Bio

The Gifford Cat Shelter was founded in 1884 through a collaboration of philanthropist Ellen Marett Gifford and Captain Nathan Appleton, a member of a prominent Boston family. His father was a U.S. Representative, and his brother-in-law was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Captain Appleton was an animal advocate and dedicated a piece of his country estate to creating the shelter. Ellen Gifford donated $25,000 to build and operate the shelter and wrote its original mission statement in 1884 – “If only the waifs, the strays, the sick, the abused, would be sure to get entrance to the home, and anybody could feel at liberty to bring in a starved or ill-treated animal and have it cared for without pay, my object would be obtained.” 

Originally a haven for all animals, as the character of the neighborhood changed, the shelter changed with it. It first limited its population to cats and dogs, and eventually to cats only. Ellen Gifford’s original mission continues to be honored in many ways. The shelter’s current focus remains on helping stray, abandoned, or abused cats with the goal of finding them permanent homes and families.