By Heather Miller
www.houltonhumanesociety.com
So we want to take the time to talk to you about what’s most important: the animals. We want to use this column for what it is intended for and that’s talking to you about our main priority, the pets in our care looking for homes.
We don’t want to talk about other people and we don’t want to talk about anything that’s happened, we simply want to discuss animals that need homes; three animals in particular. We want to take this opportunity to introduce you to Rigby, Dallas and Maggie, three animals that have been with us for awhile or have reasons that make them harder to place. All three of these animals are extremely deserving of a forever home with some wonderful family out there.
First let us introduce you to Rigby. Rigby came to us from the Kennebec Valley Humane Society in Augusta a little over three weeks ago. We were low on dogs and we put an email out to shelters in the state, asking if anyone needed help. They wrote us back and said they had a very special hound whom they had had for quite some time, who had a few issues to deal with, and asked if we were willing to take him. Of course we said yes, and they arranged transport for him to come to us, so we could try and find him a home.
Well, Rigby is a special boy, and he has a few things that he particularly doesn’t care for, which makes it hard for him to find a home. You see, Rigby likes to be the star of the show. He really doesn’t want to share a home with any other animals. Rigby wants all the attention for himself. We don’t truly believe he would hurt another dog, but he can get quite rough. And he doesn’t particularly care for any animal that falls into the feline category. He just wants to be the top dog.
He is approximately 4 years old and he’s a hound mix. He’s neutered, microchipped and has all of his vaccines up to date. Now he is your typical hound, meaning he barks a lot and he likes to chew stuff. But anyone who knows this breed, knows they are the most loyal, loving breed around. They just need the right home. He needs a family that’s very active outside, that likes to go for walks or swimming or playing in the snow. He needs a family that can get him lots of toys and chew things, to keep him entertained inside. He loves to ride in the car, so a family who likes to take road trips would be a huge plus in Rigby’s eyes. And he just loves to be loved.
We know it’s hard to find a family that doesn’t have other animals and has older children, as he tends to get a little rough when he’s playing, but we know that families out there somewhere. If you aren’t the family, maybe you know someone who fits the description better.
Now let’s move on to Dallas. Dallas came to us from the Bangor area about three weeks ago. We got a call from someone stating that Dallas had been abandoned by her original owners and the people who had her were not able to keep her because of her size. You see, Dallas is a purebred Great Dane and is very big. The person who was nice enough to give her a temporary home had an apartment, and it just was not a good fit for Dallas.
Now you all may be surprised to know that we have a purebred at the shelter, a Great Dane at that, but she too is looking for the perfect home and has a few skeletons in her closet. She also does not like other dogs, and cats would not be a good fit for her either. Due to her size, she can be very intimidating and knows it; therefore, a home with small children is not the best place for her.
We picture her perfect family as a younger couple who just wants a huge couch potato that loves to snuggle. She loves to be outside and she loves to go for a walk. She is housebroken for the most part, but may need a little training to refresh your memory. She doesn’t show very well in the cage because she’s nervous; therefore, she barks, and of course her size is quite intimidating.
So we’re looking for someone who knows how to handle the bigger breeds and has the time and patience to put into this sweet girl. We know her family is out there and we’re hoping they are reading this article right now.
And last, but certainly not least, is Maggie. Maggie is a very special cat who has been with us for almost 17 months. She came to us as a stray, skin and bones, wandering the street in Houlton. She spent several months in foster care putting some weight on and getting healthy. Well, we think that she grew up on the streets and therefore had to get a hard shell to survive. And sadly, she hasn’t quite let her guard down; therefore, she comes across as not the nicest cat to some people.
She will let you hold her but she’s not a huge fan of being petted. She’d rather just lay around on your couch or on the back of your pillow and sleep. She’s very quiet, but she’s very nervous also. She does fine with other cats and she doesn’t seem to care too much about dogs, but she wouldn’t do good in a home with lots of kids and lots of noise.
She’s very special to us and that greets people at the door the minute they walk into the community room. She’s the one, when you walk into a cat room, that’s most likely lying in the corner on a blanket, all by herself. And she’s perfectly content with that, but that doesn’t make her highly adoptable to a lot of people, which honestly makes us really really sad. She is spayed and has all of her shots and is just waiting for the right person to come along, who’s not necessarily looking for the perfect cat, but looking for someone just like her.
All three of these animals are very deserving of a loving home. In the month of October we have done 37 adoptions. That’s 37 times that these three animals have watched other animals go out the door, and they still sit there. We’re happy for all of the adoptions, but these three weigh on our minds every day.
If you would like to meet one of these three, please give us a call at 532-2862. We would love to see them adopted by Thanksgiving! As always, thank you for your continued support and thank you for all that you do for Houlton Humane Society.
