Pet Talk

by Cathy Davis
    This coming Saturday there is going to be a fun time at the animal shelter. Please join us from noon to 3 p.m. as we host a bake sale with homemade chili and baked beans and other items for sale, snacks and hot drinks, outdoor games (weather permitting) including “pin the nose on the snowman,” a candy scramble in the snow (make sure to bring mittens, you have to wear mittens to get in on this fun), bring your boogie board or sled as we have a nice little hill you can slide on, and we are going to have one gigantic bonfire.
    There is nothing more fun than standing around a bonfire with friends; drinking hot cocoa and watching your kids slide down a hill, shrieking with laughter.
    There are also going to be some great adoption deals on this date. The whole purpose of this event is to find “New Homes for the New Year” and Shelter Director Heather Miller and staff have some great surprises in store for you.
    There will be puppies available for adoption, and many people have already filled out pre-adopt forms and are approved for adoption so you might want to do that before Saturday.
    Please remember that on any adoption it is not “first come first serve.” These animals all deserve the very best home available and the staff works hard to match the right pet with the right home.
    Let’s talk about this for just a minute, because this is one area that seems to create quite a bit of stir. Let’s say we have a puppy available for adoption and when grown this is going to be a 100 pound dog with a lot of energy.
    And let’s say we have three applicants who want this dog. Family No. 1 lives in town in an apartment; family No. 2 has four dogs and six cats and work full time; and family No. 3 has a huge farm out in the country and is retired.
    These are not the only factors taken into consideration, but just given this scenario, which family would you adopt this puppy to? I’m not going to tell you what our decision would be, I’m just asking if you would adopt to the very first family who applied, the family who lives in an apartment in town? Or might the farm home be a better match for this particular puppy?
    Sometimes, when someone really wants a puppy badly, and they are the “first” to apply, they get really upset when they are denied adoption of that particular pet – this is not meant to be a personal insult, and it is not intended to imply that you are not a good home. It’s just that for this pet, this adoption, this is not the best choice. The next pet that comes along might be perfect for them.
    Please do not take it out on the staff if you are disappointed in an attempt to adopt, just keep your application active. Let Heather know what you’re looking for, and I guarantee you a match will be made in good time.
    We are looking for forever homes, and when the right match is made, it is a lifetime commitment between adopter and adoptee.
    Please join us on Saturday, dress warm, come planning to have fun, and if you have any ideas for outdoor games, call Heather at the shelter at 532-2862 and let her know as we can add games throughout the day.
    Make sure to bring your kids, but please leave your pets home. This is our opportunity to showcase our shelter pets, and our attempt to find them homes and have a little fun at the same time. 
    And remember, it’s Saturday, you can leave the shelter with your Saturday night baked beans, some chili to go, and have dinner at home at the end of a very fun day.
    We look forward to seeing you, and remember noon to three, wear your ski pants, bring your sled, paste a smile on your face and come have some fun! We’ll see you there!
    Cathy Davis is a longtime volunteer for the Houlton Humane Society. She can be reached at houltonanimalshelter@gmail.com or 532-2345.