Howard and Beth Stern Adopt Future Therapy Cat Helen Rose

Southamptonites Howard and Beth Stern have adopted a furry, new baby into the family, and her name is Helen Rose Stern. Originally one of the Sterns’ many foster cats, they announced on August 6 that Helen will become the family’s first therapy animal, with a bright future working in hospitals, nursing homes and the like.

Helen’s story began at the start of the summer, when Beth was contacted by a distressed woman who had recently purchased a purebred British shorthair from a breeder only to learn the cat was already pregnant by her first veterinarian appointment. The pregnancy made the poor mother cat very sick, and she had to be rushed back to the vet after giving birth to six tiny kittens. Beth directed the pet parent to the Long Island Veterinarian Specialists in Plainview, where five of the kittens were nurtured to perfect health—the sixth kitten, sadly, didn’t make it.

Three of the veterinarians each adopted a kitten, leaving two to be fostered by the Sterns. The boy, Bernie, was later adopted by a loving family, leaving the girl, Helen, with the foster parents who saw great potential in her. “We’ve been a part of Helen’s journey with her siblings from when they were just an hour old, and we’ve gotten quite attached to her. And we feel she would be the perfect therapy cat,” Beth says in the August 6 announcement. “We’re putting her to work!” She joins Bella, Yoda, Walter and Pebble, as one of the couple’s resident cats, though she’ll play a much different role than her new siblings.

The Sterns have opened their home to feline transients for five years now, helping over 900 cats find their forever families in conjunction with the North Shore Animal League America, the largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization in the world, at which Beth serves as the national spokesperson and personally assists with many adoptions. In 2012, the passing of their beloved English bulldog Bianca drove Beth to fund major renovations for the North Shore Animal League America, adding a new expansion, “Bianca’s Furry Friends,” to the adoption center.

Beth’s Instagram account abounds with pictures of her foster and permanent cats, and sufficiently provides one’s daily prescription of cuteness. While immensely adorable, the photos also help raise awareness for the North Shore Animal League America and all of the sweet kittens and senior cats in need of forever homes.