Fundraiser planned to benefit shelter pets
By Christine Cowett Robinson
Advanced tickets are now available for the “Toast for the Animals” event — a wine tasting and silent auction — to be held Thursday, Nov. 18, from 6:30-9 p.m. The fundraiser will take place at Freddy P’s in Presque Isle and feature wines from Winterport Winery, a Maine business.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the Central Aroostook Humane Society, which is located at 26 Cross St. in Presque Isle, and at Freddy P’s, located at 431 Main St. People interested in attending are encouraged to get tickets in advance to help us with our planning, but tickets will also be available at the door.
Come to this event and learn about some of Winterport Winery’s top-selling wines and sample them with a recommended food pairing such as cheese and chocolate. If you find a favorite, the wine will be available for purchase by the bottle or glass. Not a wine drinker? Freddy P’s will have a full cash bar available for those who prefer a different beverage.
While you’re enjoying your drink, you can browse through the silent auction and perhaps bid on a piece of art, a framed photograph or a gift certificate to a local business. Community members have been very generous with their donations to the auction and there should be something of interest to everyone there.
The full ticket price and all money collected from the silent auction’s winning bids will go directly to helping the animals at the shelter. Freddy P’s has donated the space and staff to help with the event, and the winery is donating the wine.
The event is co-sponsored by Friends of Central Aroostook Humane Society and Momentum Aroostook. Attendees must be 21 years of age. Proper identification required. For more information, call Hollie Gowen at 760-6359.
Halloween is just around the corner. I always dress up and go trick-or-treating with my kids. It is my silly time. Halloween can also be a very scary time for your pets. Here are some tips to help keep your pets safe:
• Halloween is a time of pranks, and all too often, dogs and cats unfortunately are the target. Keep your pets indoors and safe during Halloween. If you can’t keep them inside, please be sure they are supervised;
• If you feel you must dress your pet in a costume, make sure the costume doesn’t interfere with his ability to breathe, see, hear, move or bark. Always be sure that wearing the costume doesn’t stress your dog out. It might be fun and cute for us, but be sure your pet is having fun too;
• Make sure if you are taking your dog out, he has a collar and ID tags on. Also be sure to have your dog on a leash; there will be plenty of other people out and about, you will need control of your dog;
• Candy and wrappers are potential choking hazards, and chocolate is particularly dangerous for dogs — a toxin. Instead, pick up a container of baked Halloween cookies for dogs to share or any other of your pooch’s favorite biscuits and treats;
• This holiday can be especially nerve-wracking, with the door opening and closing all night; beware of them darting out. You may even want to put up a temporary gate in the entranceway, or keep your dog in a separate room; and
• Decorations and Jack-O’-Lanterns are tempting for pets to get their noses into. Needless to say, it’s too easy for them to get hurt if left unsupervised, whether it’s in a tangle of crepe paper or a singed coat from an open flame. Always keep these Halloween favors out of your pet’s reach!
I always say, “It is the pet owner’s responsibility to protect his dog from the public and the public from his dog.” It is a huge responsibility, but as pet owners, we must take this responsibility very seriously. Dogs don’t reason the same way we do, so a child in a scary mask may be viewed as a threat and a dog who has never bitten before may feel the need to protect. Don’t take that chance.
If you are looking for a “friend for life” please visit the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday. You can give us a call at 764-3441 or visit us online at www.centralaroostookhumanesociety.org.
Please have your pets spayed or neutered.
