Hesper Fund

Hesper was a pet much-loved whose family is a longtime Briar Patch client. Like a lot of well-cared-for cats she was pretty healthy until her elder years. As the expenses of providing for her care grew, her owners realized some people are able to handle the cost of caring for a sick pet more easily than others. When Hesper passed away they offered a donation to Briar Patch requesting that it be used to aid clients when limited resources got in the way of healing their sick pets. We were delighted to establish the Hesper Fund in her memory.

One hundred percent of all contributions are utilized for the medical care of pets belonging to established Briar Patch clients. The funds are offered when the cost of successfully treating an illness is beyond reach, and the outcome can be the difference between suffering and a good quality of life.

Your donation of any size is appreciated, your kindness is immeasurable. Thank you for being part of the Briar Patch mission to help pets live longer, healthier lives and enjoy time with their owners.

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~Hesper’s Story, as told by Sarah Jane~


Hesper kept an eye on me for 21 years. I adopted her from the SPCA in Concord, New Hampshire in 1988 – right around Halloween. She was named after “The Hesper”, a 1910 Maine schooner. She had other feline housemates through the years; Luther Little – also named after a Maine schooner – shared her domain where she supervised the apple pickers at the orchard where we lived. She applied what I came to identify as the “slit eye” when a big bowl of crunchies appeared. It was as if she knew a couple of days without me would be in her immediate future. She accompanied me, or rather tolerated moving several times in Concord and ultimately rode in the U-Haul truck when I moved to Ithaca in 2001.

Hesper developed many endearing traits over her lifetime. She was an excellent climber and found it necessary to sit on the highest perch she could find. Inside the house, she sat on the top shelves of bookcases and closets. Outside, she was especially fond of sitting on rooftops to get panoramic views of the area. We could never figure out how she got up on the roof to sit on the very top of the brick chimney, but she did. Unbeknownst to us – until a lady pointed out that a cat was following us – Hesper accompanied us on a walk. We turned around and walked her back to the house, of course.

She enjoyed singing with the acapella group that practiced at our house. I called her Hess-purple because she wore her purple collar with the dignity of a graceful princess. She was rarely ill, but did not mind in the least visiting Briar Patch. That is, as long as she could sit on the window sill when she got there. She died at home in the studio in 2009. My black cat Hesper, she was my unforgettable friend of 21 years.