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When New York state changed the regulations regarding animal shelters at the end of 2025, the
Westfield Stray Cat Rescue had to relocate from their facility above their Thrifty Kitty Thrift Shop
at 59 E. Main St. in Westfield so they could meet the new guidelines. They relocated to the space formerly used as the Westfield Veterinary Clinic at 8494 W. Route 20.
The facility is larger than the previous one, and the shelter is consequently in immediate need of more volunteers to help care for the cats and kittens.
Most of the cats at the shelter roam freely in the area assigned to their age group, with new arrivals or cats requiring treatment being placed in condos. There are two shifts available, a morning shift and a late afternoon/evening shift. Each shift lasts for the length of time it takes to do the tasks assigned to that shift. Tasks include giving the cats/kittens fresh food (dry and canned) and water, tidying condos, changing bedding when necessary, scooping litter pans, sweeping the various rooms where the cats live, doing laundry, washing dishes, and helping socialize the cats, as well as helping with State-mandated record-keeping.
The WSCR, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization, is a tremendous asset to the community. Besides taking in unwanted cats and kittens and finding them loving homes,, they have a crew that goes out into the community to capture feral cats. All cats, whether rescued or trapped, are spayed/neutered, tested for diseases, vaccinated, and chipped. This not only helps avoid additional feral populations in the community but also ensures that rabies and zoonotic diseases don't gain a foothold in the area.
Applications for the volunteer program are available online at wscr@4loveofcats.org, at the cat shelter during open hours, and at the Thrifty Kitty Thrift Shop.
Current open hours for the shelter are Thursday noon to 5 p.m., Friday 2 to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.