full advantage of the beautiful weather for some fun and adventure.  As part of our efforts to give them the fullest life possible, we’ve provided them with lots of activities and a few luxuries to enjoy this summer.  Both of the dog cottages have doggie pools for cooling off in the hot sun, and no one appreciates in more than our Lucy.  She rarely comes back from walk without taking a relaxing dip. 

Of course, what would summer be without a trip to some local attractions.  Some of our fantastic and caring volunteers have taken been taking our dogs out to the local state parks for a little outdoor adventure time.  Gidget has become quite the intrepid hiker, taking trips to several state forests for some communing with Mother Nature.  Not only is it great for the dogs to get the extra exercise,  it’s a valuable chance for  many of the dogs to work on their social skills out in an unusual environment.  Skills they can take with them to their future forever home. 

 

And with our lovely sanctuary property, dogs have all the joys of summer right outside their backdoor.  Our nature trail, play yard, and open fields have been providing hours of summer fun to our dogs and to our volunteers.  There’s nothing Henry loves more than to take a volunteer for a walk, following his nose wherever it leads him and exploring the beautiful landscape we have right here.

A tale of three kitties

buttercup

We've all been there, sailing carefree down the highway of life, then suddenly, without warning, we hit those little bumps that send us stumbling - life has tossed us a curve.

But, somehow, we recover and end up back on our feet and on our way again....until the next time.

Our intake room at the Sanctuary is where we first encounter those kitties who have hit their bumps along life's  highway.  It is here that we provide comfort, support and love. And, where we evaluate them medically and socially to give them what they need to get back up on their feet and on their way to a new home and a happy life.

noah

The three kitties that currently reside in our intake room are prime examples of the different and unique backgrounds and personalities that we encounter at our rescue:

Noah lived a pampered life as an only cat his entire 13 years, doted on by his elderly owner until she passed away.
 On June 27th  we welcomed in Noah, a bit overweight and with painful arthritis in his hind hips.  This mellow, slow moving guy often spends his time in bed and is facing some health challenges ahead.

 Buttercup, a sensitive and very cautious 2 year old girl was found as a stray by a local Animal Control Officer.  She is sweet,  very shy and timid and prefers to spend a lot of time hiding in- or under her bed.   She joined us on July 1st, unfortunately, the rest of her background is a mystery.

casey

Finally  there's Casey, an eight week old kitten, found dehydrated, starving and covered in parasites, alone on the side of a road in Eastford.  He joined us on July 3rd. After a few scary days of questioning if he would even survive, his health improved and now he is full of non-stop, rambunctious kitten energy.

This unlikely trio came together in our intake office and  quickly changed their status from simply roommates to roommates and friends....and they have helped each other heal along the way: 

The fearless helping the fearful and the energetic helping the weak. Encouraging each other to get up onto their feet  and to get back into the game.  

Their journey to healing has begun:

adoption news

It was a bittersweet day at the Sanctuary this past weekend.

Our two sweet little girls Forrest & Jenny left the nest and are now enjoying life with their new loving family together.       And..by the way..yes, Forrest turned out to be a girl!

Mom, Penelope, now free of her mothering responsibilities can return to the simple pleasures of being a cat:   eating, napping and terrorizing all the stuffed mice in the house.

In incoming news we recently welcomed a new little boy, Casey

Casey was found wandering the roads of Eastford, starving and alone. After a check-up and cleaning at the vets, and a nice hearty meal, Casey settled in

 for a good nights rest.

Now, he's a lovable, content, playful purring machine happy to fall asleep in your lap.

Soon he'll be joining our other fun kittens still available for adoption.

We still have a number of kittens available for adoption: check them out on our website, or in person at our public hours at the Sanctuary.

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Hi Everybody,

I’m sure many of you remember when Suzy joined us here at the sanctuary 2 months ago. Her owner had passed away and she was left to fend for herself outside for a while. After being on her own, she was caught by good Samaritans and brought to a vet for care before landing here at the sanctuary. This chain of events completely traumatized poor Suzy and needless to say she was NOT a happy camper upon her arrival. At first, only staff members could interact with and feed her because of her explosive  personality. I remember feeling heartbroken and terrified at the same time each time I went in to feed or try to talk to her. She was so aggressive and so angry and I couldn’t blame her after her ordeal. We all hoped that she would soon realize that she is very much safe and loved here by all of us!

Well after about 2 weeks she started to mellow and now, 2 months later, although she can still have a bout of crankiness, Miss Suzy is doing wonderful and is truly enjoying her sanctuary space. She is friendly, calm and so sweet. A completely different cat than the one she was back in April! She spends her time in her very own room on her fluffy couch. But most times you will find her enjoying her beautiful outdoor catio space.

To me, this is what the sanctuary is all about. A place of peace and tranquility where cats who have experienced trauma, illness and loss can come and be rehabilitated so that they can move on to their forever homes. They learn that that they are safe, secure and loved. We couldn’t make this happen without you! We are so fortunate to have an amazing group of volunteers and we thank you for giving our cats the love and affection that they need. Here are a few pictures of Miss Suzy Sunshine enjoying her day. And I hope you have a great one as well.

Regards,

Christine, Animal Caregiver at The Ashford Sanctuary