By Theresa Knapp

The MetroWest Humane Society is located at 30 Pond Street in Ashland. The split-level building includes three floors of felines waiting for their purrfect adoption match. 

The cat-only no-kill shelter began in 1976 as the Framingham Animal Humane Society. Through generous donations, the organization was able to purchasethe Ashland property in 1994 and expand the shelter in 2007. 

Beth Harrop has been the shelter manager for the last three years, and her love of the shelter’s mission was obvious on a recent tour of the facility. 

The first floor of the shelter was bustling with activity. Volunteers and fosters were in and out; long-time office volunteers (including Linda who started in 1998) were hard at work; rooms were being reorganized to better accommodate animal needs; and all the while “free roamers” - the cats that are most adoptable - wandered freely about the space. 

Harrop says the shelter has always been busy, but especially so post-COVID. She explained that adoptions increased during the pandemic when people were confined to their homes and adopted cats and dogs, especially from the south. 

“Post-COVID, we’ve seen a lot of owner surrenders, abandoned pets, and trappings; I would call it an epidemic,” said Harrop, adding that MWHS does not bring in cats from out of state as it has a local license that only allows the rescue to take in cats only from Massachusetts.

MWHS does not accept dogs and works solely with cats, especially cats who might need special attention before they are ready to be adopted. Examples could include rescued feral cats, abandoned kittens that need to be syringe-fed, cats that are shy or skittish because of past trauma, etc. The shelter is able to provide that care because it has several different areas on its three floors to accommodate different needs.  

“We always want to do as right by them as we can,” said Harrop. 

MWHS works with other area shelters to try to match an animal’s needs with the right shelter. They also have a visiting veterinarian and a relationship with a veterinary clinic in Westboro that helps with medical needs.  

But it is the volunteer staff that is most essential to the success of the shelter. Volunteer opportunities range from office work to socializing with the cats, feeding them and transporting them, and trapping and rescue. 

But the shelter’s most pressing need, says Harrop, is the need for foster homes, a temporary home for animals prior to adoption. Some cats do not do well in a shelter environment for various reasons, and foster care can be their saving grace.

“Foster care is a critical part of shelter and rescue work and can help save an animal’s life when a shelter is full,” said Harrop. 

Foster care can be a few days, weeks or months, and MWHS provides the food, litter, supplies, medical care, and support. MWHS will provide foster care training in Ashland. 

There is another great need for “socializers,” people who work with the cats to help them get adoptable. 

“It’s a good way to learn about the cats, and you learn what tricks of the trade might work with what cats,” explained MWHS Board of Directors President Maria Balzarini. 

In addition, the shelter is always accepting donations of cat and kitten food, litter, cat toys, and cleaning supplies. For a detailed list, visit metrowesthumanesociety.org/mwhs-wishlist/. 

For more information regarding the shelter, its mission, or its adoptable pets, call 508-875-3776, email [email protected], or fill out the form at https://metrowesthumanesociety.org/about-the-shelter/. 

For more information, including age restrictions, or to volunteer even a small amount of time, call the shelter at 508-875-3776. 

Source: https://metrowesthumanesociety.org/volunteer/