Pet success stories being sought
for shelter’s Facebook page
Carolyn L. Cheney
Member, Board of Directors
April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, so to recognize you the heroes, we would love for you to post a story and picture of the pet you adopted from the Central Aroostook Humane Society on our Facebook page. Tell us how long you have had your dog or cat and what you love most about them.
JAYDEN HARVELL decided to celebrate her 5th birthday by donating items to the Central Aroostook Humane Society in Presque Isle. Jayden is pictured with the items she dropped off at the shelter, which included: cat food, kitty litter, cat dishes, dog treats, leashes, bleach and more. 
The Board of Directors of the Central Aroostook Humane Society has a constant struggle financially, and we work very hard to provide for the animals, but it is always an ongoing challenge for us to make ends meet. Sources of income include: small state reimbursement for dogs, financial support from the various towns with which we contract and the generosity of the public. We are so thankful for the wonderful people, civic groups and businesses that help support us. A very special thank you to the children, who in lieu of receiving gifts, ask their party guests to bring needed shelter items to their birthday party. These children are learning some very valuable lessons at a very young age, and we are so appreciative of them. We are proud of the children and applaud their parents for encouraging them to give at an early age.
Every year we do our budget and hope we can keep our expenses within that budget; however, like everyone else, generally something, which is beyond our control, happens and the money situation becomes extremely difficult. The rising fuel costs and medical costs for the animals are two areas that are very difficult for us to control.
There is a misconception among some, that volunteers manage our shelter. Thankfully, we have some wonderful volunteers who provide a great deal of help and work at socializing the animals. However, it is necessary that we have a paid staff. We have three full-time employees and one part-time employee who manage the shelter. These folks are professional and well-trained, and most importantly they have an outstanding attitude and understanding of animal welfare. These four employees do wonderful work and sometimes the circumstances under which they work are very sad and disturbing. We truly salute our employees and the important work that they do. It would be wonderful to be able to hire extra help and provide additional benefits, but our budget must cover wages and related expenses, along with utilities, medical care for the animals, insurances, office supplies, pet food and kitty litter, which is a huge expense.
How can you help us keep our financial situation in the black? There are numerous ways to help and I will list a few: (1) general donation, (2) in honor of someone, (3) in memory of a friend or relative, (4) in honor of a birthday or anniversary, and (5) donating supplies.
A cage sponsorship is a wonderful way to donate and it can be ongoing. To do a cage sponsorship, you give $10 a month, and it can be paid monthly, quarterly or annually. A plaque is affixed to either a cat or dog cage (you specify). The plaque will have your name on it if you wish or it can be in honor of someone or in memory of someone (a person or an animal). Call the shelter at 764-3441 for further details.
If you wish to donate supplies, all cleaning products, paper towels and most importantly unscoopable kitty litter are so needed and welcomed by us.
Thank you again to all who donate to us. Please know financial donations are used very wisely for items we need to maintain the shelter and for necessary supplies for our four-legged friends. Please visit us at the shelter at 26 Cross Street in Presque Isle Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the shelter closed 12-12:30 for lunch. We know you will find a friend for life there, which is really the most important way you can help the Central Aroostook Humane Society.
