HOULTON, Maine — The Ark Animal Sanctuary took one step closer to realizing its dream of building a safe haven for animals when it signed papers March 31 to acquire a 35-acre parcel of land near the Houlton Airport.
According to Lorraine Monfils, organizer of the Ark Animal Sanctuary, the group has been actively searching for land for about six months in the hopes of creating a no-kill shelter for stray animals.
“We have been looking for a while to find a piece of land, but couldn’t afford anything,” said Monfils. “Then one of my customers came forward with a piece of land she was willing to sell at a reasonable price.”
The parcel of land is located on Old Woodstock Road and has a clearing already in place for a building. There is an existing well and septic system on the property, she said. Attorney Steve Nelson did all of real estate paperwork pro bono for the group. Originally, the group was looking for a piece of land that had a farmhouse on it, but changed its direction when this property was offered.
“This is an ideal location,” Monfils said. “It’s less than five miles to town and it’s a really nice piece of land.”
The roots for forming the Ark Animal Sanctuary began back in 2004 when Monfils and her husband Steve moved back to Houlton. She opened a pet grooming business – Hollywood Pet Salon – on Main Street and volunteered for a time with the Houlton Humane Society. But a desire to create a bigger, more open environment for pets in need soon began to grow for Monfils and the wheels for the Ark Animal Sanctuary were set in motion.
The mission of The Ark Animal Sanctuary, a non-profit organization, is to rescue and provide food, shelter, medical assistance, love and compassion to any animal in need, regardless of age and medical condition.
According to the group’s website, “We will take full responsibility of every animal placed with us until they find loving homes. The Ark is a no-kill organization. Euthanasia will only be considered when a veterinarian recommends it for the best interest of the animal.”
Other visions for the group are the creation of a gift shop on the premises with crafts, quilts, donated by various individuals with all proceeds to go to the animals’ care and the creation of an Ark Angel chapel to pay tribute to past companions.
“Everything is moving along quite nicely,” Monfils said. “I don’t think we expected things to move quite this quickly. We only started the Ark Animal Sanctuary on May 11 of last year. If you look at what we’ve accomplished in a year’s time, we’ve done very well.”
The group is organizing several “Community Clean-Up Days” on its new parcel of land, which is overgrown with brush and debris. Clean-up days are slated for Sunday, April 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and again May 2 and 16; and June 12 and 26. A bake sale is also planned for Saturday in front of Hollywood Pet Salon on 70 Main St. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Individuals interested in serving as a foster family, or those looking to volunteer at Ark Animal Sanctuary can contact Monfils at 532-7387.
