Cats, kittens anxious for company

The Kathleen Anne Tenny Animal Shelter has come a long way since its doors opened on October 22, 2002 and now the main thing that is missing is you.

The shelter is currently working off a waiting list with about 25 cats and kittens in house. It is in its second year of being located in the village of Hilton at the Old Mill Co-op on Old Hojack Road. They've launched a website at www.katshelter.org<http://www.katshelter.org/>, and try not to miss any opportunities to be part of local events. Yet, at times, the community's interest can be underwhelming.

Deb Granger, a shelter board member, said the shelter's volunteers are trying to figure out how to attract more people to the shelter, something that they thought would happen when they moved from their old facility on Route 259 to their new facility in the heart of the village.

"A lot of people don't know we are there," said Granger. "That's one of our biggest hurdles." Granger said the board is focusing its efforts around generating more interest in the shelter, bringing in more volunteers and raising more money.

Recently, they received help from some local students. The Merton Williams Middle School conducted a penny drive to raise funds for the shelter. When Granger, who works as a teaching assistant at the school, brought the suggestion to the Student Council, she was amazed by the enthusiasm with which they ran with the project.

The students collected nearly $600 in the form of 58,100 pennies. It was a demonstration of caring that shocked shelter volunteers.

"Nobody, including me, expected them to do that much," said Granger. "I don't think any of us knew the magnitude of what we would get."

Gifts help to defray operational costs and avoid solely utilizing the trust fund. The shelter operates on funds from an estate left by Kathleen Anne Tenny, who was a life long resident in the village of Hilton and a friend to animals. Tenny left her estate so that an animal shelter could be established in her name.

February 5, 2006