 Our Companions Domestic Animal Sanctuary is
hitting the road today along, with a cadre of committed canines,
to formally announce plans to construct Connecticut’s
first pet resource center. The non-profit organization, dedicated
to ending the euthanasia of healthy pets in Connecticut, will
build the center on 43 donated acres in Ashford. The organization
is making two planned stops in today’s announcement.
The first is at Ashford’s Town Hall (25 Pompey Hollow
Road) at 10:00 a.m. and the second in Hartford’s Bushnell
Park at 1:00 p.m. (northwest portion of the park, near Trumbull
Street).
At the Town Hall, a few well-dressed canines and local volunteers
will meet with Ashford First Selectmen Ralph Fletcher, Michael
Zambo and William Falletti, along with State Representative
Michael Cardin and Senator Tony Guglielmo to present the
town with the project’s architectural renderings. At
the second stop, Our Companions representatives will meet
with a pack of 25 formally dressed pooches at Bushnell Park
in Hartford to “unleash” its fundraising campaign
to build the $15 million pet resource center and domestic
animal sanctuary.
“Sanctuaries like Our Companions are a key element in
a growing national movement to end the euthanasia of pets,” says
Susan Linker, chief executive officer and co-founder of Our
Companions. “Many of the reasons why pets are considered
unadoptable and eventually destroyed are treatable conditions.
Sanctuaries, like the one we will soon be building in Ashford,
are designed to provide these types of pets the additional
time, training and appropriate environment they need to heal
and become great candidates for adoption.”
The project will be developed in several stages. The first
stage will involve transforming the donated land into a community
resource center that will include a low-cost spay/neuter clinic,
low-cost dog training, a community center, pet-assisted therapy
programs, managed dog park, hiking trails and reflection gardens.
The resident animal habitats of the sanctuary and adoption
center will be built during the second and third phases of
the project. When completed, the sanctuary will care for cats,
dogs and small domestic animals such as guinea pigs, rabbits
and domestic caged birds.
The sanctuary will be constructed to resemble a quaint New
England-style village. Each animal species will have several
small houses built specifically to suit their needs. This method
of housing animals greatly differs from traditional caged-based
shelters by providing a cage-free, comfortable environment
that is suitable for long-term care.
“Kaestle Boos Associates is very excited to be part
of Our Companions master plan and vision for the animal sanctuary
to be built in Ashford,” says Charles Boos, chairman
and chief executive officer of Kaestle Boos Associates of New
Britain. The firm is supporting the project by donating the
conceptual design services for the sanctuary. “Kaestle
Boos Associates enthusiastically supports and shares Our Companions’ compassionate
mission and is pleased to assist them as they look to build
this truly unique and special facility.”
Before today’s announcement, Our Companions conducted
a year-long feasibility study, which included researching similar
programs in other states that have dramatically lowered the
euthanasia rate for abused or neglected pets. Our Companions
is confident of its ability to raise enough funds to build
the sanctuary since similar capital campaigns have been proven
successful in other states whose per-capita income is substantially
less than that of Connecticut.
“The sanctuary is just one part of our comprehensive
plan to end the unnecessary euthanasia of pets in Connecticut,” says
Linker. “We recognize that no one organization can solve
all the problems facing pets in our state. That’s why
Our Companions is committed to working with other animal welfare
agencies, not only to assist in the rescue effort, but to lead
a collaborative statewide campaign to target the root causes
of pet homelessness.”
Our Companions is a non-profit organization that is a leader
in the movement to end euthanasia of healthy pets. For more
information or to make a donation, visit www.ourcompanions.org
or call (860) 242-9999.
Kaestle Boos Associates, Inc., is a full-service design firm
headquartered in New Britain, Connecticut with offices in Massachusetts
and New Hampshire. The firm specializes in educational, public
safety, theatre arts, parks and recreation and other public
architecture. Founded in 1963, the firm’s ultimate goal
is to create structures that are functional, aesthetically
pleasing, environmentally sound, and economically justifiable.
For more information visit www.kba-architects.com or call (860)
229-0361.
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