Emma, Weeble, Josie Need Homes

Any time is a terrible time to be homeless, and winter is worst of all, no matter if you're a human or an animal.

Chris Martel, Montville's animal control officer, says there are dogs, cats and a kitten at the shelter, all in need of good homes.

There are heat lamps in the shelter, but it's still chilly in there. These animals would do so much better in homes with heat and people and love.

Emma is a boxer mix, with lots of energy. She is about 8, but has the vim and vigor or a much younger dog. She would do best in an active home with no dogs and no small children. She might be OK with cats, though that's still a question, Martel says.

Weeble Wobble, a neutered male, had no balance when he came into the shelter, thus his name. A round of antibiotics cured him. He is "a lovebug," Martel says, and he sure seems like one, happy to be held and petted. He's good with everyone, she says, and would be excellent for an older person looking for a loving, quiet pet. It only costs $5 to adopt him!

There's a black cat with huge eyes at the shelter now, too. She's fairly wild, and though Martel was able to pick her up and pet her, she says the cat might be best as a barn cat or mouser. You never know, though, Martel says. With the right home, she might come around. She has some skin issues right now, and will need to stay at the shelter for a while, or be nursed back to health in someone's home.

Felice, who is being fostered, is four months old. She's a sweet little kitty, a tuxedo, playful and fun. She's a kitten! She's perfect!

Then there's Josie. Josie is nearly blind, and pretty deaf. She is arthritic. She has bald spots. And she is one of the dearest dogs you'd ever want to meet. Martel found her stuck in a briar patch on Raymond Hill Road, where she'd been crying out for hours.

When Josie got to the shelter, Martel says, all she did was eat and sleep, for days. Now, she is a little more active, but still, she is quiet and calm. "She loves her bed," Martel says.

And she might not be as old as she appears. Her teeth look like the teeth of a dog much younger than Josie appears to be. But there's no telling.

Josie needs a home where she can live out her days with people who will care for her, be patient with her, and give her all she needs. In return, this dear old blind dog will give you a heart full of love.

To contact Martel, call 860-848-3529. You can also click here to find the Montville Animal Shelter on Facebook.