Cumberland County, Maine July 17, 2009 –
At 2:30 a.m. on July 11, a van carrying 20 puppies and 2 adult dogs pulled into the Coastal Humane Society (CHS) in Brunswick. The van left Waveland, Mississippi on Thursday, taking more than twenty four hours to drive the distance from Mississippi to Maine. The donated van loaded with plastic dog kennels carried mostly Boxer mix, Collie mix, and Labrador mix puppies, all adorable and very energetic. A dedicated crew of staff and volunteers enthusiastically greeted the new arrivals and completed initial intake exams and baths. They then fed and tucked them in for the night. A committed crew stayed by the pups through out their first night and continued care for them all day Saturday.
“These pups had been selected for transport to a Baltimore shelter which fell through.“ said Robin Willabeek-Lemair, CHS Shelter Manager. “They were scheduled for euthanasia at the Mississippi shelter due to very dim prospects of finding homes in their own economically depressed locale. I was pleased we had available space to offer CHS’s help when the desperate call from the Mississippi shelter’s manager came in. While our first priority is always to animals here, that could be us next time, in a similar situation and looking for resources to help animals in need.”
Dina Allen, assistant shelter manager at the Waveland Animal Shelter (WAS), said “Many of these puppies are descendants of lost and abandoned Katrina dogs still living wild in the area. Other pups were turned in to the MS shelter due to an economic downturn now hitting hard along the Southwestern Gulf Coast.” In just three days the Mississippi shelter’s dog population blossomed from 6 or 7 dogs to well over 80 animals, which is their maximum.
Several of the pups are now ready for adoption at Coastal Humane Society. They have passed medical exams and processing by CHS’s staff veterinarian and can be seen at the CHS shelter located at 30 Range Road, in Brunswick. Directions and hours for shelter visitation can be found on the CHS website: www.CoastalHumaneSociety.org. More pups will become available to the public as they complete their observation period and assessment, and pass medical exams.
“Here at Coastal Humane Society we have seen many local people hard hit by Maine’s flagging economy and we are seeing the negative impact it has on a family’s ability to care for their animals.“ said Karen Stimpson, CHS Executive Director. CHS is now raising donations to help local community members in financial crisis through a drive called “the George Fund” – after a beloved Springer Spaniel who was left homeless in the wake of a family’s eviction from their home when their income source was lost. The CHS staff worked to keep George waiting for the family until they got back on their feet and returned him when they did. “We want to help make more happy endings for people and animals who find themselves in unhappy situations, our own communities come first…then as space and resources allow, other communities of animals.” said Stimpson. “That’s one of the reasons we agreed to help in this Mississippi situation.”
The initial connection to the Waveland, MS area came when Falmouth High student Kiely Flynn traveled to the area as part of a group to work on a Habit for Humanity community rebuilding project. She befriended and later adopted a stray pup she named Bear on the job site and then became involved with the Waveland Animal Shelter whose facilities had been destroyed during the Katrina storm. The connections which followed brought over 30 pups to Maine in May, with 4 of these dogs going the Coastal Humane Society.
Photo opportunities with the new puppies are available to the media. For additional information on the subject of this release, or to arrange for an interview or photo shoot, contact Lisa Smith.
About Coastal Humane Society:
The Coastal Humane Society is a nonprofit charitable corporation founded in 1950. The society exists to help prevent cruelty to animals and to provide shelter care and protection for the area's stray, abandoned and abused animals. CHS receives no federal or state funds, and local funds only through animal control fee-for-service contracts with 12 local towns. All other funds must be raised through events and private sources. The Cumberland County, Maine shelter serves as many as 2500 animals a year.
Contact: Lisa Smith, Publicity Coordinator
Coastal Humane Society
Office: (207) 725-5051; x12
LisaSmith@CoastalHumaneSociety.org
www.CoastalHumaneSociety.org
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