Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the weekend of Oct. 18 and 19. We at the Central Aroostook Humane Society are excited to be once again setting up a booth at the Caribou Arts & Crafts Fair.
Last year’s event was so much fun and the outpouring of support was beyond our wildest dreams. We will keep you posted in our future articles.
Sometimes there are people who think of shelter pets and wonder, “What is wrong with the animal that it ended up here?” There is a fairly common assumption that just because a dog is in a shelter or rescue, there must be something wrong with him. This is completely wrong.
Basically, shelter or rescue animals simply didn’t have as fortunate a start in life as many other pets. For whatever reason their journey starts at our shelter, they are loved and cared for until that happy day they will leave with their new family.
Pets are surrendered for many reasons, including: owners moving to no-pet housing; allergies; an illness, death, or other hardship results in the family being financially or otherwise unable to properly care for the pet; or simply that an impulsive owner did not consider the time, effort and money required to care for a pet. Some are seized from a hoarding situation and some may have been lost and their owners never came to claim them from the shelter.
We may not always know their past, but our trained kennel techs at The Central Aroostook Humane Society work with every dog that comes through our doors and each dog is temperament tested. We will not adopt out a dog that is a known biter or poses any risk to a family after adoption.
Another common misperception is that all the dogs in rescue are mutts or mixed breeds. While many of them are mixed breeds, purebreds typically account for about 25 to 30 percent of a shelter’s dog population, according to my research.
Here are a few benefits of adopting from a shelter.
The animal you adopt will be up to date on shots and vaccinations and in many cases may be already spayed or neutered.
The dog will have been worked with, temperament tested and deemed safe for a family to adopt.
The dog must be returned to the shelter if he or she isn’t a good fit for the family.
You are saving a dog in need and supporting a good cause.
If you are interested in adding a new furry friend to your family, please stop by the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We are located at 210 Cross Street, Presque Isle. Our hours are Tuesday noon to 4:00, Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 to 4:00, closed for lunch 12 – 12:30. You can also check us out on Facebook. Please be responsible pet owners, spay and neuter your pets.
“A dog has lots of friends because he wags his tail and not his tongue.” ~ Anonymous
Gloria J. Towle is on the Central Aroostook Humane Society Board of Directors.
