HOULTON, Maine — Our Italian dinner at The Elks on Feb. 24 was a huge success. We raised $1,500 and served approximately 75 people. We saw so many familiar faces as well as new faces and we cannot thank everyone enough for coming out to join us and for making this event such a great sauces.
We also had a Valentine’s Day fundraiser, where we raised $400 the week before. Once again thank you to everyone who made a purchase. Our fundraising efforts have been very successful. The money we raise has helped us pay our vet bills. This last month, alone our vet bills were well over $3,000. Thanks to your support they are completely paid for. We currently have one cat under vet care after having a mass removed from his ear. We are in hopes that he will be coming back to us today.
Lately, we have had numerous phone calls from people wanting to surrender animals. One lady called to tell me she would be dropping off some cats and asked where should she go? Another person called wanting to surrender a dog and cat because they were moving at the end of the week and could not take them with her.
Unfortunately we are not here to take animals because you do not want them anymore. We are here to help the injured and stray animals. Our facility is only so big so we can only take in so many animals. When we are full we have to say “no.” When you get an animal you take on a certain responsibility to that animal and that responsibility is for the life of your pet. If you are moving please do not wait until the last minute to try and re-home your pet.
We are currently still feeding strays outside the sanctuary. We have one full room inside the sanctuary devoted to cats that have been caught outside the sanctuary. Where did all of these cats come from? People have moved and left them behind many of which have never been neutered or spayed. Many of these cats are very sweet and loving. They are grateful to be inside where it is warm and dry and to have an endless supply of food.
I just can’t understand how anyone could just move and not take their pets. So for now our first priority is to help the animals living outside the sanctuary, they all deserve better. We are going to do everything we can to eliminate the unwanted cat population on or near Old Woodstock road.
Thank you for your continued support and as always thank you for reading our column.
To contact the Ark, call 532-7387, check out their Facebook page or visit http://www.arksanctuary.com/
