Cat Hospitals and Refuges 



and providing for the institution in her will. It has 

 already had over one hundred thousand dollars from 

 Miss Gifford's estates, and it is so well endowed and 

 well managed that it is self-supporting. 



The Ellen M. Gifford Sheltering Home for Ani- 

 mals is situated near the Brookline edge of the 

 Brighton district in Boston. In fact, the residential 

 portion of aristocratic Brookline is so fast creeping 

 up to it that the whole six acres of the institution 

 will doubtless soon be disposed of at a very hand- 

 some profit, while the dogs and cats will retire to a 

 more remote district to " live on the interest of their 

 money." 



The main building is a small but handsome brick 

 affair, facing on Lake Street. This is the home of 

 the superintendent, and contains, besides, the offices 

 of the establishment. Over the office is a tablet 

 with this inscription, taken from a letter of Miss 

 Gifford's about the time the home was opened : — 



" If only the waifs, the strays, the sick, the abused, 

 would be sure to get entrance to the home, and any- 

 body 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. March 27, 1884." 



The superintendent is a lover of animals as well as 

 a good business manager, and his work is in line 

 with the sentence just quoted. Any one wanting a 

 cat or a dog, and who can promise it a good home, 

 may apply there. But Mr. Perkins does not take the 



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