Pet Talk

www.houltonanimalshelter.com
by Cathy Davis
    Wow, it’s been a busy week. Last Monday WAGM was kind enough to come to the Shelter and report on the large numbers of animals available for adoption, and our precarious financial situation. Within 24 hours of the airing of that tape, donations were received that should help us get through another couple of weeks. These donations are very much appreciated and really go a long way to help care for the animals.
Houlton Pioneer Times photograph
OPPORTUNITY – Town and Country Clothing/Footwear is donating a Woolrich blanket and pillow to be raffled off with all of the proceeds to be given to the Houlton Humane Shelter. Tickets will be $1 a chance, with the drawing to be held on Dec. 24. Town and Country staff hopes to help raise the extra money to help feed the cats and dogs being held at the animal shelter. The store will also be running the “Wrap It Up” free gift wrapping promotion, with a donation to the animal shelter, again this holiday season. The Woolrich blanket will be on display at the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum Saturday and on Dec. 6 at the Hollywood Pet Salon for the “Home for the Holidays” fund-raiser. Displaying the items are, from left, Cathy Davis, Heather Miller and Holly Henderson, all Animal Shelter volunteers.
    Wednesday WLBZ came up and did another story that aired all over the state and then Thursday we had a nice visit with the Houlton Pioneer Times and made a trip to York’s of Houlton to pick up a donation of $1,030 that they raised for the Shelter doing back-to-back yard sales. The staff donated the yard sale items and this project took a really long time and a lot of work and we are very grateful for the effort and support.
    Hopefully, we’ll weather this current crisis and make it through to our next fundraiser, which is Saturday, Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. We are hosting a potluck supper at the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum in Littleton, the cost for dinner is $7 and included in that price is a wonderful evening of Karaoke with Trish King. Many of you will remember Trish from our last dinner, she has a beautiful voice and so many people came to eat and stayed to listen that we ran out of tables. 
    Every single person who comes to dine with us that evening will automatically be entered into a door prize drawing, so please set this afternoon aside for some fine food, wonderful entertainment and just plain old-fashioned fun.
    We still need cooks for this event so if you are able to bring a casserole or a dessert, would you please e-mail me and let me know what you can bring so we know if we have enough casseroles and desserts. My e-mail address is houltonanimalshelter@gmail.com.
    There is a meeting at the animal shelter coming up on Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. This is our annual meeting where elections of officers will be held and the last planning session for the dinner. The public is welcome at all meetings, this will be held at the Shelter in the conference room.
    We’re excited to announce that on Nov. 11, the Humane Society of the United States will be in Houlton to speak to the public about general animal welfare issues and disaster planning for your pets.  This meeting is free of charge, will be held at 6 p.m. at the Congregational Church on High Street.  Refreshments will be served. We encourage all to attend. It’s not often that a national organization comes all the way this far north, let’s show them how much we appreciate it and what a great group of animal welfare supporters we have in the greater Houlton area.   
    On Dec.6, set aside a few hours to join us at Hollywood Pet Salon for “Homes for the Holidays.”  This is an annual adopt-a-thon event that will include many exciting “side events.”
    The Hodgdon High Community Helpers will be there selling Lady Ashburnham pickles and russets – these youngsters made these pickles themselves as a fundraiser for the Shelter. We will be selling Christmas trees, baked goods, taking photos with Santa and your pet; depending on the weather we may even have an outdoor barbeque.
    Check out Town and Country Clothing and Menswear on Market Square – they are selling raffle tickets on a beautiful Woolwich set and also continuing their “wrap it up for the animals” campaign for the holiday season.
    Most importantly, please consider adoption – the Shelter has over 200 animals available right now. We have no more room for any more animals to come in.  Every day one or two find homes and eight to 20 come in the door. Adoption changes lives, yours and theirs, and if you can’t adopt, perhaps you could foster for a few weeks?