 |  | The Animal Haven staff and volunteers will tell you that the adoption of a cat or dog is typically a bittersweet event. There is joy that the animal is being adopted but also sadness when the animal walks out the door for the last time. "The animals become part of your soul," said Lynnsey Spader, who has been volunteering at The Animal Haven for almost three years, socializing cats, doing administrative chores and helping with its social media accounts. Lynnsey says that The Animal Haven is more than a temporary home for cats and dogs. As a no-kill shelter, rescued animals will live out their lives there if they are not adopted. "We have numerous animals that end up being 'lifers' for a variety of reasons and this becomes their home," said the North Haven resident. One such animal that Lynnsey remembers fondly was Yolo, a cat with a "very spicy" personality "who did not like people." After many attempts to get close to Yolo, the cat eventually let Lynnsey pet her. "It was like hitting the lottery," Lynnsey said. "I was honored to be one of the only people that could get close to her.'' Yolo lived at the shelter until she became very ill and was taken home by another volunteer, who cared for her until she died. "What I hope people take away from this story is that while Yolo spent most of her life at the shelter, never getting her 'own home,' I believe that the love at The Animal Haven made the shelter her home," Lynnsey said. "I still sees signs from Yolo that she's there and watching over us." We thank you, Lynnsey, for watching over Yolo and all the other animals under our care!
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