Creating Hope Together
At Dakin Humane Society, we use the phrase “kitten season” to refer to our busiest time of year; what used to be the three or four warm weather months when the kitten population exploded and many were brought to us for rehoming. Since the pandemic, “kitten season” has begun increasingly earlier, and lasted longer than each previous year. Lately, it seems that we operate in a perpetual state of “kitten season.”
This current year has been no exception, as many Dakin programs and services were bustling. Our Community Spay/Neuter Clinic has been fully booked, and our Pet Health Center, in its first full year of operation, saw over 2,500 patients and added a second veterinarian and support staff to its roster. Our Moms Fixed Free program, which helps people facing unexpected cat or dog litter by rehoming the offspring and spaying the mom at no cost, has helped nearly 400 pets this year. The next-highest number was last year’s total of 124.
Most significantly, in 2023 more and more pets have been brought here for assistance. With a few weeks remaining this year, we’ve already helped over 4,100 pets who were admitted to Dakin, compared to 3,071 who came to us in 2022, or 2021’s tally of 2,740. Why do so many pets end up in our care? There are a number of reasons including housing instability, economic factors, unwanted litters, and medical issues faced by either the pet or the caretaker, sometimes both.
Your support of Dakin allows us to create hope together by giving pets lifesaving options, and providing people with a place to bring animals that need a new home. It’s a heartbreaking decision for them to make, but they are grateful that their cherished pets have the option for a new beginning.
One of those pets was Ruby, a two-year-old deaf pit bull terrier who wasn’t generating many interested adopters. Then, her photo and Masslive.com's available pet listing was forwarded by a friend to Nancy and Matt, a deaf couple who live in upstate New York. The friend was aware of the couple’s history of adopting deaf pit bulls and training them using American Sign Language (ASL), and knew they were still recovering from the loss of two beloved dogs the year before. Within a couple of weeks, Ruby found herself starting a new life in the loving arms of Nancy and Matt.
Other animals who need hope are free-roaming feral cats who live outdoors. Ferals create a multitude of litters, yet nearly 90% of vulnerable kittens born outside don’t survive their first year due to bleak conditions, predators, and other dangers. Dakin’s all-volunteer Kitten Street Team (KST) responds to reports of colony sightings, humanely traps all cats and kittens in the group, and brings them to Dakin for vaccinations and spay/neuter surgery. The adults are returned to the colony site (they are incapable of living indoors as domestic pets) while socialized kittens become domestic pets through our adoption services. This summer, the KST helped its 1,000th cat.
Dakin partners with law enforcement officials in assisting people whose in-house animal populations become unmanageable, including one significant rescue last spring that resulted in our taking in 43 small dogs. During the first week of August, we responded to not one, but two, separate crises involving homes overcrowded with cats, and brought 40 of them to Dakin for care and rehoming.
Since cats make up such a significant percentage of Dakin’s population, we launched two new volunteer programs this year that support their needs. The Kitten Wake-Up Crew is a team that tends to kittens first thing in the morning; monitoring how much they ate overnight, their weight, their energy level, and overall appearance to better assist the veterinary team. The Cat TLC program was created to provide comfort, companionship and interactive play for in-shelter cats, especially those who become withdrawn or depressed after the loss of their families.
This year, and every year, Dakin is here for pets and people who need options. Whether it’s providing care to feral cats, rehoming dogs from overcrowded residences, or offering affordable pet care to people facing financial struggles, animals are able to receive the support they need. What would they have experienced if help had not been offered? Because you care, together we can continue to create hope for them. Please remember Dakin’s animals in this season of giving and show your support by donating online at dakinhumane.org.
We wish you and yours a healthy and joyful holiday season.