Special to the Aroostook Republican
Things at the shelter have been going pretty good; that’s not to say there aren’t bumps in the road, but for the most part all is well. One item that is troubling to us are the lies and half-truths being muttered about our little shelter. If you have never visited the Central Aroostook Humane Society, now is the time. Stop by and ask for the grand tour, then all of your fears or reservations will be put to rest. Our staff is one of the finest you will find anywhere; they care for the animals as if they were their own, every one of them, plus our staff has been trained in various aspects of shelter medicine and care. We are also lucky to have a veterinarian on our Board of Directors, plus unlimited support from our local veterinarians. Medical attention is only a phone call away. We also have great working relationships with local ACOs. Their job is very intertwined with our own.
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BE HOGAN'S HERO – Hogan is a 9-week-old, gold and white, short-hair kitten residing at a Halfway Home Pet Rescue foster home. His adoption fee is $40 and includes all age appropriate shots, worming, cleared of any parasites and a fully paid spay/neuter voucher for when he is a little older. Hogan is a happy little kitty with many tricks and a manly “Hey, I’m Hogan” attitude. Call 896-5650 for more information on Hogan and 15 other kittens about this same age. “We are so grateful for you donating to our cause through the 88 Bennett Drive Redemption. You are averaging a fully paid spayed cat per week. We appreciate the shoppers and donors at the Valley Woodworking Weekly Tag Sale on the Access Highway. These are our current main source of funds for medical expenses which is our highest expense. We now have helped 96 cats and three dogs since January 2009. Not a small feat for a small shelter,” said shelter organizer Norma Milton.
So how does this whole “stray cat/dog” scenario play out with regards to the shelter’s job. You, the taxpayer, pay the city taxes, the city contracts with a licensed shelter as mandated by State of Maine law, the city also contracts/hires an animal control officer whose job is to address all animal-related calls within his city. When the animal control officer gets a complaint about a stray animal, they address the complaint; that is part of their job. They then collect the animal and bring it to the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We give each officer a key to the ACO room and they sign the animal in and leave it in our warm shelter in a cage with food and water. In the morning, we process the animal, make record of it, check our messages to see if anyone is looking for their animal, then we give vaccinations and get them settled into a cage. We must hold stray animals a total of seven days and at the end of the seventh day, if no one claims the animal, it becomes property of the Central Aroostook Humane Society. That is when we are able to find the animal a home. If you have a complaint and it is not being addressed, please don’t call the shelter, call your local city manager. Animal control agents are not employed by the shelter.
There is a lot of scuttlebutt out there, so make sure you get your facts straight. A friend of mine was at the Caribou Chamber of Commerce the other day and noticed a lady had a cat behind her desk. The person commented to the woman, who promptly said, “This cat is a stray and sick and I don’t want it going to the Central Aroostook Humane Society!” Why? Isn’t that where people come to look for their lost pets? Isn’t that a refuge from the cold or heat? Aren’t the animals provided food, water, medical attention and lots of love? Why wouldn’t that be the best place for a cat or any stray animal? That is what the city pays us to do. If you find a stray, the law states it must go to the closest licensed shelter. If you do not deliver the cat, it is the same thing as stealing. That is why we are here; we are contracted by the towns to take any and all strays. Why is that so hard to understand? Why have we done this since 1966? Because we care and strive to be the best little shelter we can be.
It gets frustrating to have to discuss this over and over again, but it seems when the topic arises, it must be addressed. You cannot do this job without loving animals. That care goes beyond feeding and cleaning, it carries into finding the animal the perfect home and caring enough to try to match the appropriate person with the appropriate pet. Tough work for sure. Since 1966, many people have served on our Board of Directors, many have come and gone, some have even been asked to leave, but through it all, the number one priority of the Central Aroostook Humane Society has been the animals and their care.
Our shelter is a place for hope; consider the cat Heart, shot and left to die in the woods, or the three-legged dog that we all had a part in saving, or the litters of kittens dumped in a box outside our door. We take them all, broken and not. We give them hope that life can be better and we do our very best to make that happen. Seriously, if you haven’t been to the shelter lately, now is the time. Meet our staff and have them show you around.
If you are looking for a friend for life, please consider adopting from the Central Aroostook Humane Society or give us a call at 764-3441.
Please have your pets spayed or neutered.
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MZ. MITZIE HAS 15 PLAYMATES – Little mini Mitzie is being fostered at a Madawaska Lake foster home for Halfway Home Pet Rescue. Although Mitzie has her adoption scheduled for later this month, she is hoping the rest of her 15 playmates and siblings will also be as fortunate. The rescue facility provides leukemia testing, age appropriate shots, clearing of parasites and a fully paid spay/neuter voucher. The adoption fee for kittens under the age of 4 months is $40. Adult cats are free of charge to the right home. Halfway Home Pet Rescue has helped a total of 97 pets in the first five months of operation including having 41 females spayed and neutering 33 males. There were 34 fully-paid spay/neuter vouchers given to low-income families. Towns served during this time include: Caribou, 65; Presque Isle, 1; Limestone, 1; Woodland, 13; Fort Kent, 3; Cross Lake, 1: Fort Fairfield, 9; Stockholm, 3; and Madawaska Lake, 1; for a total of 97 animals. More low-income spay vouchers will be delayed until additional funds are raised. For more information on kittens and cats available for adoption, call 896-5650 and leave a message and a telephone number.
