February 10, 2026

Where hope still lives

Caring for abandoned cats is a form of healing for Bridget Satkowski

By Nia Meyers

Karen Hopkins (left), 55, and Bridget Satkowski, 51, hold new rescue kittens, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Maysville, Ky. Satkowski and Hopkins, cofounders of Friends of Mason County & Surrounding Counties’ Animals, take in and care for kittens. Since 2022, they have rescued and placed around 250 kittens in permanent homes.
**Credit: Nia Meyers**

After her first daughter died, Bridget Satkowski built a life centered on remembrance, faith and service in Maysville, Kentucky. In her home, she has transformed her daughter’s bedroom into a shelter for rescue kittens. There, Satkowski channels grief into compassion as the cofounder of Friends of Mason County & Surrounding Counties’ Animals, providing care and a second chance for abandoned cats.

Satkowski has served more than 250 rescues, finding healing and hope in nurturing them.

Bridget Satkowski watches as five foster kittens share their first meal together in her rescue room, a bedroom that once belonged to her daughter, Samantha Hope, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Maysville, Ky. Samantha, now 27, is married and has a 2-year-old daughter. Satkowski lost her first baby, Taylor Hope, years before Samantha was born. She carried the name Hope forward as a reminder that hope can be reborn.
**Credit:** Nia Meyers

Bridget Satkowski administers eye drops to a foster kitten named Biscuit, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Maysville, Ky. Earlier that week, Biscuit got a piece of litter stuck in his eye and needed veterinary care for a small scratch.
**Credit:** Nia Meyers

Bridget Satkowski (left) accepts two returned kittens from former foster mom Abbey Carl, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Maysville, Ky. Satkowski’s adoption process ensures that if foster parents can no longer care for their kittens, the animals can always be returned to a home.
**Credit:** Nia Meyers

Bridget Satkowski introduces two returned foster kittens, Bagel and Biscuit, to her granddaughter, Ruthie, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Maysville, Ky. Every time Ruthie visits, she shouts, “Ki-Ki?” asking to see the kittens.
**Credit:** Nia Meyers

Bridget Satkowski makes one of her frequent trips to the veterinarian with a newly received foster kitten, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Maysville, Ky. The steady flow of sick and injured kittens often requires multiple vet visits in a single day.
**Credit:** Nia Meyers

Bridget Satkowski walks to an auto shop for help after her car breaks down following a vet visit for an injured kitten, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Maysville, Ky. When the mechanics said they couldn’t check her car for a few hours, she called her fiancé, Matt Gallenstein, for help. “If you ever have a problem, just call Matt,” she said. He lent her his truck for the day while he fixed her car.
**Credit:** Nia Meyers

Stranded after her car broke down, Bridget Satkowski makes calls from her fiancé’s truck following a vet visit for an injured kitten, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Maysville, Ky.
**Credit:** Nia Meyers

Matt Gallenstein, 52, shares a kiss with fiancé Bridget Satkowski after fixing and returning her car, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Maysville, Ky.
**Credit:** Nia Meyers

In a quiet moment at the end of her day, Bridget Satkowski prays while her cat Mia sits beside her, centering herself in her faith, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Maysville, Ky.
**Credit:** Nia Meyers

Bridget Satkowski’s granddaughter, Ruthie, 2, hugs a returned foster kitten named Bagel, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Maysville, Ky.
**Credit:** Nia Meyers

Where hope still lives

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