08/31/2026
C.A.T. — COMPASSION • ACTION • TEAMWORK
Granite State Dog Recovery may have DOG in our name, but over the last several days, our traps have been helping some unexpected little souls.
It all began with a feeding station and camera we had set up for a lost dog who, tragically, was hit and killed by a car. While checking our cameras, imagine our surprise when suddenly we saw a whole bunch of tiny kittens gathered around the feeding station eating.
Our hearts were already broken over the loss of the dog we had been trying to help, but once we saw those little faces on our cameras, there was simply no way we could turn a blind eye. They weren't the reason our feeding station was there, but they needed help and that was all that mattered.
A very special thank you goes to Chrystal, the homeowner, who had already noticed this little family and had been feeding them before we ever became involved. Chrystal welcomed us onto her property and allowed us to set up our cameras and traps so we could help get this family to safety. Her compassion gave these cats a dependable place to find food and ultimately helped make this rescue possible.
At Chrystal's home, we safely trapped 7 kittens and their mama. But we quickly realized there were more nearby. Just down the road, our wonderful friends at The Stove Barn opened their property to us, and there we were able to safely trap another 5 cats, bringing the total to 13 cats and kittens.
This wasn't a one-night operation. We spent four nights trapping these little souls, and as each one was caught, we kept them safely in our care while we continued working to trap the rest of their family.
We weren't packing up because we were tired. We weren't stopping because we had caught "most" of them.
Every last one mattered. No soul was going to be left behind.
Those four nights certainly gave us a run for our money. We battled yellow jackets galore, had repeated visits from skunks, and then came the sight that really put a pit in our stomachs — a fisher appearing on our cameras in the same area where these tiny kittens were roaming.
That made getting every last one safely contained even more urgent.
So we kept going. We watched the cameras. We reset the traps. We waited. And one by one, another little face was safely accounted for until all 13 were finally off the streets and safe.
Then came the next part of the teamwork.
A huge and heartfelt thank you to Cathy Sullivan of Lost My Way Animal Shelter, who stepped up and took 7 kittens, and to Pope Memorial SPCA Concord who welcomed 2 mama cats and 4 kittens into their care. Every single one will be completely vetted and given the opportunity for the safe and healthy future they deserve.
We were also happy to send Lost My Way with canned cat food, litter and 48 pounds of dry kitten food to help Cathy care for these little souls. Rescue isn't just about getting an animal into a trap. It's about making sure they have what they need afterward, too.
This entire rescue became the perfect example of what C.A.T. means to us:
Compassion — Chrystal saw hungry cats outside and chose to feed them.
Action — four nights of traps, cameras, yellow jackets, skunks, a fisher and the determination that not one soul would be left behind.
Teamwork — a homeowner, a local business, Granite State Dog Recovery, Lost My Way and Pope Memorial SPCA all came together for one reason: 13 lives needed us.
There is something incredibly bittersweet about that original feeding station. It was placed with the hope of bringing a lost dog safely home. Tragically, that wasn't the ending we were given.
But because that feeding station was there, 13 other lives were discovered.
Sometimes rescue doesn't happen the way you planned. Sometimes heartbreak leads you to another animal who desperately needs help. And sometimes you start out searching for one lost dog and unexpectedly find an entire little family waiting for someone to care enough to save them.
C.A.T. — Compassion • Action • Teamwork
Because whether they bark or meow, every life matters — and no soul gets left behind.
