DAWS Visits NHS Animal Concerns Club

By Eliza Hallabeck

Holding her foster dog Gigi in her arms, Danbury Animal Welfare Society Community Outreach Coordinator Cathy Lent addressed the Newtown High School Animal Concerns Club on Monday, February 13.

During the club’s meeting, Ms Lent shared information about her nonprofit organization and about its upcoming Making a Difference Ball, which will be held on Saturday, March 10, to raise money for the shelter.

After teaching at Head O’ Meadow, Ms Lent said she started working for the Danbury Animal Welfare Society (DAWS) two years ago. When she first started working with DAWS, Ms Lent said she did not expect to become a foster parent for animals, but she now fosters special needs dogs, like Gigi. Gigi came to Danbury from West Virginia, where she was scheduled to be euthanized due to a heart murmur. Now, Ms Lent told the club, after funding was raised by DAWS, Gigi is set to undergo heart surgery to correct her heart murmur.

Ms Lent now says fostering animals is a great experience.

DAWS, Ms Lent said, has roughly 50 cats and 35 dogs now under the care of the organization.

“When they come in,” Ms Lent said about the animals, “you fall in love with each one of them.”

Ms Lent also explained the Making a Difference Ball has tickets available for $150, and tickets can be purchased online at www.daws.org. The March 10 event will be held at the Ethan Allen Inn in Danbury.

According to DAWS, the theme for the 2012 ball is “One Step Closer,” to recognize the ways people help animals find “forever homes.”

NHS Animal Concerns Club Parent Advisor Lorrie Silber asked Ms Lent to let the high school group know if they could help in any way for the event.

The Animal Concerns Club also has a new website, located at https://sites.google.com/a/newtown.k12.ct.us/nhs-animal-concerns-club/home/about-us, where Ms Silber offered to help post animals up for adoption through DAWS.