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!

Cats, Dogs... Pigs? Truly Something for Everyone at the Humane Society of Knox County

To close out my week featuring the Humane Society of Knox County in Rescue ME, I spent the afternoon chilling with some of my very favorite people and pets. HSKC is home to nearly two hundred cats at the moment, between those housed at the shelter and those kept in foster homes, as well as between fifteen and twenty dogs at any given time. They also house rabbits, parakeets, guinea pigs, and just about anything else that will fit inside the small shelter and is in need of a home. This week, that means they are also home to a pink and white pig named Poppy, who I found entirely by accident snoring contentedly in the corner of a dog kennel. Poppy was the final survivor in an animal cruelty case in Etna, Maine, where a number of horses and other farm animals were found in need of rescue. Because the lighting wasn't great, she was difficult to photograph, but here's my shot of Poppy the Pig:



In addition to Poppy the Pig, there were of course a ton of cats of all shapes and sizes to choose from. HSKC has a great community feel, with cats roaming freely around the lobby and in and out of the cat community room. Here are a few shots of the wonderful facility the folks at the Society have put together:





And some of the very contented residents...





Since this is the Dogged Writer, I would be remiss if I didn't mention some of the fine canines at HSKC. I got to meet Fred, the most awesome beagle EVER, who was scared of the cats and played with both kids and other dogs with complete abandon. Young, handsome, and utterly lovable, Fred is definitely a dog who deserves a great home. I watched an adorable Corgi go home with a sweet elderly gentleman, fell in love with a gorgeous, six-year-old male German shepherd named King, and made doe eyes at a couple of soulful hounds by the names of Devon and Abby:

A man among men: King

Irresistible: Devon

Princess Hound: Abby

And then there was this fellow, a twelve-year-old terrier with a severe flea allergy whose owners are trying to make the difficult decision whether or not they can afford to care for the little guy as he enters his twilight years:



Times are tough around the country, and I can't imagine having to make the decision to part with such a sweet old guy as little Ozzie. If his folks do indeed decide that they can't keep him any longer, however, I'm sure it won't be long before people will be lining up to give him a new forever home.

So, that was my day at HSKC. Stay tuned tomorrow as I do a final round-up and talk about three innovative, educational programs the Humane Society of Knox County is spearheading, and how you can help them continue their good work. Hope you're having a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

CC Comes Home: Another Old Lady Cat Retires With My Mom

Over the last couple of years, my mom has taken to providing a sort of retirement home for some lucky old lady cat or other - first with Seraphina, a lanky, funny black and white cat who was with my mom for eighteen years before she passed over the Rainbow Bridge about a year and a half ago. Then came Gabby, a cantankerous old calico who had belonged to my sister-in-law; when they had kids and the house got crowded, however, Gabby wasn't the happiest cat on the block. When space opened up at Mom's, she volunteered to take Gabs in. For a little less than a year, the calico lived the life of a queen - she slept with my mom, had the run of the house, and sat by the glass doors with tail twitching as she kept watch over the birds and squirrels who frequent Mom's back deck.

About a month ago, Mom noticed that Gabby wasn't getting around as well as she had been. When Brandi (my sister-in-law) took Gabs to the vet, they found that the old girl was riddled with cancer and her lungs had filled with fluid. After some discussion, they agreed that it would be best if Gabby was put down. Mom and Brandi - the two mamas Gabby loved best - were there for those final moments, cried together, and spent the weekend remembering all the things that made Gabby the extraordinary cat that she was.

It didn't take long, however, before Mom realized that she couldn't possibly live in a cat-free house. "I haven't lived more than two weeks without a kitty, my whole life," she told me the other day. It was sad to come home to an empty house, she said; sad to watch TV or work on the computer without a kitty purring at her side.

Last Saturday, I went to the Humane Society of Knox County to get some pictures of the cats and dogs and volunteers, in anticipation of my week featuring HSKC in Rescue ME. While there, I started talking to Jen - a shelter worker at HSKC - about my Mom's predicament, and asked her if she knew of any old lady cats who might need a good home.

Enter CC, a lanky black and white kitty who spent the first ten years of her life with a little old lady who treated the fabulous feline like a queen. Sadly, CC had nowhere to go when her owner passed away. When she came to the shelter, she refused to eat; Jen took her on as a special project, force feeding the girl until she finally decided that, perhaps, she would like to try living a little longer after all. For over a year, Jen has been fostering CC at her house.

"She gets too stressed out at the shelter, but she deserves a house where she can have the run of the place - and she's not exactly best friends with my dogs. She's a great cat, but right now she's just not getting what she deserves."

