Ark Animal Sanctuary

    The Ark Animal Sanctuary wants to sincerely thank all of the people of Houlton for their continued support, especially during this holiday season. The Sanctuary brought in three thousand ($3,000) with their holiday fundraising. Fifteen hundred was taken in charitable donations, for a total of $4,500.00. Expenses for the month of December totaled $1,172.39.
    For the month of December, the AAS took in 11 cats and two dogs. Twenty-five cats were adopted during the month, and also two dogs. There are currently 60 cats and one dog. What a rewarding feeling it is when one of these beautiful animals is taken to a good home and a loving owner. The AAS remains committed to the goal of finding good homes for all of the animals in their care.
    Between 6 to 8 million cats and dogs enter shelters and rescues each year. Half of these are humanely euthanized. They are not sick, just unlucky enough to have been born without a home. How can you help? How can we end this over population of cats and dogs? Spaying or neutering is the answer. It is a must if you decide to own a pet. When a female cat is not spayed, she can produce on average 14 kittens a year. Those 14 kittens when old enough will again produce. From the unspayed mother cat, as well as the unspayed females she has given birth to, within less than two years, it is possible that 196 cats could be born.
    What happens to all of these cats and kittens? Some may be fortunate enough to be found and adopted. Some aren’t so lucky and will live their lives outside with no shelter or food and may eventually starve in the cold. Those that have had some human contact and do make it to a shelter want love so badly. They bask in any attention given.
    From the cat’s point of view, a normal day begins when the lights come on, and people start to move about. The cage door opens and a hand reaches in and picks you up. You expect your daily dose of hugs and kisses. Today it will not happen. There is no more space for you. Today will be your last, silenced forever because shelter or rescue expenses were high, lack of space for you, and the unfortunate situation that you were born into, that of humans not being responsible for spaying and neutering their animals.
    Questions for you to ponder …What makes a good pet owner? Being responsible for daily pet care is the key. The decision to bring home a pet is a big one and needs some serious consideration before actually doing it. It is cute to have a furry little kitten under the Christmas tree, a new puppy, or a bunny at Easter. They will give hours of love and joy for all the family, but animals will require time and work. Lorraine Monfils receives calls for free kittens. People advertise free kittens. There is no such thing. Kittens cost money to feed and take care of. It should never be about what we want when it comes to the life of an animal. It should be about what we can afford and if we can give good care to the animal. Along with spaying or neutering your pet, providing veterinary care is important. Providing food, shelter, and love will ensure a happy, healthy pet. Educate your children. Teaching children responsibility is a valuable lesson for children to learn, and if taught early on will be a benefit all of their life. So, inviting your child to join in faithfully taking care of the family pet is really beneficial for both the child and the animal. Teaching small children to be kind to animals is absolutely necessary. Some are too young to understand the lesson, so sometimes small animals and small children are not a good combination
    According to Monfils, every day we ask the public to step up to the plate and do the right thing. If you feel that you can adopt a pet, please do. If you feel you can make a donation, no matter the size, please do. The responsible people with big hearts often come forward to help. Thank you so much! What about those irresponsible people with multiple animals, not altered, who allow these animals to roam free and continue to keep multiplying? When will you step up to the plate and do the right thing? You can make such a difference by just altering your pet.
    When you lay your head on your pillow tonight, ask yourself one question. “Am I a responsible pet owner?” If the answer is “yes,” then I am sure that you will sleep well. Thanks for reading this AAS update, and thanks for whatever you can do to improve the life of an animal.