Guinness had trouble calming down in the sea of people and pets surrounding him. Alicia and Phil Mulieri and sons Zachary and Lucas led the black horse away from the crowd Saturday, June 8, during the fifth annual Catherine’s Butterfly Party and pet adoption event.

Jenna Landry with The American Horse Project brought Guinness to the event. American Horse Project is “dedicated to the protection of equines within US borders,” according to americanhorseproject.org.

The family-focused festival and pet adoption event in memory of Catherine Violet Hubbard included multiple animal rescue agencies (many with adoptable animals) and animal support groups, along with face painting, games, crafts, nature and educational exhibits, food trucks, live music, and more. The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary (CVHAS) hosted the day’s event that drew hundreds of guests from Newtown and surrounding towns.

Catherine’s mother and Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation (CVHF) President Jenny Hubbard said she was “overwhelmed and thrilled,” at the high turn-out, saying the day was something her daughter would want.

Booths lined the lawn in Fairfield Hills, where adoption agency members played with the cats, dogs, puppies, and kittens all waiting for a new home. Many guests also walked their pets through the crowd. Chatter, a dog, wore a pink tutu for the occasion.

Heather Sfaelos, who volunteers with beCAUSE 4 PAWS Inc, walked a puppy, Sadie, to great guests. The not-for-profit out of New Milford is dedicated to “saving homeless, abused, and neglected dogs/cats across Connecticut,” a flyer states. More information is available on the organization’s website, because4paws.org.

Not to be left out of the fun were ducks and a goat whose bright pink ears stood out on the sunny day. Dominic and Zoe Giodano reached out to pet Fiona, a goat, from Rowanwood Farm in Sandy Hook.

Diane Bonsignore of Town and Country K-9 ResQ out of New York kept an eye on pugs Bones and Hercules.

Surrounded by adoption booths and guests crowding to pet animals, Ms Hubbard spoke with guests curious to see the model replica of the buildings and landscaping for the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary on display that day. The sanctuary is a work in progress on the state-deeded property on Old Farm Road.

The CVHF released a statement to The Newtown Bee announcing, “On April 15, tree work at the sanctuary property began after consulting with meadow restoration experts, land management consultants, and nature groups such as the Audubon Society. Now more than ever, open space preservation and natural habitat creation is in critical need.”

To learn more about the CVHF, visit cvhfoundation.org. Those with questions or concerns about an injured or orphaned wild animal can contact state licensed wildlife rehabilitator Lisa Dickal at savectwildlife@gmail.com.