Today, Mom and I went over to HSKC and picked up CC. We were told that she would likely hide for at least a week, if not more, and not to expect too much of her at first. So... Here's CC, about ten minutes after her arrival at Mom's Home for Old Lady Cats:



Clearly, she's settling in pretty nicely, and hasn't shown the least bit of interest in hiding. She ate shortly after arriving, and has been happily exploring her new world ever since. Mom is already completely won over, and has begun rearranging the house in anticipation of any little thing CC could possibly want in her retirement - including a big, fluffy bed by the door, so that she, too, can pass her days watching the squirrels and birds on the other side of the glass. It seems CC has come home.

Maddie's Story: When the Shelter Becomes Home

Less than a month ago, I wrote this post about Maddie, an adorable pup who had been at the Humane Society of Knox County for over two years, waiting for her forever home. The problem with Maddie, it turns out, was that this sweet girl had gotten very, very comfortable with her life at HSKC. She went for outings, got lots of visitors, participated in the Youthlinks Run-a-Hound program, and even had her very own outdoor kennel and doghouse made. For a dog who'd never really experienced the charms of being a full-time, live-in pet for a single family, Maddie's life at HSKC seemed like a pretty good gig.

The problem was that Maddie had become so enamored with her life at the shelter, she would shut down when she was taken to a potential adopter's house. She would starve herself, get stress-induced hot spots, try to escape... For two years, people interested in adopting the pup would bring her home only to return her a few days or a week later, frantic at Maddie's behavior.

"It was like she was doing everything she could to be brought back," Jen, one of the shelter workers, explained recently. "She just didn't know how to handle being in this whole new setting - here maybe it wasn't perfect, but at least she knew what she was getting, and she really had a pretty good life here."

Today, I'm pleased to say that Maddie seems to have found her perfect match - a former vet tech and experienced foster mom who is dealing admirably with all of Maddie's tricks.

"She starved herself that first week," Jen tells me. "And the woman says she can see a little bit of a hot spot on her tail - and about eight days in, Maddie got away, but the woman just drove up, opened the door and said, 'Maddie, wanna go for a ride?' and Maddie hopped right in."

Maddie has been in her new, hopefully-forever home for almost two weeks now - longer than any potential placement she had over the course of over two years living with HSKC.

"People thought we were crazy, keeping a dog that long, but she was such a sweet girl, we just knew if we hung in there long enough, somebody would come along."

There are very few animal shelters who have the resources to keep a dog like Maddie indefinitely, waiting for the right home to come along. At the Humane Society of Knox County, the policy is that no animal will ever be euthanized for a lack of space. In order to maintain that policy, the shelter works hard to maintain relationships with foster families, keep their adoption rates up, and do everything they can to help families in need keep their pets rather than surrendering them for financial or behavioral issues. Regardless of their efforts, it takes an extraordinary amount of resources to hold to their goal of remaining a shelter that puts animals to sleep only in cases where illness or behavioral issues make euthanasia the most humane option. In the case of Maddie - the dog who would not be placed, the mutt most likely to live out her days never knowing the love of a family - it seems that all the hard work the devoted staff and volunteers at the Humane Society of Knox County put in to keep their charges alive and well until the right forever home comes along, has indeed paid off.

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.

Maddie: Is This Energetic Girl the One for You?

Maddie will have been at the Humane Society of Knox County for a year this October. That's a long time for anyone, but when you consider that for pups, one human year is equivalent to seven dog years, it becomes clear: Maddie needs a home. The reason this sweet girl has been at HSKC for so long is simple, really - she's a high-energy, intelligent dog who would likely do best in a single-dog household with someone who will be around the house a significant amount of the time. She'll need someone who can exercise her regularly, and would benefit from a securely fenced yard. If you're just looking for a hound you can lay around the house with, Maddie's probably not your best match.

So... Who is the ideal match for Maddie? It could be someone who works from home, or someone who travels and is looking for a partner on the road. In "Meet Your Match" lingo, Maddie has been designated GREEN - A Free Spirit. "Intelligent, independent, confident, and clever, I prefer making my own decisions but will listen to you if you make a good case. We’re partners in this adventure. Treat me like one and we’ll both live happily ever after."

Does this sound like the dog for you? Maddie gets along all right with some other dogs, but can't be trusted around cats or other small animals. If you live an active life and are anxious to find a loyal friend to share in your adventures, Maddie just may be the girl you've been looking for. Do yourself a favor: Give this too-often overlooked pup a second glance!

If you're interested in meeting Maddie or any number of other great, adoptable pets, contact the Humane Society of Knox County at 207-594-2200 for more information.