New deck at Last Post is the cat's meow

FALLS VILLAGE — Volunteers from Alcoa Howmet in Winsted supplied the labor for a new cat-sunning deck at The Last Post Sanctuary in Falls Village at the end of last month.

Last Post maintenance manager Bill Dougherty and the volunteers took several hours to build the double-decker structure.

“The cats just loved the old one,†said Executive Director Joseph Federici.

Gary Koeppel from Alcoa Howmet said he basically brought the entire sales department with him. “October is a month of service for Alcoa worldwide. We’d worked with lots of nonprofits before, but we hadn’t done any animal organizations.â€

The Last Post was established in 1982 by Pegeen Fitzgerald of New York City and Kent. Fitzgerald, a New York radio personality, advertising executive, author and animal advocate, created the sanctuary to provide a safe and homelike surrounding for animals whose owners have died or gone into nursing homes.

There are 131 cats in residence at the moment, including an exceptionally personable black-and-white cat named Tuxedo.

Some of the cats are available for adoption, and visitors are encouraged to stop by — but please call ahead. For more information, see  thelastpostonline.org or call 860-824-0831.

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