DelVal alumni help remember Sandy Hook Elementary victim with animal sanctuary

A group of Delaware Valley University alumni traveled to Newtown, Connecticut to help build an animal sanctuary in memory of Catherine Hubbard, a little girl whose life was tragically cut short by a shooter at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012. The official build was May 10 through May 18. The group worked with Rescue Rebuild, an organization that builds and repairs shelters that serve homeless animals all over the country.

In 2012, life changed drastically for the Hubbard family when their precious daughter Catherine was tragically taken from them when a shooter entered Sandy Hook Elementary. Faced with a crippling loss, the Hubbards chose to take a terrible situation and turn it into something positive that honored the legacy of Catherine. Catherine was an animal lover at heart, and she always dreamed of starting an animal sanctuary where neglected animals could have a place to be loved as they deserved.

Fast forward a few years, and the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation is well on its way toward making that dream a reality. Thanks to a donation from the state of Connecticut, the Hubbards have started work on a beautiful property that will eventually house an education center, a clinic, a dog and cat rescue, a place for farm animals to thrive, and much more! Last May, Rescue Rebuild helped with this project by restoring a barn that already resided on the property, but had been neglected for decades. The group shored up the building by repairing rot-damaged sections of the structure and roof and topped it off with a fresh coat of paint and a new roof that will preserve it for years to come! It will soon be the home for rescued farm animals that are in need of a loving home.

This year, the DelVal group headed back to help Rescue Rebuild install pasture fencing, put a few finishing touches on the barn, and help to remove some of the invasive plant species that have taken root on the property.