Pet Talk

by Cathy Davis
    His name is Marvin and he caught my eye right away. A chocolate brown Maine Coon, he peered out from a cage at the shelter and raised a paw. I walked over, kneeled down, and he looked right in my eyes and my heart melted. He’s an adult male, still needs to be neutered, and I have a hard time understanding why he’s at the animal shelter. Did he go missing and his parents never thought to call the shelter to see if anyone brought him in?
    Or perhaps he came from a broken home where the family had to move and just could not take their pets. There are a thousand reasons why animals end up homeless, and a million animals waiting for new homes. It might be animals that are displaced due to emergencies, fires, floods, hurricanes, tornados, yes, we get those up here too, not tornados, but the victims of those tragedies.
    Where did Marvin come from? Why is he in the shelter? Doesn’t really matter now, all that matters now is finding Marvin a new home.
    What about Daisy, a beautiful light gray and white tabby. She turns out to be a little older than we originally thought. Probably 8 years old the vet thinks, after performing her spay surgery. But because her spay and adoption fee are paid by an anonymous donor, the cost to you for this bundle of love is nothing, nothing but your heart, that’s all you have to give.
    And then there’s Rat, oh my word, you should see Rat. His name, like Marvin’s, does not do him justice. He should be called Frankie I think, after Frank Sinatra, old blue eyes. Rat is a pure white neutered and declawed male with beautiful blue eyes and just a strand or two of gray in his tail. He is a love, all he wants to do is cuddle, and as he sits in his cage watching people walk by, he rubs up against the bars, his tail standing straight up at attention, just begging someone to look down at him.
    There are so many gorgeous healthy animals available for adoption at the shelter and sometimes I just wish I lived out in the country on a big farm so I could take them all home. Maybe I’m just a lottery ticket away from that dream, you never know!
    In the meantime, because it might be another week or two before I win the lottery, maybe you can help me, maybe you can give one of these beautiful animals a new home.
    The shelter also has a number of bunnies available for adoption, they make great pets, and we have our own resident bunny expert, Heather Miller, who can answer any questions that you may have about raising and caring for a variety of rabbit breeds.
    Speaking of Heather, I have to tell you a little story. Two weeks ago, a contact alerted shelters across the country about an 8-year-old blind boxer who was about to be put to sleep in a shelter in Virginia. Because of her age and infirmity, they were having a hard time placing this dog. Heather saw the plea, agreed to take and home this dog, arranged transportation from Virginia, and arranged for private funding of this venture (people who do transport do it for free but there is still gas to pay for and other related expenses).  
    Across the country there are thousands of individuals who fight to save animals like Miss Daisy and there are heroes who step up to the plate to pay the costs for shots and surgeries, transportation, groups that fly rescue animals across country, and shelters who open their doors to save just one more dog, one more cat, just one more. Our local hero is Heather Miller and we all need to remember that this is not just Heather’s job, it’s her passion. If she wanted to do something to make a living, she could make a better living anywhere else and have half the heartache and half the headaches, but Heather doesn’t work at the shelter for a paycheck, she works at the shelter to save the animals.
    If you would like to be a hero, all you have to do is adopt, and you will be a hero, not only to the pet you rescue, but to your family who will benefit for many years from the unconditional love a pet brings.
    If you would like to be a hero, all you have to do is join your local rescue group and offer to foster a kitty or a dog, offer to do a transport, offer to host a fundraiser. Oh, and speaking of fund raisers, thank you so much to Barb Ganem for the wonderful spaghetti supper she recently hosted for Houlton Humane. The food was superior, the atmosphere was calm and inviting and absolutely beautiful.
    There are many heroes in our lives, people who donate, volunteer, people who pray for us and the animals in our care. Many thanks to Heather for her hard work on behalf of the animals and to you, because without you, she can’t do what she does. Merry Christmas! May God richly bless you and your families this holiday season.