Pet Talk

by Cathy Davis
    Harry the hound was a stray from Arkansas that ended up in a shelter with limited space. Harry was scheduled for euthanasia, due to space limitations only, and through the networking of our shelter director Heather Miller, a rescue team quickly went into action, made arrangements for Harry to be removed from the shelter to begin a journey north to Houlton, where we had space to help him and knew we could adopt him out.
    Harry’s transportation was arranged through a fantastic organization called Pilots and Paws, a non-profit organization that specializes in transporting animals with special needs. For instance, if a dog responds well to ground transportation, then you would make arrangements to drive that dog to the designated shelter. But dogs with medical issues, dogs that are very nervous around ground transportation, any dogs with special needs that would benefit from the faster transportation. These folks provide that. These are all volunteers and the entire operation is funded by donations. Please check them out on the Internet, you will be impressed by the thousands of animals they help save every year.
    Pilots and Paws was due to land in Augusta at 4 p.m. and two wonderful dedicated volunteers, Lee and Darcy Oliver, agreed to pick him up and bring him to Houlton. Due to weather, the plane could not land until 8 p.m. so it was midnight when Lee and Darcy pulled up in front of Houlton Humane, where Heather was waiting to admit Harry and his traveling companion Zach who was also a rescue transfer.
    Harry was nervous. Imagine how traumatized he was – first he was lost, then captured, then put in a cage, then put on an airplane, then put in a car, then delivered to another shelter where he was finally admitted with the hopes of finding him a new home. He settled into his new digs, pacing and watching and probably wondering, “What’s next?”
    In the morning, Harry was walked and fed and hugged and then he went into the outdoor fenced-in run area for some exercise. Heather looked out the window a little while later and Harry was perched on top of the six-foot fence, all four feet, tottering between freedom and captivity. Under her breath Heather muttered, “oh no you don’t Harry” and as she moved toward the door, yes he did. He catapulted himself over the fence and he was gone.
    Heather tried to catch him but Harry is a hound, hounds love to run, and Harry was free as a bird and not stopping for anybody. Within minutes, a team of volunteers were at the shelter and in the neighborhood helping. Nancy Welton, Bob McGuire, Darcy Oliver and friend, Theresa Long, Suzann Rodweller and her girls, Jon Miller, Laura Marley and Joe, several people we didn’t even know, all day long and into the late evening, searching the woods, the neighbors, the roads, looking for Harry.
    At 10 p.m. there was still a team of people, by 2 a.m. it was down to just Heather, exhausted but still searching for Harry. Finally, Heather went home for three hours of sleep, went back to the shelter at 5 am, and there was Harry, sitting at the front door, waiting to be let in.
    This story has a happy ending, Harry has been adopted into a loving home with a family who understands his need to run and will be very careful not to let him get lost. Harry got his second chance, thanks to wonderful people like Pilots and Paws, the rescue in Arkansas, all of our volunteers and our wonderful shelter director.
    If you would like to help save lives, please join us this Saturday in River Front Park for our annual walk-a-thon. This walk will raise money to help care for these animals that get a second chance, whether they are your critters who become lost, a critter down the road from you, or a critter from 1,000 miles away. We do everything we can to give as many a second chance as humanly possible.
    Our walk registration is 10:30 a.m., rain or shine. We will be there, and we will begin the walk at 11 a.m. There are wonderful prizes for the walker who brings in the most pledges, there will prizes for your dogs, and free lunch for all.
    There is also going to be a Pampered Chef party at the shelter that same day from noon to 3 p.m.
    A huge “Thank You” to all of the volunteers who brought Harry in and helped to find him and to the new family who gave him his ultimate second chance. We are all actors in this drama but you are the ultimate heroes, the happy ending is only happy when you adopt and give these wonderful loving healthy animals a second chance. Thank you so much.