As we watch the nightly news and see the horrible devastation that has happened in the south as a result of these mega hurricanes, our hearts go out to the people who have lost family members, homes, everything. Our eyes water as we watch brave souls digging through rubble, trying to find remnants of their belongings, and we cheer as volunteers bring food, clothing, help and hope.
Those of us in animal rescue tend to tear up a lot when we see horses floundering in water over their heads, trying to find a high spot to stand on and catch their breath, when we see homes abandoned, with companion animals left to fend for themselves. There are thousands of cats and dogs who were separated from their owners and we pray that they are reunited soon.
There has been some discussion about what we can do to help, and we have had some contact from rescue organizations across the south and I wanted to explain to you how this works.
We are here to help southern Aroostook animals first, no doubt about that, but there is not a one of us who does not believe we should do everything we can to help other rescues care for and rehome animals caught up in this horrible tragedy.
But it’s not just as easy as saying “sure, send us some dogs.” The state of Maine requires that you have a license to import dogs from another state. We had one of those licenses, but we had not done any importing for over a year so that expired and had to be renewed.
Animals brought in from other states have to be seen by a vet, given vaccinations for certain diseases, checked for heartworm and quarantined. Once the quarantine is lifted and they are brought into the state, they have to be quarantined again, and not at the shelter, so you have to find someone who is authorized and qualified to do this. It is not a simple procedure, and it’s unfortunate, because the paperwork, red tape and delays hold up the ability to reach out and lend a hand.
So we do what we do best. We patiently wade through the regulations, paperwork, requests, see what we can do the most efficiently without over-burdening our resources, and if that works and we are able to help, then we let you know what’s here and available for adoption.
In the meantime, I believe that you should approach adoption of dogs the same way that you would the purchase of a vehicle — if you find a dog on Craig’s list for instance, and it’s coming from the south, make sure you know what the regulations are, what the veterinary background is, what tests have been done, what immunizations are current.
I do not want to impair or hinder the adoption of a southern dog just because he’s been through the salt water and might rust, these animals need homes, but I do want you to be careful because there will be a lot of animals out there who have been traumatized enough and the worst thing we can do for them is to skirt the proper procedures and muck up the process.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have lost so much, including their companion animals. I don’t know what I would do if a storm swept away my home and I could not find my Scruffy dog or my cats and knowing they might be shipped far away and be adopted by another family would bring me little comfort because they are my family, not just some stuffed animal to hand from household to household.
Do what you can to help, we are doing what we can do, and keep these folks and their pets in your prayers. God bless.
