August 7, 2018 – At Lanai Cat Sanctuary, we had a dream to carve out a swath of land and devote it to helping senior cats live out their best years. That dream became a reality in 2018 with the opening of the Dr. David Theno Senior Center, a 1,500 square-foot open-air enclosure. Dr. Dave was a great champion of animals who passed away this year in the arms of our beloved island. Since 2010, Lanai served as his second home, shared with his wife Jill of California. In the sanctuary’s formative years, he helped to fund our first expansion and trapped cats to bring them to our care. He served as a board member to guide our initiatives for years. He was a true visionary.
Jill and her friends, including Sanctuary board members Kathy Carroll and Maddy Callahan, raised more than $45,000 needed for this construction by reaching out to friends and family near and far.
Next year marks the 10-year anniversary at our location and as we look to the future, we know the needs will be great, including more space and maybe even electricity. With nearly 600 cats now in our care, their life expectancy in many cases doubles. Most of our cats are 7 to 9 years old. Like people, we know we have to prepare to take care of our kupuna (elder) in their golden years.
