Special to the Aroostook Republican
The transition of animals from Caribou Pet Rescue to the Central Aroostook Humane Society has gone smoothly and one cat has been adopted already. We were fortunate that CPR was able to adopt out many cats before they needed our help. The remaining board members and volunteers who were there until the end worked very hard to make that happen. We have worked closely together for what is best for the animals at the end of this journey.
Contributed photo
Meet Ginger Rogers. Almost five months old, she is leukemia tested, has had her first distemper shot, is wormed and cleared of any fleas or ear mites. Ginger is good with people, she prefers gentle handling and is hesitant with very young children who might pull on her ears and tail and absolutely loves all other feline friends. Ginger will be spayed before she is placed in a new home at no charge to her new family. Anyone interested in making Ginger Rogers a member of their family are asked to call Jean at 493-6721.
It is so important for the communities that we serve to take pride in us and feel you are a part of our little shelter. We need eyes and ears for the animals all over our area; we need donations and every once in a while a little pat on the back helps too. There are so many animal lovers in our area, if we could/would all work together, we could accomplish great things. The Central Aroostook Humane Society works very hard to network with shelters all over the state; we share information and sometimes we move animals in hopes of finding them homes. This networking is a very important resource; the information we share is very valuable in helping to continue our high standards of animal care.
I have gotten so many e-mails and letters from people who have adopted from us in the past thanking us for their wonderful pets. Every happy-ending story keeps us going and encourages us to try even harder. We as a humane society did not create the problem of pet over-population. The pet over-population comes from people who just don’t care, do not spay or neuter their pets and let them continue to breed. But unfortunately, we are the ones who are held responsible in the end. Unfortunately we are the ones who get the bad rap. We aren’t the enemy, we are the ones who provide medical attention, food, a warm bed and love to these animals. I hope that you realize, if we had a shelter the size of an airplane hanger, we could fill it full of cats – seriously.
Unfortunately, there are not enough loving homes for them. We do the very best we can to place the healthy/safe cats; believe me, our staff works so very hard to keep our kitty population from getting sick and works even harder to find them wonderful, loving forever homes. I can’t say enough about how dedicated our staff is to the animals.
I got a phone call last weekend with regards to selling puppies. Let me say this loud and clear, right from State of Maine Department of Animal Welfare, “Unlawful Sale of Puppies and Kittens”: “It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, adopt, or give away any dog (puppy) or cat (kitten) until completion of its seventh week of life.”
If you are going to breed, be well aware of the laws before you breed your animal. It is amazing, but you can usually tell a dog or cat who has been taken away from their mother and litter mates too soon. They learn important lessons from their mother like dealing with corrections, how to act like a cat or dog and how to be clean. These are all things that they learn from their mother. Unfortunately, some people don’t realize that after a while the mother animal stops cleaning up after her puppies or kittens and it becomes the owner’s job. If there are eight to 12 large-breed puppies, that can be quite a chore and the owners get desperate and get rid of the puppies to save themselves from having to clean a mess. It is illegal! If you are breeding to make money, don’t. You won’t be doing anyone any favors, especially not the animals and you will be very disappointed.
If you are looking for a friend for life, please visit the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday, or give us a call at 764-3441. You can check out our animals online at www.centralaroostookhumanesociety.org.
Remember, every little bit helps. Thank you in advance.
We recently received word of a fund-raiser taking place Feb. 1. The information is as follows. Anyone interested in learning more can do so by e-mailing the address at the end: IMBOLC Celebration – Come join the Correllian Tradition’s Wisdom House Shrine in an IMBOLC celebration in Presque Isle on Feb. 1 at 1:30 p.m. Help us encourage the Sun to shine brighter and hasten the return of warm weather. Legendary Caribou Freddie (AKA Freddie the Ferret) will make his public debut, courtesy of Liomsa Unlimited, and showcase his divination skills ala Punxsutawney Phil. Donations gladly accepted to benefit the Central Aroostook Humane Society. Due to limited space, those interested are asked to RSVP by contacting RevLiomsa@Maine.RR.com for event location.
