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A Newtown animal shelter bringing much needed joy

NEWTOWN —  The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary grew from grieving parents’ hope, to keep their little girl’s spirit going strong. Je...

NEWTOWN --  The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary grew from grieving parents' hope, to keep their little girl's spirit going strong.

Jenny Hubbard, Catherine's mother  said "We know that Catherine continues to live and grow with the sanctuary and the fact that it's a community that built it, it just means so much."

The sanctuary's land once overgrown and a run down, now emerging. The latest round of work is installing a paddock fencing.

"It was staining, each board was on someone's back," said Hubbard.

With the help of the traveling volunteer organization rescue rebuild, it took eight days, roughly 320 volunteers, 12 hour days and three meals a day donated. A once empty field, transformed to four fenced in areas ready to welcome home animals in need of a safe haven.

"It's a vision becoming a reality," said Hubbard.

With the fencing now in place the foundation is now able to expand their educational outreach efforts well beyond the classroom to the grounds of the sanctuary.

"These smaller paddocks are for small animals, goats, sheep, we can turn out into those pastures once we have a caregiver onsite. In the interim, we can actually do educational workshops," said Hubbard.

Getting that fencing in place, a labor of love. Catherine's mother, Jenny Hubbard, said came in-part thanks to a story about the sanctuary the community she saw on FOX61.

"Huge reaction! We had people that had said they hadn't heard about what we were doing, they say it on the news and were so excited to get involved." said Hubbard.

The story also generating a new relationship with local Chef Mark Vecchitto.

"He called and said I saw the story I want to help here's what I can do," said Hubbard.

The chef is offering his hand to hold a fundraiser at the sanctuary in the coming months.

"Incredible outpouring of support," said Hubbard.

The sanctuary is still a work in progress. The Hubbard's ultimate vision?  A building on the grounds to house an educational center in the meantime. For a mother who's suffered some of the worse heartache, this is a joyous moment to reflect on.

"Good can come from bad and if you don't believe it look at what we have here its tremendous." said Hubbard.

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