ROCKPORT — On Saturday, April 18 P.A.W.S. Animal Adoption Center held its first "Kitten Shower." The event aimed to promote fostering and adoptions of kittens, raise awareness of the plight of cats in animal care facilities heightened during "kitten season," and to encourage the spay/neutering of all pets.

The community support following the announcement of the "Kitten Shower" was astounding.

On Saturday afternoon the office at the adoption center was overflowing with donations of kitten chow, scoopable litter, paper towels, blankets, toys, baby bottles and more. All of these supplies will be used to aid foster families caring for kittens and mother cats as well as stock the center in preparation of the many more kittens expected to come through the doors this year.

P.A.W.S. thanks the following individuals and businesses for their generosity and support: all of the volunteers who helped organize the kitten shower; the staff, students, parents and PAWS Club members of Searsport Elementary School, the employees Renys in Belfast, Tozier's Family Markets in Searsport for collecting donations on behalf of P.A.W.S.; the staff and residents of Quarry Hill in Camden for running a "kitten campaign" to gather supplies and the members of Quarry Hill's Knitting and Handcrafts group for knitting blankets for the kittens; Beth Gindel for fostering Nellie's kittens; and all of the volunteers who opened their homes to foster kittens and mother cats this year.

The need for foster homes is constant. P.A.W.S. is looking for caring families to help foster kittens in loving homes until they are old enough for adoption. Anyone interested in fostering may contact the center at 207-236-8702 for more information. For more information about P.A.W.S. visit www.PawsAdoption.org or the center at 146 Camden Street in Rockport.