CATHERINE VIOLET HUBBARD ANIMAL SANCTUARY BREAKS GROUND ON $10M PERMANENT FACILITIES ON 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF SANDY HOOK SHOOTING

The completely self-sustaining facilities will be the first Living Building in Connecticut and the New York metro area

NEWTOWN, Conn., Dec. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary broke ground on its $10M permanent facilities. The groundbreaking took place on the 10-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting to commemorate and honor the life of Catherine Violet Hubbard, a six-year-old victim of the tragedy and the inspiration behind the sanctuary.

"On the 10-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy, we at the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary are breaking ground on a new foundation of kindness and compassion," said Jenny Hubbard, Catherine's mother and the president of the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary. "Catherine's legacy lives on at the sanctuary, a place where all creatures know safety and kindness. Through this build, she will be forever enshrined on the property. We're so grateful to our donors and partners for making our permanent facilities a reality. We know they will have a lasting impact on the animals and visitors of the sanctuary, where we see the possibility for a new and better world."

"It is my hope that this project will encapsulate Jenny and Catherine's dream of providing a refuge for all people and creatures in one shared place," said Peter Paulos, principal architect on the build who attended the event. "We want to create buildings that are not only resourceful for the community but also serve as a haven for both humans and animals. I'm honored to be a part of such an incredible project and can't wait to help turn Jenny and Catherine's shared vision into a reality." 

The thoughtfully designed facilities by P|H Architects, to be constructed by Richter + Ratner, will be the first ever fully sustainable Living Building in Connecticut and the New York metro area – a significant step forward in sustainability in the region. The structural engineering will be carried out by E2 Structural and the landscape architecture by Eric Raines Landscape Architecture.

The facilities will include a library and multifunctional space for educational and event programming, staff offices, a veterinary clinic and care takers quarters. The design includes homage to Catherine, with a central spire topped with red terracotta tiles to signify her red hair and two walkways connecting the buildings to signify her outstretched arms, welcoming all to the sanctuary.

The permanent facilities are a crucial step in expanding the sanctuary's local and national impact. To date, the sanctuary has educated over 143,000 people, engaged 1,000 volunteers annually, found homes for over 1,157 companion animals, partnered with 29 local municipalities and served over 707,000 pet food meals to animals in need.

For more information on the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, please contact Jocelin Leon at [email protected].

The Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation is a Connecticut-based nonprofit organization working to promote compassion and healing through human-animal connection. The foundation was started in 2013 to commemorate and honor the life of Catherine Violet Hubbard, a six-year-old victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy and passionate animal lover who dreamt of someday working with and caring for them. In 2014, the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation was awarded over 34 acres of Connecticut state farmland by a unanimous vote from the Connecticut State House of Representatives and Senate, which would become home to the Catherine Violet Hubbard Sanctuary. The sanctuary pays tribute to Catherine and her spirit of kindness towards all living things by honoring the bond between humans, animals and the environment. Since its inception, the organization has raised over $6.5 million in funding, including grants from the ASPCA, private sector partners and thousands of individuals, to support its breadth of programming, including a pollinator protection initiative providing critical shelter, sustenance and migration space for butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and other critical ecosystem pollinators, free community workshops around animal care and environmental protection, aid for seniors to keep and care for their pets and much more. Donations also go towards the sanctuary's ongoing construction of onsite facilities, including a vet in-take center, learning barn and library. For more information on donating, programming and volunteer opportunities, visit www.cvhfoundation.org.

Contact: Jocelin Leon
Phone: 631-276-7314
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary