Dakin Humane Society Receives $40,000 from Shirley Shattuck Windsor Charitable Trust
SPRINGFIELD — Dakin Humane Society has been named a recipient of a 2025 grant in the amount of $40,000 from the Shirley Shattuck Windsor Charitable Trust, whose purpose is to give primarily for the relief of poverty and the prevention of cruelty to animals.
The funding will be directed toward the care of feral kittens rescued by Dakin’s Kitten Street Team (KST). The all-volunteer team responds to calls from the public identifying the locations of colonies of feral cats and kittens by going on-site, assessing the cats’ habits and whereabouts, meticulously setting humane traps, and capturing members of each colony, one by one. The cats are brought to Dakin for spay/neuter surgery.
Kittens who can be socialized and live as domestic pets are adopted through Dakin. Adult cats, unable to live as domestic pets, are ear-tipped and returned to their colonies using the humane methods of TNR (trap/neuter/return). By curbing the population of feral cats, so many are spared the brutal conditions of outside living: attacks from predators, disease, and harsh elements.
“One of my favorite programs at Dakin is the KST,” said Mary Jane McGuire, Veterinary Services manager at Dakin. “This dedicated group of volunteers makes it possible for hundreds of kittens each year to be adopted into loving homes. Through their strong community connections, they reach cats we otherwise couldn’t and provide direct support to the people who care for them every day. This funding ensures that this vital work can continue, making an incredible impact for both people and animals, and helping cats in our area access vaccinations, spay/neuter, and even winter housing so they can live healthier, safer lives in their outdoor homes.”
Having support from the Shirley Shattuck Windsor Charitable Trust enables Dakin to care for kittens like Bambino and his sister Salsiccia. Rescued by the KST, these kittens were just over a month old when they were carefully removed from under the foundation of a home and brought to Dakin for treatment. For over two months, the kittens were kept in Dakin’s care while being treated for a variety of gastrointestinal issues, ongoing clinical assessment and observation, and provision of a healthy diet and sanitary conditions. They received numerous tests, medications, probiotics, deworming, and careful monitoring and notations concerning their dietary difficulties.
As they became healthier, the pair began to exhibit typical kitten behavior. They began purring frequently when handled, they would snuggle against their caregiver, and they delighted in playing with wand toys. Finally, when they were medically cleared, the kittens were adopted by two families in the area.