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Co-founder and administrator of Kitty Keepers Penney Bergren sits Tuesday morning in the now-closed cat sanctuary of Kitty Keepers.
A cat looks at the camera Tuesday morning at the now-closed cat sanctuary of Kitty Keepers. Co-founder Penney Bergren said the sanctuary has closed after 17 years due to a drop in the number of volunteers and in donations to fund the operation.
Kitty Keepers co-founder and administrator Penney Bergren points to a fixture in the facility Tuesday while talking about why, after 17 years, the cat shelter has closed.
After 17 years, Kitty Keepers cat shelter, located on 26th Avenue West, closed its doors last week.
Penney Bergren, co-founder of the no-kill shelter, said the choice to close the facility was due to a combination of several factors: a decline in financial support, a decline of volunteer help in the sanctuary, low adoption rates and health issues within the staff.
"The cats still need socialization, they need people to come in and brush them. ... We can't afford to pay staff to brush cats," she said.
Bergren said she and her husband, Jerry, took over the barn that was used for Kitty Keepers.
"He just came home one day and the cats were in it. There was no flooring, it was an old milk parlor," she said. "We've always spayed and neutered every cat that ever came through our doorstep."
Bergren said her facility used to adopt a lot of cats out.
"I can't give you an explanation for it," she said. "People don't adopt from us anymore so when (the cats) come in - they don't ever go out until they die. That isn't fair for them either."
Bergren said the remaining healthy cats will be taken to a private cat rescue in Belgrade in a few months.
"Then all we will be left with is what I call the 'hospice section' - there will be eight to 10 of them that they're just going to stay until they die," she said. "When we get down to about five, we will probably close the door totally and move them to my house."
Bergren said in addition to donations, Kitty Keepers received funding throughout the years from United Way and the Sands Memorial Foundation.
"As the volunteers have dwindled, now it's donations and my pocket," she said. "It's my pocket, what donations don't cover."
Bergren urged people to not bring cats to the facility.
"If the neighborhood predators don't get them, we will just have to take them to the animal control," she said.
Bergren added that she is open to the possibility of Kitty Keepers being run by new management.
"The dream is always that somebody younger would someday step up and say, 'I want to take over,'" she said.
The remaining spay/neuter clinics will be held May 15, 16 and 17, June 12, 13 and 14, Sept. 11, 12 and 13 and Oct. 23, 24 and 25 at the facility, 1117 26th Ave. W.
"Currently, we have a wonderful vet that comes from Hamilton, Montana, and volunteers his time to do the spay and neuter clinics," Bergren said.
Bergren said it is unclear if the clinics will continue after this year.
For more information on Kitty Keepers, visit http://kittykeepers.org or call 265-2653.
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