CARIBOU, Maine — The Maine Community Foundation, via the Belvedere Animal Welfare Foundation, has given Halfway Home Pet Rescue a grant of $9,995 for the purpose of spay/neuter clinics for cats of low-income families as well as working low-income families.
The first low-cost, low-income clinic will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19. The clinic will provide spay/neuter surgery, rabies and distemper vaccinations, ear mite treatment, parasite control and microchip identification.
Families will incur a co-pay fee of $25, with HHPR paying for the balance of treatment. At this time, there are no more spaces available for female cats and owners will need to be placed on a waiting list for the next clinic. There are, at this time, seven spaces left available for male cats.
According to HHPR’s executive director, Norma Milton, the lack of ability of low-income families to pay for the cost of spaying or neutering their cats is the prime reason why Aroostook County has a problem of cat overpopulation.
The mission of Halfway Home, she said, is to help reduce the number of stray, abandoned, abused, ill or injured cats, as well as the number of feral cat colonies, by humanely sterilizing felines.
For more information, contact Milton at 999-1075.
In addition, Milton noted, HHPR needs responsible and dedicated volunteers to help with the cleaning and feeding of adoptable cats at the Caribou Adoption Center. The volunteer work would involve approximately a two- or four-hour shift once per week.
Morning volunteers typically need three to four hours to complete the care routine, and the afternoon volunteers typically need about two hours.
Call Milton at 999-1075 to apply.
