Southern Pines Animal Shelter is thrilled to announce that in 2025 they were awarded an $18,329.57 Mightycat Innovation Grant from the Orphan Kitten Club. This grant has been lifesaving for the shelter’s most vulnerable residents over the course of the 2025 kitten season, supporting the creation of the Bitty Beans Nursery, a newly outfitted, more efficient foster space dedicated to neonatal kittens (0-8 weeks old).
This recent upgrade to the shelter’s current foster space includes the addition of much-needed storage, dedicated exam spaces, a large sink, an incubator, and several other appliances and medical supplies to help streamline the operations of the foster program. These improvements are crucial to increasing the shelter's lifesaving capacity and creating a more supportive and efficient environment for both kittens and foster families.
The Bitty Beans Nursery provides a safe, quiet place for kittens while awaiting foster placement and serves as a hub where potential foster parents receive training and support throughout their fostering journey. As 2025 winds down, the shelter reflects on how critical this space has been in giving fragile kittens the care they desperately need and a fighting chance for a brighter future.
Dr. Alicia Fortenberry, Medical Director of Southern Pines Animal Shelter, shared her enthusiasm about the impact of the grant, saying, “The Mightycat Innovation Grant from Orphan Kitten Club has been a game-changer not only for our kittens, but also for our staff and fosters. By creating the physical infrastructure we needed–the storage, the dedicated exam spaces, the equipment–it’s giving our team and our foster community the tools we need to not just save lives, but to help these kittens thrive. With a larger, well-equipped, calmer space for our fosters and foster families, our staff can now focus more on lifesaving work and less on navigating a cramped, challenging environment. Thanks to Orphan Kitten Club's support, our Bitty Beans Nursery will have a lasting impact for years to come, creating a stronger, healthier future for these kittens, and for all the families who will one day welcome them home.”
The community is invited to join Southern Pines' growing foster community and make a direct impact on the lives of kittens in need. Those interested in fostering can join the Southern Pines Foster Group on Facebook for more information and to connect with the community. There’s also a kitten foster waitlist, if you’d like to be directly contacted if the shelter has kittens in need of foster. The shelter also has a library of online resources for people who need assistance with neonatal kittens.
