Special to The Star-Herald
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We sure did well at the shelter; so many donations. It was wonderful to see our lobby full of presents for the animals. Now that Christmas is over, we need to look forward to the New Year with hope. Year after year, we wonder if our little shelter will survive, and somehow we always do, but it is because of the wonderful support we get from the public. Your unending support has helped us through many tough times. Can you imagine if we didn’t exist? Where would the stray and abandoned animals go? Who would care for them? Where would you go to find a healthy pet? Where would you take your pet if you needed to surrender it? We provide these services and many more. It is a tough job, but somehow our staff does it day after day with a smile, because they know what they are doing is worthwhile and extremely important. We provide a safe haven from the cold for animals without homes; we provide them with food, shelter, medical attention, and lots of love. This all costs money, but it is why you see our smiling faces at the local craft fairs and fund-raisers.
I often receive letters from people who have adopted animals from us, thanking us for their pets. Some have come from as far away as California. It is wonderful to hear from people who have adopted pets and given them a forever home. Sometimes people write to us to let us know their beloved pet has passed, thanking us for keeping him safe until they found him. If you have a happy ending story, please e-mail it, along with a picture, and we will put it on our Web site. The happy endings are what keep us all going. It is nice to see pictures of the animals that we have loved and cared for in their forever homes, safe and happy. Go to www.centralaroostookhumanesociety.org to look at the Happy Endings already posted. Please feel free to add yours to the list of happy pets.
Once again, I asked my dogs about their New Year’s resolutions. Here is what I got:
Baxter: I need to lose a couple of pounds by not eating horse pooh (yummy) and exercising more.
Tommy: I resolve to be more patient and tolerant of Rusty; after all, he can’t help who he is.
Rusty: I am going to “try” to stop chasing goats (they run and I can hardly contain myself!) but I am going to try very hard. I know it would make Mommy happy if I didn’t like chasing them so much.
Tucker: I resolve to listen to my Mommy when she calls me and not just sit there wagging my tail with my back to her. (I know how frustrated she gets with me. It is sorta fun!).
Zoe: My New Year’s resolutions are to chase cats off the bed only half as much as I already do and to not sneak up on Tucker and attack him, just to make him roll over and cry (this will be hard, it is my favorite pastime and oh so much fun). That boy ain’t quite right you know!
My own New Year’s resolution is to count my blessings more often. I am blessed with the gift of many who love me, both two-legged and four. I am lucky to have such a wonderful family to support me and many great friends.
If you are looking for a friend for life, please consider adopting one from the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. You can also give us a call at 764-3441.
Please have your pets spayed or neutered.
