Great news from the animal shelter: Lucy, the black lab cross, was taken to her forever home. Everyone is delighted! She has moved to Connecticut with her new people and will be a companion to the older dog already in residence. The two elderly animals made fast friends. We wish Lucy a happy life in her new digs.

Thanks to the DeBettencourt girls, Maya and Anna, the animal shelter is almost $50 richer. They donated the profits from their lemonade stand to the shelter. Our residents and their caretakers are grateful for every donation.

Robert, the guinea pig with the red eyes, is still hitting the hay in his cage in the main room of the shelter. He is a cuddly brown and white guy. Two females will be arriving shortly to occupy their own quarters. They are tricolor girls named Thelma and Louise. Even if not planning to adopt one of these pets, volunteers are welcome to come cuddle them. They make the funniest sounds when they are happy, the guinea pig equivalent of purring.

On the subject of purring, the feral cats are starting to do that when wrapped in towels and held securely by their caretakers. The two oldest ones are about three months old and making great strides towards accepting human company. Both are female, a tortoise shell and a calico. They have already been spayed and could be adopted if the new owner(s) were very patient and could acclimate them to living in a home with people. The other two kittens, both black, are just babies, about a month old, and will not have any problem with people since the shelter volunteers have been handling them since they arrived. Our adult cat, a sweet but shy tabby named Cody, is the only occupant of the cat room at the moment. We would love to find a good home for her as she has been in the shelter many weeks now.

Another dog, a stray found in Oak Bluffs, is here at the shelter. He seems young, but we have no information on him. He is a light brown with a black face, probably a terrier/ boxer mix. He will be neutered next week and then will be ready for a new owner. He is a boy’s boy and would be a great dog for some guy with a truck. He has already spent several weeks in the custody of the Animal Control Officer in Oak Bluffs who was hoping his original owner would appear to claim him. We are calling him Buddy, but since he arrived incognito, it is up to his new person to give him an actual “come here” name.

Alex and Ani , the jewelry store in Edgartown that sells collectable charm bracelets, is planning another benefit for the animal shelter on Monday, August 11th. More particulars to come.

Shelter hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The shelter is closed Sunday and Monday. The telephone number is 508-627-8662. Contributions are always gratefully accepted; the shelter is funded solely by donations. Please make checks out to The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard; the mailing address is P.O. Box 1829, Edgartown, MA 02539.