The Heart of 2024: Compassion, Commitment and Teamwork

In 2024, an acclaimed cat behaviorist came to Dakin Humane Society to lead a two-day conference, two new programs were launched to improve the lives of in-shelter pets, and a long-lost cat was brought to our door after somehow making a 2,000-mile trek from his home in Texas.

Moments like these are thanks to those who share our vision of a world where the human-animal bond is cherished, and companion animals are safe. Together with our community, we’ve created brighter futures for over 3,079 vulnerable animals this year.

In February, we proudly hosted Cat Pawsitive 360, a two-day workshop led by cat behavior expert Jackson Galaxy. Over 30 regional animal welfare organizations joined to learn strategies for enriching feline lives in and out of shelters.

Pearl, a sweet four-year-old pit bull, arrived at our Pet Health Center with severe bleeding. Despite her pain, she greeted everyone with bright eyes and wagging tail. Diagnosed with pyometra, she was rushed into life-saving spay surgery.

Last spring, Spirit, a stray cat, arrived at Dakin with wounds and a severe respiratory infection. For 65 days, staff and volunteers cared for him, providing eye surgery, spoon-feeding, and plenty of love. Soon, his coat gleamed, and his gold eyes shone. Spirit’s recovery and adoption became a shared triumph, revealing the beautiful soul within.

When Hurricane Helene struck, Dakin welcomed 12 dogs from a shelter partner in South Carolina, and our community responded by adopting or fostering 97 pets in a single week to help make room for the arrivals.

In 2024, Dakin launched two new programs: Lion Tamers, where volunteers transform feral kittens from hissy lions into cuddly, adoptable pets (164 helped so far), and Dog Naptime, giving shelter dogs a daily sleep break to stay calm and well-rested for visitors.

Dakin’s Kitten ICU program re-opened this summer, and 260 at-risk tiny kittens received focused, lifesaving medical care. More kittens this year required intensive care therapies for longer periods due to severe malnutrition, dehydration and anemia; the average length of stay was 11 days.

A local woman whose 15-year-old indoor cat, Penny, went missing, uploaded a photo of Penny to Petco Love Lost, a reunification platform found on Dakin’s website. Days later, Penny was found and brought to Dakin, and her person got the good news that she was safely waiting for her. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when they were reunited.

Days later, another stray cat arrived and a microchip scan revealed that his family lived 2,000 miles away in Texas. Shoto, a 5-year-old male tabby, had slipped outside of his home two years earlier during a storm. Carla, his person, was distraught. Shoto was her first cat, and she missed him terribly. She drove from Texas to Springfield to bring Shoto home.

In July, Amaya, a stray cat and new mom, arrived at Dakin, which meant her litter was somewhere alone and vulnerable. A Kitten Street Team member fitted Amaya with an AirTag and released her where she had been found, tracking her to her litter, hidden under landscaping fabric. Amaya and her two-week-old kittens—Tracker, Bluetooth, Radar, GPS, and AirTag—were quickly placed in foster care and later found loving homes.

Last month, Dakin received critical support to provide veterinary services to companion animals in need with a $150,000 grant from PetSmart Charities. Thanks to their generosity, countless people in our community who are experiencing difficulties in accessing pet care can turn to our Pet Health Center. This pivotal grant funds growth and operations for nonprofit clinics focused on expanding services to better serve their community. In just over two years, the Pet Health Center has provided quality, compassionate care to over 6,500 animals.

These are a few everyday moments of people coming together to give animals their best lives. We hope, during this holiday season, that you’ll consider making a gift to Dakin and becoming part of that team. Please show your support by donating online at https://www.dakinhumane.org.

We hope you and your loved ones enjoy a healthy and happy holiday season.