Hidden amongst the trees in the small town of West Cornwall is The Little Guild: a quaint animal shelter where three members of Kent’s Animal Rights Club volunteer each Sunday morning.

The Animal Care Specialist at the shelter, Andrea, speaks passionately of their mission. “We are here to care for homeless cats and dogs,” she explained, “to find them loving new families, and to support their transition into homes.”

The Little Guild, “the only limited admission shelter in Northwest Connecticut,” also works within the community by providing reduced-cost medical care for animals, free pet food, and education about pets. For anyone wishing to help, they accept donations and run their own fundraisers—just last week holding one for new and improved “cat condos”.

Because of their deep love and concern for the animals, the entire staff takes pride in the individualized care given to all of their critters. They also truly cherish their volunteers. With a small staff, there is only so much they can accomplish alone, so they gladly welcome all animal lovers, and greatly appreciate when they come in and help.

Thus, Kent students play a key role in their weekly care of the animals. Though some volunteer work means cleaning cages or doing laundry, most hours are spent playing with the cats or walking the dogs. It is critical that the pets are reintroduced to human companionship when entering the shelter since many of them come from rough backgrounds.

For instance, a small, loving tabby cat named Sunflower was rescued not too long ago from a hoarding situation. Due to her circumstances, she is now blind in one eye, making her a little timid and skittish at first. Nevertheless, by the end of the hour spent with Kent students, she had opened up to the adoring volunteers.
Likewise, as people are needed to help the animals, animals are also needed to help people. Our students expressed that going to the shelter allows them to, “destress from the week” and “feel involved and give back.”