SALT LAKE CITY — Since its opening in mid-March, the Best Friends Animal Society’s Kitten Nursery has saved the lives of nearly 600 kittens, and on Sunday volunteers gathered to promote awareness for the facility and their goal of making Utah a “No-kill” state when it comes to animal shelters.

According to a press release from Best Friends Animal Society, kittens are often among the most at-risk animals who enter shelters because many shelters lack the staff and resources to care for newborn kittens until they are old enough to be adopted.

The Kitten Nursery in Salt Lake City was opened to provide a safe haven for newborn kittens.

“Approximately 80 percent of the pets killed in Utah shelters are cats, and newborn kittens are an especially at-risk group because of their susceptibility to illness and the resources required to raise them,” stated Arlyn Bradshaw, executive director for Best Friends—Utah, in the press release. “For Utah to achieve no kill, we must focus on saving more kittens and cats. Our kitten nursery is one excellent way to do this because we can provide round-the-clock care for these fragile lives and help them reach an adoptable weight and age.”

Animals at the Kitten Nursery come from South Salt Lake Animal Services, West Valley Animal Services, West Jordan Animal Services, Murray City Animal Services and Salt Lake County Animal Services. As much as they would like to help in all situations, the release states staff cannot accept kittens from the public because the location functions solely as a support resource for shelter partners.

At Sunday’s event, volunteers gathered to discuss their efforts and their goal to make Utah a no-kill state. Those interested in volunteering at the Kitten Nursery can click here. You can also find Best Friends on Facebook.

According to Best Friends, “Duties range from bottle-feeding, cage cleaning, food preparation, and socialization. The minimum volunteer commitment is 2 hours a week.

All volunteers need to be at least 13 years old to volunteer. Youth volunteers, ages 13-17, need to volunteer alongside a parent. Both the youth volunteer and parent need to have volunteer profiles and attend all trainings.”