Mark Twain was an accomplished author, a fierce critic of injustice, and an adopted son of the city of Hartford. Twain was also an animal lover. He routinely kept cats around himself, and later in life became an opponent of vivisection, the practice of experimenting on live animals. He would be proud that his name is attached to efforts to improve the lives of animals in Hartford today.
So it’s understandable why his name was affixed to last weekend’s eighth annual “Bark Twain Bash … It’s the Cat’s Meow.” The event took place at the Mark Twain House — part fundraiser, part awards ceremony for people and organizations in Greater Hartford who have dedicated themselves to the welfare of animals in our region.
The event benefited Kenway’s Cause, a charity that focuses on supporting animals and their owners in Hartford. The charity began back in 2011, when Hartford Animal Control Officer Sherry DeGenova received a call. The story is heartbreaking: she received a call where she found an abused dog clinging to life. She named the dog Kenway, which means “brave warrior,” but despite her best efforts, Kenway died after a few short hours.
While most of us were meeting the dogs for the first time, some of the lucky sponsors had already had the chance to establish a bond with them. Andy Bessette, the chief administrative officer of Travelers, was reunited with Kadie, a dog he’d met several times before. He told the audience that when he told his wife he was headed to Bark Twain, he was really going to see “his girlfriend Kadie.” When she saw him, she leapt on him with all the love and affection a dog has when they haven’t seen one of their favorite humans for a while.
From that tragedy sprang an organization that has saved countless animal’s lives and provided them and their owners with medical care, food, toys and other support that would otherwise be unobtainable.
My favorite moment of the evening came when the members of the Lewey family received an award. The mother and son duo participate in the Granby Bears Mother and Son Fantasy Football League; last year each team selected a charity to support. Thanks to their skill and strategy, the Leweys triumphed in their league and donated their winnings to Kenway’s Cause. I love the idea of a mother-son fantasy football league, and was impressed by the maturity and compassion of young Joseph Lewey as he spoke.
Another highlight came in the honoring of Rachel Currao, a veterinary surgeon at New England Veterinary Center and Cancer Care. In addition to her work at the Center, Dr. Currao has volunteered her expertise to treat many of the animals that Kenway’s Cause has rescued over the years.
Of course, the stars of the shows were the dogs themselves. Many of them work with the Hartford Police, such as Samir.
There were more awards given out than I have space to cover here, but the evening was a testament to the kindness and love that so often undergirded the acerbic wit of Twain’s writing. He wrote passionately because he cared, and it was clear that the award recipients embodied that same fiery commitment to caring for those who need help most. Besides, Twain had the perfect reason for why we should all treat dogs and other animals well: “If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.”
If you would like to support Kenway’s Cause, please click here.
NEXT: The Mark Twain House hosts a Zoom webinar: THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL with Doug Brunt and Gareth Russell on Sep. 26th.
Jamil attends an art premiere at his alma mater.
