FARMINGTON — Lionel, an older white cat with blue eyes, was recently found atop a snowbank in Strong.

Brought to the Franklin County Animal Shelter, Lionel was nursed back to health by staff, Heidi Jordan, executive director, said.

The story had a happy ending. A woman in Portland saw his photo on the shelter’s Facebook page, drove to the shelter and adopted Lionel.

To help make similar happy endings for other animals, the shelter staff and a new intern are sponsoring a special Valentine dance.

Appropriately called The Fur Ball, the dance takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, in South Dining Hall of Olsen Student Center at the University of Maine at Farmington.

The dance has a family focus, Jordan said. It may be called a ball but there is no dress code.

Proceeds from tickets — $20 per family or $5 a person — will help with shelter expenses, she said.

A UMF intern under the program, Partners for Civic Advancement, started work at the shelter in January. Katrina Smith is the first UMF intern for the shelter.

With cat breeding season just around the corner, the shelter is offering a low-cost voucher of $35 to fix a pet, Jordan said.

The voucher is purchased at the animal shelter. The pet owner can schedule surgery at either Falls Road Veterinary Clinic or Clearwater Veterinary Hospital. No further charges are made. This is available for Franklin County residents.

The vouchers are made available through the Belvedere Animal Welfare fund under the Maine Community Foundation, she said.

abryant@sunmediagroup.net

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