To the editor:
In response to the letter that was submitted to the Houlton Pioneer Times regarding Hodgdon’s decision not to contract with the Houlton Humane Society this year; we would like to add a few comments.
Yes, the Houlton Humane Society has had to increase its contract rates this year, and yes, Hodgdon did opt to contract with another shelter outside of town rather than us. And that should have been the end of the story.
We are board members for the Houlton Humane Society and are very sorry to lose Hodgdon, but that is their choice. We do not feel the town of Hodgdon, its town manager and residents, nor the other shelter involved need to be criticized in the local paper. Jim has a responsibility to the town of Hodgdon and its residents to look out for their best financial interests. I did attend the town meeting on April 6, and I would like to commend Mr. Griffin for his professionalism that was portrayed during the discussion at the town meeting.
We have visited the shelter in Lincoln, as one of us is a Hodgdon resident; it is small and quite antiquated, much like our old shelter. They do have plans for a small expansion, hopefully this year. We had a long visit with the director, who was most helpful and congenial. The animals were clean and well cared for; the cages and the shelter were clean. We both left with the feeling the animals’ welfare is their priority, but it is a small shelter with limited space. If an injured animal is taken to Lincoln, it will be medically treated and not met at the door with a lethal injection, as was indicated in last week’s letter. This was an unfair and untrue statement.
We are most fortunate in having a beautiful shelter, a caring staff and a board that works effortlessly to raise funds. And above all, we are most blessed in having so many wonderful people that help with our fund raisers, people that donate money, donate their time and skills and all those people that help provide the needed items to help maintain the shelter. We all have the best interest of the animals in our hearts—sometimes there are just things that we cannot control and we have to accept that and continue striving to take care of the injured and homeless pets.
Dorene Humphrey
Cindy Folsom
Hodgdon
