Innovative Programs at the Humane Society of Knox County

For our final post to close out a week with the Humane Society of Knox County, I thought I'd take a look at some of the programs this great organization offers. Since 1989, the Humane Society of Knox County has sponsored innovative fundraising and educational programs to keep going in an economically challenged area. Here are three great programs the organization offers to the midcoast Maine area; they are by no means the only things that HSKC does, but they are certainly standouts!

Run-a-Hound

Working with Rockland-based Youthlinks for the second year, Run-a-Hound is a program that encourages physical fitness for young people by taking shelter dogs and high school students out every Monday afternoon for a lengthy run. You can read more about the Run-a-Hound program in the feature story written by Ivy Demos for Downeast Dog News last winter.

K-9 Corrections

My former obedience training mentor, Marie Finnegan, is the trainer-in-residence for this program teaming up inmates from the Bolduc Correctional Facility in Warren, Maine, with shelter dogs at HSKC. Once the K-9 Corrections dog has been selected, he (or she) actually goes to the Facility and lives on-site with the inmates, who are responsible for feeding, exercise, and intensive training over a period of eight to ten weeks. During that time, the goal is for each dog to become a certified Canine Good Citizen, while the inmates learn practical skills like dog training along while a hands-on lesson in compassion and responsibility. To learn more about this great program and how you can help, check out this fact sheet.

The HSKC Volunteer Mobile

Looking for a way to make your advertising stand out from the rest? The Volunteer Mobile may be just the thing: a Smart Car with ad space galore to get your message across and convey that yours is a business that truly cares. Want to learn more? Read all about it here, and find out how you can help the planet, the animals, and your business, in one fell swoop!

Rescue ME Monday: Humane Society of Knox County

On Saturday, I had an opportunity to mosey on over to the Humane Society of Knox County, one of the local shelters here in midcoast Maine. As is usually the case, things were hopping. As soon as I walked through the door, I heard a series of feeble, high-pitched "eep-eeps." Theresa Gargan, the shelter director, quickly summoned me over to a cat carrier, where four newborn kittens were nestled under a heated towel.

"They're orphans, poor things," Theresa explained. Former HSKC employee and current foster mom extraordinaire Kendra Cochran was preparing her car to take the kittens home, where she'll be responsible for feedings every two- to three- hours until the newbies are a bit older.



Meanwhile, a mom and her two sons were in the process of adopting an adorable, fawn-colored bunny rabbit (HSKC houses cats and dogs primarily, but occasionally takes in smaller animals when there's a need). While the littlest boy wandered among the cat cages, I spent a little time in the well-ventilated, sunny cat porch, getting to know some of the residents, including this sweetie.



Afterward, I walked the grounds to check in with some of the many dogs for adoption at HSKC, many of whom were outside in their exercise pens, getting a break from their kennels. The facility has several large outdoor enclosures with secure, high fences so that the pups in residence get a chance to run off a little steam, practice their socialization skills with both people and other dogs, and meet potential adoptive families in a setting that's not quite so loud or so charged as the inside of the shelter itself.



The Humane Society of Knox County was the first animal-related job I ever had - at least, the first where I ever got paid. I cleaned out kennels, walked dogs, fostered a beautiful, deaf white cat named Victoria while she convalesced during her pregnancy, learned how to give vaccines and even how to draw blood. Though the money was nothing to celebrate - as seems inevitable in animal rescue, - I was in heaven. I was with animals, day in and day out. It gave me a taste of what it was like to be part of a caring community of fellow animal lovers, and a glimpse of all that's possible when compassionate, dedicated people work together for a common cause.

Today, nearly twenty years later (youch - how the time flies!), HSKC continues with its mission of "caring for unwanted and homeless animals while participating in activities advocating responsible pet ownership and the prevention of abuse and cruelty." The small facility serves twenty-two towns in midcoast Maine, and its official policy is to euthanize only when severe physical or behavioral issues make humane euthanasia the most viable option for the animal.

This week, I'm very pleased to make HSKC the focus of Rescue ME. We'll meet a whole lot of worthy cats and dogs (and even a guinea pig or two!) looking for forever homes, talk to the devoted staff, and get a glimpse into some of the many great, educational programs the shelter offers area residents. HSKC will have a permanent page on my website, which you can find here, and be sure to check in again over the course of the week to learn more about this hard working, small-town shelter.

