Pet Talk

By Cathy Davis
    I’ve been writing Pet Talk forever it seems, and I know that you would expect that every column would be about pets, but I’m going to beg your indulgence this week and talk to you about something that is very near and dear to my heart and has absolutely nothing to do with animals, although I’m sure by the time I’m finished, I’ll sneak in a pet issue or two.
    I would like to talk to you about “buying local.” And when I say that, I’m not only talking about going to a store on Main Street instead of driving to Bangor, but I’m talking about how we support our favorite charities.
    Last spring I heard that there wasn’t anybody in town who had volunteered to take over the Daffodil Days fund drive for the American Cancer Society. I have lost 11 family members and dear friends to cancer, including my mother. My father is a cancer survivor. My grandmother had cancer three times. And I wanted to do something to honor their memories and help find a cure. I know that the money raised goes to research, I know it’s a really good cause, I know that over time, millions of lives will be saved by all the hundreds of thousands of people across the country who work so hard to raise money for this wonderful organization.
    But what I did not realize is that this and other similar organizations do not contribute to local initiatives. I was naïve in my thinking that if the Houlton Regional Hospital Health Services Foundation needed a new digital mammography machine, that they could apply to the American Cancer Society for a grant and that they would be considered, along with other regional health services organizations, for funding. I was shocked to find out that this isn’t the case.
    What I would like to propose is that if you have a dress down Friday at your office and you give money to a great cause, make sure that great cause is right here in Houlton, Maine. If you are supporting cancer research, perhaps you would consider giving to the foundation so that local men and women will have access to early detection equipment right here in town, without having to travel, which can be a serious hardship for the low income and elderly patients, not to mention those who have to find child care, and working individuals who have to take a day off from work. 
    And yes, let’s talk about animals, if animal welfare is your passion, then bless you for your care and concern. If you give to the Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, or other national organizations, just know that your local rescues and shelters are not supported by these donations. On occasion there might be small grants that come back to the area, but if you believe in spaying and neutering, then you can make that same donation locally and earmark your donation for that project. Houlton Humane, for instance, has a dedicated account just for spaying and neutering animals and when there is enough in the account, we offer grants to low income local individuals to help them with the cost of this surgery.
    If you are interested in helping feed hungry animals that you see on the TV, you can send your money to Iowa or somewhere and feed their pets, or you can spend your money locally and feed Southern Aroostook pets.
    What if your business has a really serious commitment to supporting children’s camps or even possibly making a wish come true for a family – let’s choose a local family to bless with our hard earned donations, let’s select a local child who needs to go to camp and fund that trip. 
     I am not advocating a mass exodus from our financial support of outside causes, but today, when money is tighter than ever, this season, when we are nervous about how we are going to pay our oil bill, this year, when recession is a word that we hear all too often, and layoffs are common, if we are going to give, doesn’t it make sense to give locally? Support your local church, support your local Salvation Army initiatives, drop a dollar in the red kettles at your local store. If you have a walk-a-thon, consider sending all or a portion of the proceeds to the local groups or organizations.  
    I say this at the risk of losing the supporters that Houlton Humane has from “away” – our friends in Portland, Delaware, Connecticut who give via Paypal or drop off gift baskets.  I am not suggesting at all that your monthly gift to the ASPCA or HSUS is not a worthy cause, I’m not suggesting that all our hard work, mine included, to raise money for cancer research has gone to the wrong place. I am just asking that the next time we give $5 to wear a pair of jeans maybe, must maybe, we can send the money over to the hospital for new equipment. It’s just a thought, for what it’s worth.
    And before I forget, please join Houlton Humane Saturday, 9 to noon, big yard sale right at the shelter, everything must go! This money supports the animal shelter’s financial obligations which include paying local businesses for local services!