The Burt Fund
In April 2019, a stray cat came to HART and captured our hearts and hopes. Originally named "Big Hurt," he was being cared for as a rough and tumble, outdoor cat by a kind gentleman in Western Maine for a number of years. This caretaker was finally able to trap Big Hurt and get him to a local shelter that provided initial medical care and then transferred him to another local rescue group.
When it was discovered that Big Hurt was FIV positive, this group contacted us to see if we would be willing to take him in so he could continue to receive specialized care and live with our other FIV positive cats. We were happy to welcome this special guy, who our volunteers decided to rename Burt.
When he first arrived at HART, he was quite scared and unsure of his surroundings and would lash out in fear. Through the hard work of HART volunteers, our staff, and Burt himself, he started to become comfortable with the people around him. Burt was moved into one of our cat rooms where we soon found that he loved to get attention from our volunteers and loved to be with the other cats who were there.
Just three months after he arrived at our shelter, Burt found a home with a loving family including three other felines, Opie, Ollie and Butter. In February 2020, his family asked us to hold a fundraiser in Burt's name to help HART raise money to cover the expenses for the care of other stray kitties like Burt. The Burt Fund was started, and, thanks to all of you, the fundraiser was very successful. We were able to use this money to help other injured, stray cats who came to our shelter.
You can see the love that Burt's family has for him and all of their furry family members through their Instagram site @maine.puffs. There are numerous posts of Burt and all of the cats in the household. Sadly, just one short year after his adoption, Burt suffered a serious, painful condition called saddle thrombosis. His family made the heartbreaking and difficult decision to let him cross the Rainbow Bridge.
To honor Burt's memory and legacy, his family and HART have partnered to establish "The Burt Fund" as a permanent fund. We will use all monies raised to provide the medical care and other support needed to restore and maintain the health of stray cats that come into our care, with the goal of finding them adoptive forever homes.
Please click the donate button below to contribute to The Burt Fund. Any amount will help us to help other stray cats and kittens to become healthy and find new homes.
