About Us
A man and his daughter were walking along the beach one afternoon after a summer rain. The storm had washed hundreds of starfish up on the beach where eventually they would die. The little girl seeing this started to pick up the starfish one by one and put them back into the ocean. Her father asked her, “Honey why are you putting the starfish back in the water, you can’t save them all”. The little girl replied, “But I can start by saving this one.
-- Adaptation of L Eiseley's "The Star Thrower",
Who We Are
The Purr Project, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (33-117336), whose primary mission is to give second chances to cats that have been injured, abused, and/or neglected by matching these with safe homes. Our primary focus is to those that would otherwise be euthanized because they have –sometimes serious – medical issues. Since The Purr Project calls New Haven Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine home, we have the unique advantage in our objective. Our cats get 24-hour attention from a professional, experienced staff.
In most cases, our duty calls us to nurse cats back to health from starvation, exposure to the elements, and general neglect. After a cat has found its way to us, we first assess their health. This process includes screening for diseases including FIV and Feline Leukemia. Cats are then observed in isolation for 10 days. Next, we bring all cats current on vaccines, and spay or neuter them if of age. Third, each cat is assessed for temperament and personality. Every cat in our program gets this high level of attention so that we can match you with the animal that is right for you.
The Purr Project works with local, state, and national municipalities as well as the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA, to reach out to schools and community groups to end animal abuse with the Beebe Anti-Cruelty Institute. For more info, go to the anti-cruelty institute.
The Purr Project Foundation was created in 2009 to award the Suzan D’Antonio Full Bucket Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship named to honor one of The Purr Project’s best friends, is awarded yearly to a vet-tech or pre-vet student. For more information, go to the purr project foundation.
What We Are Not
Having our operations based at the hospital also presents a few challenges. Chief among these is limited space. When our facilities are overcrowded, cats that have not been properly screened for diseases may be put in dangerous proximity to healthy cats endangering the entire community of cats. This unfortunately means that sometimes we are forced to turn away some cats and Central Veterinary Hospital is not an animal shelter.
If the Purr Project cannot accept an animal that you brought to us, we will work with you in finding a safe home for that cat through our network of other adoption agencies.
Adoptions
The Purr Project is proud of its adoption record. Over 120 cats are adopted through our organization annually.
We care deeply about our cats and their new parents. That is why the application process is thorough. Most of the cats that come to us have been rejected therefore it is important that their new home is one where they are safe. Potential parents are screened and given time with the cat that they are interested in before adoption. As mentioned earlier, each cat is assessed to determine if they interact well with other cats, with dogs, and with children. Finally, each new parent is given an adoption packet that contains lots of goodies and useful information for new parents. If you are ready to become a new parent, there are several ways in which you become to take this step: download a copy of the online adoption application, ask for a Purr Project application at the front desk at New Haven Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine, request an application at: adoptions@purrproject.org, or call us at (203) 865-0878.
Donations
As a non-profit company, we depend on the generosity of the general public to buy food, medicines, and to meet our other financial obligations. If you are interested in making a donation, you can do so with a credit over this web site. All transactions are processed by Paypal so that you know that your information is safe and secure. We also offer sponsorships that allow donors to have a more vested interest in our cause. Otherwise, if you are in the New Haven, CT. area drop by the hospital where we can accept all payment methods or simply send your donation through the mail with the attached donation form payable to The Purr Project, Inc. All personnel with the Purr Project are volunteers and receive no compensation. That means that nearly 100% of your donation goes toward helping our cats.
