Combination of New and Renovated Space Will Provide
Larger, Healthier Environment for Sheltered Cats and Facilitate Their Adoptions
GLENVILLE — Life in an animal shelter can be a difficult adjustment for cats and kittens. The abundance of sights, sounds and smells, combined with tight living quarters, can cause stress that leads to health and behavior issues, and delays in becoming adoption-ready.
The Animal Protective Foundation, a private, nonprofit humane society providing services to Schenectady County and the greater Capital Region, took a major step toward providing its temporary feline residents with more comfortable accommodations today with the groundbreaking for its new Burton & Violet Delack Feline Care Center at its Maple Avenue, Glenville, location.
The new Center, to be created by a combination of new construction and renovations to existing space, will be named in honor of the late Schenectady couple whose sizable financial donation served as the lead gift for the project.
“We are incredibly grateful for the Delacks’ thoughtful and generous gift, and pleased to be able to recognize them with this wonderful new facility,” said Executive Director Deb Balliet. “Their gift will make a difference in the lives of cats and kittens in need of a home for years to come.”
APF takes in approximately 1,000 stray or abandoned cats and kittens each year. The new Center will provide more spacious, comfortable accommodations — reducing stress, improving socialization and helping the cats become ready for adoption more quickly.
Among the features of the Center will be:
• A cage-free Cat Housing & Adoption Area allowing compatible felines to live together in spacious, multi-level cat housing rooms, called “cabanas,” with places to rest, climb, and perch. These accommodations allow the cats to express their natural behaviours, which makes for more content felines. The area will also provide more comfortable accommodations for potential adopters to observe the various cats at rest and at play, and places to interact with individual cats or small groups as they select their new pet for adoption;
• A new Cat Evaluation Room where cats will be housed and evaluated for medical and behavioural issues before being cleared for adoption. The new Evaluation Room will provide an increased amount of living space for each cat as compared to current accommodations, helping the cats be more comfortable and adapt to their new home faster;
• Large windows with natural light to foster better health, and an improved air handling system, to help reduce the spread of contagious illnesses and increase the center’s energy efficiency.
“APF provides a home for cats and kittens at the most vulnerable time of their lives,” said APF Shelter Director Amy Duskiewicz. “We owe it to them to provide the most caring and healthy environment possible so that they thrive and are quickly adopted into their forever homes. Our new Feline Care Center will bring our level of care to an exciting and meaningful new level.”
Burton and Violet Delack were lifelong animal lovers and dedicated supporters of the APF. Their gift was designated specifically for the creation of a facility to improve the health and welfare of sheltered cats and kittens, and was matched by the GE Foundation Matching Gifts Program. Mr. Delack was a longtime GE engineer.
With over 70 total donors to date, The Burton & Violet Delack Feline Care Center demonstrates that cats in the care of the APF are benefitting from significant support from the Greater Capital Region community. Major donors in addition to the Delacks and GE include The Carlilian Foundation, The Poore Foundation, Marc & Evelyn Gutchell, Martha J. Bond, Howard Halstead, and an anonymous individual contributor.
“The commitment of the Delacks and people throughout the Capital Region to protect and care for companion animals is deep and enduring,” said Mr. Halstead, who serves as volunteer president of the APF Board of Directors. “The APF thanks everyone for their generosity and confidence in APF as we pursue our vision of a community where all companion animals are loved, respected and receive exceptional care.”
Anyone wishing to contribute to the construction of the Center, or assist the Animal Protective Foundation in any way, can make a tax-deductible gift by clicking here or by mailing a check to:
Animal Protective Foundation
53 Maple Avenue
Glenville, NY 12302
