CT Humane Society Introduces Itself to Wilton

One of Wilton’s long-established nonprofits hosted what will be the town’s newest nonprofit on Thursday night when the Riverbrook Regional YMCA had the Connecticut Humane Society in-house for an introductory forum on its new animal resource center moving to town.

Representatives of the CHS shared about the 14,581-square-foot construction project now underway at 863 Danbury Rd., just south of Georgetown Center. Officials hope to see the new facility, situated on 18 acres, completed around this time next year.

The center, which will take the place of the outmoded 75-year-old facility in Westport, will join Newington and Waterford as one of only three in the state. The new CHS site will also greatly expand veterinary capabilities onsite, offer a larger storage capacity, give more room for training seminars, and significantly increase outdoor space for animal exercise and care.

“The project overall is slated at $15.5 million,” CHS Executive Director James Bias explained.

“We have raised all but $2.5 million of that,” he said, thanks in part to some large pledges that came during the pandemic.

Active endowments will help fund the facility’s operating costs, along with animal-related fees for adoption. Still, the nonprofit is hopeful for additional monetary support given the expanded full-time medical staff that will now be able to operate out of the new location.

The CHS was originally founded in 1881 by a Hartford teenager named Gertrude O. Lewis, who was outspoken about the poor treatment of the natural world, both pets and working animals, and children too. Consequently, CHS was Connecticut’s first organization offering protective services for children up until 1965, when the CT Department of Children and Families was created.

To this day, CHS continues to work in conjunction with various human social service agencies, Bias said, partly because of significant links between troubled homes and the pets living in those households.

With poverty and precarious household incomes challenging many people throughout the state at this time, Bias outlined how his group works to alleviate some costs for low-income pet owners, including instances of veterinary care for those who can’t afford it.

“We’re community-focused,” Bias said, noting that the different social service nonprofits they work with will often make referrals of those in need.

“Quality of care is important to us, whether it’s animals under our roof, those that we serve in our clinic, or clinic outreach,” he said.

“Food insecurity impacts pets directly,” he said, with many lower-income households proportionately having a greater number of pets, some simply for security in low-income neighborhoods.

Along with financial challenges for many people, Bias noted rising pet care costs and the decrease in the number of available pets as two other noteworthy statewide trends in animal welfare.

“There are less animals being surrendered,” he said, with some of that attributable to more care being taken in having pets fixed, resulting in fewer unwanted pet pregnancies.

He said there has also become some degree of status in owning a rescued pet, whereas in years past it was more likely that status-seekers would demand a cat or dog with pedigree papers.

“Now it’s bragging rights to say I have a rescue animal,” Bias said.

Along with offering a pet food pantry and low-fee veterinary care at the new center, what is known as “Animal Welfare University” will be in session to train animal welfare professionals from around the state in care and the best animal control practices.

CHS will also be looking into holding training and care workshops for pet owners, including estate planning concepts related to animal care.

“Currently our Westport facility just doesn’t lend itself to having that safe space where you can bring people in,” Bias said.

The center will also continue its long-standing practice of sheltering and encouraging adoption of animals.

Bias said 400 volunteers work between the three locations, including foster families.

“We’re depending more and more on our foster families,” he said, with the new center roughly able to accommodate up to 75 animals at a time.

Volunteer opportunities, which are reserved for adults over 18 with active health insurance willing to commit to six months of service, include help with cleaning, transportation, germ busting, dog walking and cat cuddling, as well as fostering of animals.

“We’re looking for people to volunteer and foster (and) sometimes fosters are just for a weekend day,” Bias said, giving an animal a chance to have singular time with people.

Jarred Barnes, chief development officer and head of marketing for the Y, said they were glad to host their new nonprofit neighbor.

“We feel it’s important for us to continue to collaborate with fellow community members and new community members,” he said.

Along with introducing new visitors to the Y, Barnes said this program was an opportunity to learn about a great new institution “that’s going to be right in our backyard.”