Adopting a Greyhound: Life in the Fast Lane Can Be Downright Slow

Yesterday afternoon, I had another opportunity to hang at the Maine Greyhound Placement Service - this time to get some photos and video footage of their beautiful charges. When I was there last, the Canine Carnival had everyone hopping; this time, I had an opportunity to speak at length with Jess, a vet tech who interned with MGPS before recently coming on board as an official member of the organization. Since we're just finishing out the week spotlighting Maine Greyhound Placement's excellent work, this seemed a prime opportunity to share a few of the things I learned.

(1) Greyhounds require little exercise, preferring instead to spend the bulk of their time lounging. "They make great apartment dogs," Jess informed me. "They'll have bursts of energy when you first take them out, but they're okay with short walks everyday. The rest of the time, they'd rather just hang out on the couch."

(2) Unlike many big dogs, hip dysplasia is all but unheard of in greyhounds. Because of the way they are raised as pups - running in a straight line on the track, to prepare them for their racing future, - their hips form correctly and maintain good alignment throughout the course of their lives,

(3) Greyhounds live an average of twelve to fourteen years, giving them one of the longest life spans of any mid- to large- sized dog,

(4) Health problems for greyhounds are minimal, though their dental care is an issue and, like many large-breed dogs, they do have a higher risk of bone cancer than smaller dogs,

and...

(5) Another reason Greyhounds make great apartment dogs? They shed very little, and barking is a rarity.

So, if you're looking for a companion dog who's great with family and relatively low-maintenance, consider a great Grey. Need another reason to take one home? Check out Coda, a two-year-old Greyhound currently in residence at Maine Greyhound Placement, in action:

Rescue ME Monday: Maine Greyhound Placement Service

Each week at the Dogged Writer website, I'll be featuring a different animal rescue or animal welfare organization around the state of Maine. This week, I visited the Canine Carnival, held by the Maine Greyhound Placement Service on their 13-acre farm.

Though saddled with a spine-tingling history and allegedly haunted even now, the home of Maine Greyhound Placement Services is an unmistakably pleasant place to visit these days. MGPS is centrally located on a thirteen-acre farm in Augusta that is renowned throughout the state as the site of one of the bloodiest murders in Maine history (see the Haunted Hounds sidebar on the Rescue ME page for more details on the farm's history).

Today, however, the old farm has been infused with new life. Maine Greyhound Placement Services bought the place in 2003. Since that time, volunteers have been hard at work putting up fencing, creating large exercise pens, and renovating the old barn to make it habitable for the rescued greyhounds that MGPS pays to have shipped here from around the country, once the dogs are retired from the racing circuit. The rescue runs a gift shop (Tally Ho Gifts) from the barn, as well as a boarding facility to raise money to keep the extensive operation running. This past year, a major goal was realized when MGPS completed construction on their very own, on-site veterinary clinic, in order to take care of day-to-day medical needs and larger procedures like spaying and neutering for their charges.

On Saturday, October 2nd, MGPS opened their doors to the public for the Canine Carnival, a day-long event that volunteers hope will become an annual fundraiser. Agility and rally demonstrations, kennel tours, vendors, and a raffle were all offered under sunny skies and cool fall temperatures. As the day progressed, I had an opportunity to speak with volunteers and greyhound enthusiasts alike, to learn more about these long-legged, doe-eyed beauties.

One of the volunteers I spoke with at length was Norman Leclair and his dog Lewy, who used to race under the name PC Triple Cash. Lewy is now a therapy dog who spends a good portion of his week at area nursing homes, doing in-home visits for shut ins, and then typically does his part for his fellow greyhounds at Petco on Saturdays by wearing the MGPS red vest to raise money and awareness for the cause. Leclair is a white-haired gentleman with sparkling eyes and a deep laugh, who had no problem opening up to me about his history with, and love for, the breed. As games, activities, and chatter buzzed around us, Leclair told me that he'd known Lewy was meant for him because the dog arrived on his son's birthday - a son he had lost when the boy was only twenty-one.

"I knew as soon as I saw him that Lewy was sent to me from somebody pretty special," Leclair tells me. He smiles at the dog, lying peacefully at his feet while we chat. "People say all the time how lucky Lewy is that I saved him, but I didn't save him. He saved me."

Check out the new feature on the website, Rescue ME, for the full story on Maine Greyhound Placement Service, plus links, photos, and interviews.