Gifford Cat Shelter, A Safety Haven for Homeless Cats

According to the pet statistics from The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 49.2% of the shelter animal is the cat. Then, each year about 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized, and of those, about 5.7% of the shelter animals that are euthanized is cat (ASPCA). Although the number of dogs and cats euthanized in U.S. shelters annually has declined from approximately 2.6 million in 2011, it’s still a big problem. On the other hand, the decline can show an increase in the percentage of cats adopted and an increase in the number of no-kill cat shelters. Gifford Cat Shelter is a typical no-kill and cage-free cat shelter, which established in 1884 sponsored by Ellen Gifford. It was an animal shelter named The Ellen M. Gifford Sheltering Home with various animals, like goats, bulls, dogs, and cats at first. The original shelter was cage-free and no routine euthanasia, and the policies continue to today. The shelter’s mission is "to provide a safe haven for abandoned, stray, abused, neglected, unwanted and injured cats with the goal of re-homing and ending the needless killing of community and companion cats.”

BRIGHTON, MA — March 30, 2018 — Donna Giuffrida, a three-plus-year volunteer of the Gifford Cat Shelter, Brighton, Massachusetts coming from Belmont, Massachusetts feeds kitties at Kitty Room, Gifford Cat Shelter on Friday, Mar. 30, 2018. It was the first day for these new kitties coming to the shelter, so Donna helped the kitties transit to the shelter. (Photo by Yuan Tian)

BRIGHTON, MA — March 31, 2018 — Gifford Cat Shelter is the shelter only rescues kitties and cats located in Brighton, Massachusetts right now. The original shelter named Ellen M. Gifford Sheltering Home with various animals like goats, bulls, dogs, and cats was cage-free and no routine euthanasia since 1884 till now. (Photo by Yuan Tian)

BRIGHTON, MA — March 30, 2018 — Mara Walton, the shelter manager of Gifford Cat Shelter from Brighton, Massachusetts gives the FVRCP vaccination to the new kitty on Friday, Mar. 30, 2018, which is routine work for every new kitty and cat entering the shelter. Mara was trained by the veterinarian, Dr. Jake Tedaldi, who would come to check on the health of the shelter’s kitties and cats when needed to handle some medical tasks like giving vaccinations. (Photo by Yuan Tian)

BRIGHTON, MA — March 31, 2018 — Mara Walton, the shelter manager of Gifford Cat Shelter coming from Brighton, Massachusetts checks the behavior and health of cats and kitties and notes down the information as usual on Saturday morning, Mar. 31, 2018. Lucas, the cat who has been in the shelter over two years, tried to interrupt Mara’s work and to ask for petting. (Photo by Yuan Tian)

BRIGHTON, MA — March 30, 2018 — Anna Koch living in Boston, Massachusetts and taking a gap year between her second and third year of Toronto University prepares cat litter for cats on Friday, Mar. 30, 2018. Anna has volunteered at Gifford Cat Shelter for two months every Friday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Photo by Yuan Tian)

BRIGHTON, MA — April 6, 2018 — “Listen, they are purring means they are happy,” says Anna Koch, the volunteer coming from Boston, Massachusetts on Friday, Apr.6, 2018. Anna’s primary job was to socialize with cats and kitties and to make sure they were feeling good in past two months. (Photo by Yuan Tian)

BRIGHTON, MA — April 7, 2018 — Jasper, a one year and seven months cat is sleeping on the box with the blanket at Gifford Cat Shelter, Brighton, Massachusetts on Saturday afternoon, Apr. 7, 2018. Gifford Cat Shelter has been a cage-free shelter since 1884, so cats there always roam around, sleep anywhere and interact with people. (Photo by Yuan Tian)

BRIGHTON, MA — April 6, 2018 — Mara Walton, the shelter manager, living in Brighton, Massachusetts takes video for the cat, Lucas on Friday, Apr. 6, 2018. Mara usually took the videos and photos of the kitties and cats and put them on their official website for the adoption information. (Photo by Yuan Tian)

BRIGHTON, MA — March 31, 2018 — K.C. Skeldon from Somerville, Massachusetts tells the boy, Julian Makadia from Newton, Massachusetts how to play the toy with a cat on Saturday’s adoption hour from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Mar. 31, 2018. Julian came with his mother Helen Makadia, and K.C. came with her boyfriend (back), Ian Van Nest. Each of the two families wanted to adopt a cat and met the cats during the adoption hour at first. (Photo by Yuan Tian)

BRIGHTON, MA — March 31, 2018 — K.C. Skeldon and Ian Van Nest from Somerville, Massachusetts are cat lovers, and they play with the cat during the adoption hour on Saturday, March. 31, 2018. They felt hard to make a choice that day, so they would love to back home and consult before they decide. (Photo by Yuan Tian)

BRIGHTON, MA — April 7, 2018 — One week later, Ian Van Nest from Somerville, Massachusetts drives alone to bring the kitty, Lexi home on Saturday, Apr. 7, 2018. Ian couldn’t wait to surprise his girlfriend, K.C. Skeldon since she had no ideas Ian would bring Lexi home that day. (Photo by Yuan Tian)

BRIGHTON, MA — April 7, 2018 — Gifford Cat Shelter gets nine cats and kitties adopted, and the shelter is almost empty and clean waiting for new cats and kitties on Saturday morning, Apr. 7, 2018. As of Apr. 7, 179 cats and kitties at Gifford Cat Shelter was adopted in 2018. (Photo by Yuan Tian)