THE QUILT that will be raffled Jan. 25 was stitched by Tish Bilby.
Photos by Keri Luiz/Staff

By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

Catherine Violet Hubbard was only 6 years old when she died in the shootings last year at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

The little girl had been known as a lover of animals, treating them all with love and kindness.

Catherine told her parents one day she would care for the animals. Even at the age of 6, she had business cards made that read “Catherine’s Animal Shelter,” and included her self-appointed title: “Care Taker.”

After she died, Catherine’s parents, Jennifer and Matthew Hubbard, created the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation with the determination to fulfill their daughter’s dream. And the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary became a collaboration between the Hubbards and the Animal Center in Newtown, an all-volunteer, nonprofit rescue organization.

Now a local group with a similar mission to rescue animals from shelter situations is organizing a raffle to benefit the sanctuary dedicated to the little girl with a big love for animals.

Umbrella of Hope is raffling an afghan blanket crocheted by one of its members to benefit the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, and Benicians can help by purchasing tickets, said Dee Petersen, founder and director of the local nonprofit.

“All of us were ‘Catherine’ when we were younger — children touched with the passion of loving animals,” Petersen said. “Some of us, by grace and luck alone, were fortunate enough to be veterinarians and RVTs and rescue directors and shelter volunteers.

“Last year we lost one of our soldiers when Catherine died, and we owe it to her to finish the work that she was forced to leave behind.”

The volunteer who created the afghan, Tish Bilby, had crocheted it for the purpose of raising funds, Petersen said, and “it just felt right to honor her (Catherine’s) memory and the mission created in memory of her with it.”

The quilt itself is large enough to cover a queen-sized bed. It is crocheted in colors of purples, greens, white and tan, with the faces of dogs and cats alternating between the “granny” squares.

The quilt is currently on display at Pups N’ Purrz, 422 First St. “James (Long, owner of Pups N’ Purrz) has offered his store for fundraisers and adoption events and he was honored that we asked him to be the place of display,” Petersen said.

Raffle tickets can be purchased at Pups N’ Purrz through Jan. 23; the raffle will be held Jan. 25. Tickets are $3 for one, $5 for two or $10 for five, and can also be purchased at beourpet.org/donations.php.

If purchasing online, be sure to add in the instructions the requested amount of tickets, Petersen said. Umbrella of Hope will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from this raffle to the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary.

For more information about Umbrella of Hope, go to www.beourpet.org or their Facebook page, facebook.com/umbrellaofhope. For more information about the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation, visit http://cvhfoundation.org or their Facebook page, facebook.com/CatherineVioletHubbardAnimalSanctuary.

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