Pet Talk

By Cathy Davis
www.houltonhumanesociety.org
    Very rarely does it happen that we have a surprise event, that someone comes to us and says “I’d like to organize a fundraiser for you” and all we have to do is “show up.” It’s an honor and a privilege to be chosen and to be honest, after years of continuous fund raising to keep the shelter going, it’s extremely refreshing to have a new idea and a new pair of hands willing to do the work!
    Kelley McKay Agnew is hosting an event for Houlton Humane Society on June 11. The location is the parking lot right across from Tim Hortons on Katahdin Lane. If you are going north on Route 1, you turn left immediately after Tim Hortons and the event is on your right. The location is ideal as the parking lot is flat, we have access to power and bathroom facilities and there is plenty of lawn and plenty of parking.
    The event is geared to finding homes for homeless dogs more than anything else. This is an open invitation to any rescue or shelter that would like to join us this day and bring your adoptable dogs with you. Yes, we have cats available for adoption, but this day is Dog Day, not cat day, and our hope is to place a dozen or more homeless dogs into new families.
    We have shelters who are coming from two hours or more away to join us in this event, and I promise you that besides visiting with all these beautiful dogs, there will be a multitude of activities to keep you and your family entertained. Rumor has it there will be food, demonstrations, some music, and much much more. As time goes on we will release additional information but for right now, just please keep June 11 available on your calendar to come join us for a fun-filled afternoon.
    Volunteers like Kelley are the backbone of any organization and we are fortunate to have a long list of people who work with us in many ways, from networking to find homes for critters, to coming in on a regular basis to clean cages, to those who donate monthly, and those who bake for our sales or walk in our walks.
    Sometimes we take for granted how fortunate we are to live in a small town, how fortunate we are to live in Houlton and surrounding areas, but this past week has been a reminder to me personally how very blessed I am to be surrounded by family, church family, community, shelter family and friends. I am reminded that there are those who will stick with you no matter what, who forgive your mistakes, who believe in your dreams, who share your hopes. I am reminded that when times are tough, we pull together and lift one another up and we never ever, ever forget where we came from or who we are.
    I am reminded that broken hearts can only heal in an atmosphere of love and support and that the greater Houlton area is a nurturing place and the people in it are a loving people.
    I know that you will join us on June 11 if you can. Whether you are in the market to adopt a dog or not, just coming to spend some time with these animals is good for them, helps them to socialize, helps give them good exercise and good interaction. If you are looking to adopt, we know that there will be a wide variety of dogs available. So many of these are family pets that might have been given up due to circumstances that have nothing to do with the dog at all – a family moving away and can’t take a dog, a death in a family, an allergy, or maybe just a family who understands and recognizes that they can’t give their pet the kind of attention that he needs and wants to find him a home where he can have more attention.
    If you are not looking to adopt, come share the day with us, visit with the other shelter representatives, have a snack, watch a demonstration, and show your support. We’ll see you on the 11th!