Marsala is eager to go home with you.
Tiffany Lemelin, shelter manager, brushing Marsala upon arrival.Provided
The Little Guild is an animal shelter at 285 Sharon-Goshen Turnpike in West Cornwall. Founded in 1957, the organization rescues animals from local surrenders and under-resourced shelters. When a rescue animal arrives at The Little Guild, staff begins a careful intake and transition process to ensure the animal is safe, healthy and ready for adoption.
New arrivals are quarantined in-house. Vaccinations are verified as up to date, and staff assesses each animal’s medical, behavioral and placement needs. Rescues receive medical care, daily support and behavioral training to ease shelter stress. Once a dog has finished quarantine and is ready for a home, its profile is published at littleguild.org.
Michael DeBarba, certified dog trainer working with Marsala.Jennifer Almquist
Prospective adopters fill out an online application with information about their household and veterinary and personal references.
The next step is for the prospective adopter and family members to meet the dog. If there is already a dog in the household, a meet-and-greet is scheduled so the dogs can get acquainted.
The animal care staff offers guidance based on its knowledge of each animal’s personality, needs and quirks to help families find the best fit.
Marsala wins a heart.Jennifer Almquist
Once a match is made, the adoption contract outlines aftercare. Adopters agree to return the animal to The Little Guild if the adoption doesn’t work out. The organization’s commitment continues after adoption, with six months of free training and follow-up from staff to answer questions or address concerns.
“Please don’t pass Marsala by,” Lemelin said. “He loves people and other dogs. He’s a lap dog who lives for snuggles, cuddles and face kisses. Marsala deserves a family, a soft bed and a lifetime of being chosen.”
To find out about Marsala and other rescue dogs and cats, visit littleguild.org
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Sampson, a playful and independent blind hound mix, explores the rescue’s large yard.
Though she takes in dogs of all ages, including some with disabilities — and one resident cat — the rescue’s motto is “Giving old dogs new lives.”
Sadie, center, a Carolina dog, plays with her friend Negra, a terrier mix. Bella Linda, the small poodle, has since been adopted.L. Tomaino
Sadie, a sweet Carolina dog, was the first to greet visitors.
“She could really use a home,” Meade said.
Then came Bonnie and Clyde, rat terriers; Negra, a small terrier mix; Sampson, a blind hound mix; and Jay Z, a terrier mix who was emaciated when Meade took him in and has since filled out, with fur regrowing over previously bald patches. Wesley, a young, shaggy mix whom Meade calls “a very good boy,” is also in need of a home.
Wesley, a young, exuberant mix, is looking for an active home.L. Tomaino
Meade began rescuing dogs after going to Waterbury to adopt one and learning that, by the end of the three-day weekend, the dogs she was looking at would be euthanized to make room for others.
She went home and started her rescue in New Preston, Connecticut. After five years there, she moved to California, where she rescued dogs from overcrowded pounds for 13 years.
Meade, a busload of dogs and her cat moved back to the Northeast a little more than a year ago.
Ninety-nine percent of the dogs at the rescue come from pounds, both locally and in California and New York City.
“We are more than happy to place dogs with older people, and we are also willing to give support after the adoption,” Meade said, noting that some rescues will not adopt to people over 60.
Bonnie and Clyde, an affectionate terrier pair.L. Tomaino
For those who cannot adopt, the rescue needs donations of old blankets, dog and cat food, cleaning supplies, puppy pads and dog treats. Monetary donations are also welcome and can be made through the rescue’s website. Meade also welcomes volunteers to help with the dogs.
Contact Meade at 805-239-4004, 860-866-7986 or 4dots@att.net to arrange a visit or drop off donations. For available dogs and more information, visit meadecaninerescue.org.
Lauren Mucha with a resident of The Last Post.
This is noteworthy because the room is filled with cats.
The Last Post is a private cat sanctuary in Falls Village that provides a permanent home to more than 140 cats.
The organization was founded in 1982 by Pegeen Fitzgerald, a New York radio personality and animal welfare advocate.
Executive Director Susan Leach-Gregan said Fitzgerald started taking in cats at her city apartment, but the number of animals increased to the point that she began looking for more room.
The Belden Street property in Falls Village had been a camp for New York City firefighters. That concept faded, and Fitzgerald bought the property in 1982. The Last Post opened in 1984.
The organization does not allow people to adopt cats. Leach-Gregan said adoptions were possible early on, but “we ran into trouble with unsuitable applicants.”
The cats are left to The Last Post in wills and through estates. When they arrive, they are kept in a separate area until they become accustomed to their new surroundings.
The Last Post takes care of the cats’ medical needs, using Sand Road Animal Hospital in Falls Village as its primary veterinary provider.
Lauren Mucha described her job as “cat caregiver and executive assistant.” She has been at The Last Post for 10 years.
While showing a visitor around, she greeted the cats by name: Othello, Rocket, Stormy, Fuzzy Wuzzy and Max.
The cats also made the visitor welcome.
The Last Post in Falls Village is home to about 144 cats.Patrick L. Sullivan
While moving from one building to the next, a man carrying a bag walked down the driveway.
He explained that his cat had died the night before and that he wanted to donate his stock of canned cat food, which Mucha accepted with thanks.
In another building, several older cats lounged outside on the deck with two women. Mucha explained that the women are regular weekly visitors who come to see the cats they brought to the sanctuary.
The man whose cat had died came out on the deck with a cat on his shoulders.
“You can’t put your head down or you end up with a parrot,” he said with a grin.
The cats in the main building have outdoor access, including a fenced-in yard.
Mucha said they mostly congregate on the deck.
The cats stay at the sanctuary for the remainder of their lives. Mucha said that a few years ago, the sanctuary had a large number of older cats that died, so the population is currently somewhat younger than usual.
Generally, the cats come in ones or twos, but sometimes the sanctuary gets a call from someone with more. Mucha said 14 of the cats in the main building came from the same home, where an elderly couple was in failing health.
Mucha said the facility has undergone significant upgrades during her tenure, in particular a new HVAC system that helps keep a room full of cats odor-free.
Large plastic tubs lining two walls serve as litter boxes. They are filled with sawdust and changed daily.
“The sawdust helps with the smell,” Mucha said.
The Last Post is at 95 Belden St., Route 126, in Falls Village. It is a nonprofit organization and accepts donations. The facility is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead, especially on holidays, at 860-824-0831.
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