STARS Shelter Slumber Pawty

The Shelter Slumber Pawty is a 24-hour livestream fundraising event where staff and volunteers stay overnight at the shelter, caring for animals while sharing their stories in real time. Viewers can watch, donate, and be part of the experience as we showcase daily care, enrichment, and the impact of support. Every donation directly helps provide medical care, comfort, and second chances for the animals who need it most.

This Is What Love Looks Like During the Day:

On any given afternoon at Stratford Animal Control, you’ll find a STARS volunteer sitting quietly on the floor beside a kennel.

Not because they have to.
Because they want to.

A nervous dog who arrived trembling just days before slowly inches forward. A volunteer gently spreads peanut butter on a lick mat, speaks in a soft voice, and waits. No rushing. No pressure. Just patience. Eventually, the dog leans in. A tail thumps. Trust begins.

Across the hall, another volunteer is in the cattery. She’s reading aloud while a shy cat watches from the back of the enclosure. It may take days — sometimes weeks — but one day that cat steps forward. One day there’s a head bump. One day there’s a purr.

Those moments don’t happen by accident.

They happen because STARS exists.

Our volunteers spend their days:
• Walking dogs and providing structured enrichment
• Taking shelter dogs on field trips to decompress
• Sitting with undersocialized cats to build trust
• Cleaning, organizing, and preparing adoption spaces
• Photographing animals and writing heartfelt adoption posts
• Hosting community programs like Paws to Read
• Fundraising to cover medical care, training, and enrichment the town budget cannot

They are retirees, working professionals, students, parents, small business owners. They give their lunch breaks. Their weekends. Their energy.

And when you donate to our team, you are part of every one of those moments.

You are helping fund:
Medical care for injured and neglected animals.
Spay and neuter surgeries.
Behavioral training that gives dogs a real chance at adoption.
Enrichment tools that reduce stress and improve wellbeing.
Comfort items that make a kennel feel less like a cage and more like a safe space.

This is what community looks like in action.

It’s not glamorous. It’s not always easy. But it is powerful.

Because of STARS volunteers — and supporters like you — animals who arrive scared and uncertain leave confident, loved, and ready for their forever homes.

Thank you for standing with us and believing that every animal deserves patience, dignity, and a second chance.