By Liz Farley
Board of Directors
There is no doubt that the Central Aroostook Humane Society operates daily thanks to a dedicated staff, volunteer base and its board of directors.
None of these parties, however, would be possible without the support from our community. We are endlessly grateful for the outpouring of volunteers and money; kudos for a job well done! This support makes our jobs and responsibilities worthwhile and motivates us daily to continue the work we do to nurture, support and promote the well-being of animals in our community.
One recent example of this community support came from Robb Miller of Presque Isle. Seeing that one of the dogs in our care, Barney the Beagle, was in need of eye surgery and neutering he stepped up and rallied to raise over $600 for the necessary procedures for Barney. Knowing that many hands make light work, he created an online fund-raising campaign asking that people donate any amount they can to help Barney.
The money raised allowed us to have both of Barney’s eyes operated on and have him neutered as well. Now Barney is recouping and is ready for his Forever Home. Thank you Robb Miller and everyone who contributed to this fund for unselfishly rallying around Barney. This dog is so sweet and will no doubt, thanks to your support, find a home of his own very soon!
Barney the Beagle is an example of the animals we sometimes receive that are in need of extra care. Sometimes this care can require a lot of money. In the case of Barney, his surgery costs were estimated around $600 and thankfully Robb Miller and others in the community were able to rally around him.
While we can recoup $600 fairly easily, it is a little more difficult for us to recoup the expenses that are sometimes in the thousands. As a small non-profit, we have a small budget and very little backup in case of emergencies. When we provide necessary care and veterinary services to some animals in need, we often are falling short in other areas.
This leads me to our Call for help! Many of you are familiar with Thelma and Louise and their once tragic and now uplifting story. For those of you who are not, let me provide you with a brief history: Thelma and Louise are two dogs that were brought to our shelter in late May of this year by the Caribou Police Department and Animal Control. They were found in the Caribou area after being abandoned by their owner. These girls were completely emaciated; starving, full of infection, had terrible pressure sores on their bodies and had they not been found were very likely near death. They were a mass of skin and bones, sunken eyes and terrible skin and hair conditions.
Thanks to the very hard work of shelter staff and local veterinarians, these girls are doing better every day. They look full, happy and are nearly healed of their physical wounds and maladies.
Their emotional demeanor is very sweet and not at all what one would expect after experiencing the neglect that they endured. While Louise is continuing to heal and receive care, Thelma is up for adoption and ready for her Forever Home.
So far we have had $500 in donations come in for their care, which has helped us immensely. We have been told that the owner of these pups is being charged with two counts of aggravated animal cruelty and restitution is a possible outcome of these charges but there is no way to determine when or how much will come to the shelter, if any, at this point in time.
Thus far their medical expenses have been about $3,300 and we expect this number to rise a bit more due to Louise still having some problems with her tail healing properly.
These costs, while necessary, are very significant to our shelter. We are simply asking for help.
If anyone — individual, group or organization — is willing to help with the expenses associated with Thelma and Louise, we would be forever grateful.
Please visit these two amazing survivors and the staff and volunteers who have cared for them.
We are located at 26 Cross St. in Presque Isle and are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Thank you for your continued support!
