ACO Rachel Solveira

You know you want to see me get a pie in the face! Donate today.

The Shelter Slumber Pawty is a 24-hour livestream fundraising event on Saturday April 18, 2026 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.

Why This Matters to Me — And Why I’m Asking for Your Help

This May marks 20 years that I’ve served as an Animal Control Officer for the Town of Stratford.

Twenty years of early morning cruelty calls.
Twenty years of reuniting lost pets with crying families.
Twenty years of standing in court for animals who couldn’t speak for themselves.
Twenty years of public safety, humane law enforcement, and doing everything possible to protect both animals and our community.

I’ve seen the worst of what happens when animals are neglected or abandoned.

But I’ve also seen the very best — what happens when a community shows up.

I will never forget one particular dog who came to us scared, underweight, and completely shut down. He wouldn’t make eye contact. He wouldn’t eat when anyone was nearby. He stood at the back of his kennel, unsure of everything.

Municipal shelters are funded to provide basic care — food, water, safe housing. And we do that well.

But healing?
Trust?
Confidence?
Second chances?

That takes more.

Through our partnership with the Stratford Animal Rescue Society, and with the help of our passionate volunteers, we were able to provide enrichment, behavioral support, training tools, medical treatment, and time. Volunteers sat with him. Walked him. Took him on field trips. Gave him space to decompress. Talked to him like he mattered.

Because he does.

Weeks later, I watched that same dog walk out the front door with his new family — tail up, eyes bright, confident.

That transformation wasn’t funded by a municipal line item.

It was funded by people like you.

Every year, through STARS, we raise over $200,000 to go above and beyond what a town budget can cover — emergency surgeries, specialized medical care, behavioral training, enrichment programs, field trips, community education, and humane initiatives that improve adoption outcomes and reduce suffering.

As President of the Connecticut Animal Care & Control Officers Alliance, I advocate statewide for stronger training, recognition, and resources for ACOs. But here at home, in Stratford, this is personal.

These are our animals.
This is our community.

When you donate to my team, you are not just giving money.

You are:
• Funding lifesaving veterinary care
• Supporting humane law enforcement and cruelty intervention
• Providing enrichment that reduces stress and increases adoptability
• Giving scared animals time to heal
• Helping families find their next best friend

I have dedicated my career to protecting the most vulnerable — and I am so proud of the work we do.

But we cannot do it alone.

If you believe animals deserve dignity, compassion, and real second chances, I’m asking you to stand with us.

Your support directly changes lives.

And after 20 years, I can promise you — it matters more than you know.

Thank you for believing in this mission.