To the editor:
Chance, an approximately 2-year-old, big, now neutered, gorgeous, golden orange, short-hair tiger male, has become a role model of cat rescue in the year of 2010. A few weeks ago on a Sunday evening, Chance, was hit by a car near McDonald’s is now about ready for adoption. The car left the scene. Other cars drove by while Chance flopped in pain and tried to get out of the way of moving traffic.
Paula Levasseur saw this incident and ran out to pick him up. She brought Chance to the police station and was told that the local police consider cats “free-roaming” animals and have no obligation to help them. They called us at Paula’s request. There was no other help available to Chance on Sunday evening and he needed immediate emergency medical care, so we called the Presque Isle Animal Hospital and they opened their doors to help him. Chance required extensive medical care, including X-rays, etc. He was in the hospital for about a week and his bill was $455. He is now purring, eating, cleaning himself and loving everyone that comes near him. He is a delightful pet and he is so grateful to have the loving care that he so needed.
Chance desperately needed a second chance. People are advised to first call the shelter that their town is contracted with and if help is not available to contact their local police department for advice.
State law mandates that each city/town contract with a state licensed animal shelter for animal control. Caribou and the surrounding communities contract with the Central Aroostook Humane Shelter in Presque Isle for control of domesticated animals that are a cause of complaint in the community. Maine Animal Welfare Law also provides for medical attention in chapter 725 of Municipal Duties it is written that “Law enforcement officers and animal control officers shall take a stray animal to its owner, if known, or, if the owner is unknown, and shall ensure that any injured companion animal that is at large or in a public way is given proper medical attention.”
State Law also provides for Violations of this section: A mayor, municipal officer, clerk, town or city manager, administrative assistant to the mayor, town and city councilor, dog recorder of unorganized territories, constable, police officer, sheriff or animal control officer commits a civil violation if that person refuses or intentionally fails to perform the duties imposed by Chapters 719, 720, 721, 725 and 727 and by this chapter commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of not less than $50 nor more that $250 and costs may be adjudged.
Halfway Home Pet Rescue recently acquired a legal interpretation of the animal welfare laws in regard to this section as it pertains to some of the stray cats in need of immediate medical care that have been sent to the small Halfway Home shelter instead.
If you have a stray cat or injured stray cat, please be advised to call your town’s contracted shelter and/or if they are not open, your local police department before calling HHPR. HHPR utilizes our funding to help stray animals who have been denied help from any authorized services. We will not see an animal go without help, but we will require that you sign a paper that you have contacted both agencies and why you now need HHPR.
For more information on Maine Animal Welfare Laws, please go to www.mainelegislature.org Chapter 720 section 3919, 3919A and 3919 B relate to provisions for stray cats in a community. For more information on cat adoptions, call 492-1722.
Norma Milton, president
Caribou
