Humane Society
in need of a vehicle to take pets to vet
By Christine Cowett Robinson
Special to the Star-Herald
The Central Aroostook Humane Society is in desperate need of another van, the one that was so graciously donated to us a few years ago will not pass inspection due to rust, etc., and our inspection runs out at the end of the month. If you would like a tax write-off, give the shelter a call; we can take a look at your vehicle and go from there. We are looking for a minivan. It must be in decent shape and inspectable. Why do we need a shelter vehicle? We need it to pick up food and litter, cleaning supplies and donations. We also need it to take pets to the vet and to visit the local nursing homes. A receipt will be provided, making for a great tax deduction for next year!
QUEEN MAKES DONATION —Brooke Moir, Little Miss Woodland, decided for her 9th birthday she’d have people bring items for the Central Aroostook Humane Society instead of presents for her. Here, Moir is pictured recently delivering items to benefit homeless pets at the shelter.
Temperatures have been cold and those of us who love animals worry so much about the ones trying to stay warm and trying to live through the night. Your beloved pets belong inside. If you cannot bring your pets inside, please be sure to provide them with a warm shelter. Straw, if you can find it, is the best insulation because it is hollow. Be sure to use dry, mold-free straw to bed your dog or cat shelters.
Did you know that our pets need as much water in the winter as they do in the summer and that eating snow is not enough? It is true. We are into sub-zero temperatures; make sure that your dog has plenty of food and fresh water. Dogs and cats can suffer from hypothermia just like we can. They can also suffer from frostbite. It is our responsibility as pet owners to ensure that does not happen to our animals.
This is a tough time of year for all of us. Many of us choose to hibernate. But when dogs do not get enough exercise, that’s when you may see behavioral problems. What can you do this time of year to keep your dog stimulated? How about taking them snowshoeing or skijoring? We take our dogs with us when we go sliding; they chase us up and down the hill. But when the weather is cold, like last week, nobody wants to be outside, so now is the time to keep your dog’s mind stimulated by teaching him tricks. Teach fun things like holding a bone on their nose and waiting for a release, playing dead or sitting pretty or hide treats or toys around the house and ask them to find the items. Use positive reinforcement and by spring you will have an Einstein on your hands. Dogs thrive on learning and making us happy; use that to your advantage during the cold weather and teach them some cool tricks to impress your friends. You will both be proud of yourselves.
If you are looking for a friend for life, please stop by the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We are just waiting to match you up with the pet of your dreams! All the cats in our front rooms that are available for adoption are already altered; this is a huge savings to you. What we charge for an adoption of an altered cat is much less than what it actually costs for having a cat altered, its shots updated and worming. So take advantage of our low prices and adopt today!
The Central Aroostook Humane Society is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday, or you can give us a call at 764-3441. If you want to help the animals, please consider joining our Friends of CAHS group. You can contact them at FriendsofCAHS@yahoo.com.
Please have your pets spayed or neutered.
The Central Aroostook Humane Society will be having an adoption drive at Tractor Supply on Saturday, Feb. 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a variety of animals to visit with and you can still stop by the shelter to visit with residents there. Why do we do adoption drives? We do them to move animals out of the shelter and into homes. We understand that it can be heart-wrenching and overwhelming to come to the shelter, so we are coming to you! Won’t you stop by to say “hi” and meet some of the wonderful animals available for adoption? Who knows, you may even find a friend for life.
