To the editor:
Halfway Home Pet Rescue has networked with several southern Maine shelters/pet rescues for the past four years as well as spaying and neutering about 400 cats per year in this central Aroostook County area.
In 2015, southern groups found adoptive homes for 166 of HHPR homeless cats. In 2015, our adoption committee approved over 100 adoption applications. Yes, we continue to spay/neuter feral cat colonies as well.
Yes, we are strict in our adoption policies. Why would we want to rescue a cat and then let it go back into similar homes. Spay/neuter is our standard motto of care and good responsible homes are our adoption priority. Spaying/neutering barn cats and T/N/R of feral colonies has been a huge success for the over-population figures in central Aroostook County.
HHPR partners with the PAWS organization in Fort Kent currently reducing the number of homeless cats in the St. John Valley. Overall, it is teamwork of dedicated animal lovers that create a successful program and partnership. No one organization can do it all.
The key words are spay/neuter, spay/neuter. It is a seemingly never-ending process. But wait … after their own successful spay/neuter program, now southern organizations are reaching out to Aroostook County as they now have periods of time when they are low on their cat population. This is ample proof that sterilization and networking go hand in hand in decreasing over-population problems.
HHPR will be sending another transport of homeless cats to the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland on February 20th. The deadline to apply is Feb. 17th. HHPR will have travel space for a few additional adult cats or litters of kittens.
Do you know a friendly stray, help him/her out by feeding and then calling HHPR to see if space is still available. If we are already full, know that another transport is also planned for late March and HHPR is looking to help friendly homeless cats have an opportunity for a great future in southern Maine.
Please work with HHPR. Help us to save them. FMI call me at 492-2264.
