Closing would be a ‘cat-astrophe’
To the editor:
Every once in a while, a city government will do something so ludicrous that I’m actually amazed by its shallowness. This week I heard that the city of Caribou is putting pressure on a successful cat rescue to either move immediately or be shut down.
Usually when a shelter or pet rescue is shut down it’s because they’re doing something wrong. However, this Halfway Home is being forced to move quickly, which they have inadequate funds for, or close their doors simply because of the definition of a word, “kennel.”
The shelter is in a residential area and because the city government chooses to call it a “kennel,” by law they have to move. When I think of a kennel, I think of a place that boards mostly dogs. Dogs bark and dogs enclosed in the same facility, bark a lot more. So I could understand not allowing a kennel that boards dogs in a residential zone. However, this is strictly a cat rescue — no dogs.
This summer I had occasion to visit this cat rescue because I had some donations for their yard sale. I had their address, but I could not locate it on the street. I drove back and forth several times before I spotted it. There was no noise whatsoever, and the only indication it was anything other than a nice home was a few cat holders at one end of the house.
I’ve met Mrs. Milton and my next-door neighbor is a full-time volunteer there. Believe me when I say these ladies love their charges and give of themselves in every way possible to see to it they are cared for and loved. We don’t need less facilities like this one to care for animals in the area — we need more.
My hopes and prayers are that the city of Caribou uses extreme care to assure this shelter lives on. If anything, Caribou should aid this very worthwhile organization in finding a bigger, nicer place to care for area animals which have no where else to go.
On Oct. 20, they will be meeting to make a decision on this, and my hope is that Caribou residents would voice their concerns and show their support for this endeavor.
Clare Kierstead
Presque Isle
