Fund-raising goal reached
By Christine Cowett Robinson
Special to the Star-Herald
We did it! Thanks to our generous supporters, we reached, and actually exceeded, our $5,000 goal to raise money to spay and neuter shelter animals.
Photo courtesy of Christine Robinson
YOUTH HELP PETS — This is the afternoon pre-school class from Fort Fairfield who donated supplies for the animals during a recent visit to the Central Aroostook Humane Society in Presque Isle. They all got to visit and hold rabbits, puppies, cats, kittens and Petey the bird. The children learned that the shelter is for animals that do not have homes. They learned what things the people at the shelter have to do to take care of the animals and people come there to adopt them and give them a home. This is a great learning opportunity for the children. It teaches them how pets are cared for and the importance of the shelter for animals that do not have a home. The parents were very generous in their donations of food, paper towels, blankets, treats, toys, and newspapers. Pictured kneeling from left are: Brittany Bragg, Sophie LeBlanc, Madison Reece and Louis Neely. In back: Riley Cormier, Gabe Theriault, Brandon Norsworthy, Laney Devine, Audrey Milliard, Jacqueline Pelletier, Alex Poitras and Lexis Turcotte.
In less than a month, our goal was reached. We couldn’t be more impressed. It is a struggle to make ends meet and alter animals. It all costs money. This was just amazing to have such positive support. So now we need to map out a plan of attack to get the most “bang for our buck.”
Our shelter is still full to the brim with cats and dogs and our $20 adoption fee sale continues. Thus far it is working, but slowly. Unfortunately, that many cats in a shelter environment can only mean one thing, eventually URI (upper respiratory infection) will take over. That is why we are desperately trying to move cats, to have them in loving homes and not in the shelter.
Symptoms of URI include: sneezing, nasal discharge, runny eyes, cough, oral or nasal ulcers, sniffles, fever, hoarse voice or any combination thereof.
Typically, infected cats come from the shelter, are outdoor cats or are housed in close contact with lots of other cats (experiencing crowding stress). Persian cats are predisposed to upper respiratory infection due to their inherent facial flattening. The average house cat, who is not exposed to any rescued kittens, lives with only one or two other cats at most and never goes outside, is unlikely to break out with infection. Kittens are predisposed due to their immature immune systems and are usually hit the hardest. (Information obtained from marvistavet.com)
The following information indicates when to be concerned. Signs a cat requires hospitalization:
• Loss of Appetite;
• Congestion with open-mouth breathing; and/or
• High fever or the extreme listlessness that implies a high fever (if one cannot take the cat’s temperature).
A cold for a cat is usually just a nuisance as a cold usually is for one of us. Sometimes though an upper respiratory infection can be serious. If a cat is sick enough to stop eating or drinking, hospitalization may be needed to support him or her through the brunt of the infection. A cat (usually a kitten) can actually get dehydrated from the fluid lost in nasal discharge. Painful ulcers can form on the eyes, nose or in the mouth. Sometimes fever is high enough to warrant monitoring. In young kittens, pneumonia may result from what started as an upper respiratory infection. Be on the lookout and, when in doubt, call your veterinarian.
I was invited to go to Easton and speak to a Boy Scout troop last Thursday evening. So I brought my dog Rusty and away we went. We had a lovely visit. We talked about the shelter, who we are and what we do. We shared stories about our pets, and I left with an nice donation. Representatives from the Central Aroostook Humane Society enjoy visiting with groups or having groups come to the shelter to visit. If you would like to speak with us, call the shelter at 764-3441 and we will schedule a time.
If you are looking for a friend for life, visit the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday, or give us a call at 764-3441.
Please have your pets spayed and neutered.
