Humanely Speaking - Bangor Humane Society

Humanely Speaking
Bangor Humane Society Newsletter
Spring 2012
A Community Challenge to Save Lives
By: Renee Ordway
Features
A Community Challenge to
Save Lives
101 Lives Saved in 12 Hours
A Temporary Home
In Every Issue
From the Director
Ask the Vet
Paws for Thought
Shelter Highlights/Events
Austin’s Corner
Our Guiding Principles
Our Mission
The Bangor Humane Society
champions the humane
treatment and adoption of
companion animals, provides
quality care for homeless pets,
and promotes animal welfare
through education and
advocacy.
Bangor Humane Society
693 Mt. Hope Ave.
Bangor, ME 04401
207.942.8902
www.bangorhumane.org
Visit us on Facebook!
www.facebook.com/BangorHumane
BHS is proud to feed our pets
Hill’s Science Diet food!
There’s a lot of excitement around the
Bangor Humane Society
these days. Great things
are happening inside the
shelter and out. The staff and volunteers are
as geared up and as committed as they have
ever been, as we prepare for the ASPCA/
Rachael Ray $100,000 Challenge.
The Bangor Humane Society is the only
Maine animal shelter entered into the challenge this year.
The contest is one of the biggest challenges we have ever faced. But, after we
saw the type of support we received from
the entire community during the MegaMatch-a-thon in March - adopting out 100
animals in 12 hours and emptying the shelter for the first time in our 164-year history we knew we were up for it. And, we believe
you are too.
This is the third year for the contest,
which challenges shelters across the nation
to commit to the work involved in increasing their adoption rates. This year, BHS and
our supporters worked hard to ensure its
place as one of the 50 shelters entered into
the challenge.
he Bangor Humane Society had to
first pass through an application and
interview round. Then, we competed
with 103 other shelters nationwide to encourage the community to vote us into the
contest online over a ten day period. Dozens
of posters were hung and hundreds of
emails and flyers distributed. We reached
out to all our media outlets and community
partnerships to get out the vote. Our daily
Facebook status was devoted to the vote;
and amazing volunteers, like Bangor Roller
Derby, who hit the streets on their rollerblades, helped spread the word. When the
voting ended, Bangor Humane Society
T
ranked fourth in the Northeast Division and
twelfth nationally. Now the real work begins.
Staff is busy planning and training for
the challenge that runs from August
through October. The goal is for shelters to
increase their adoption rates during that
three-month period by at least 300 more
animals than the previous year during the
same timeframe. Those that do will win a
$5,000 grant. The shelter that achieves the
largest numerical adoption increase, during
those three months, will be awarded the
$100,000 prize.
During that span last year, we adopted
out 892 cats and dogs, which means our
projected goal is to adopt out at least 1,192
animals this year.
The contest is divided by region; BHS
competes in the northeast division. The
shelters with the top adoption numbers in
each division will be awarded a $20,000
grant. Last year, Lewiston’s Greater Androscoggin Humane Society won its region, beating out much larger shelters in
major cities across the northeast.
The prize money and the “can-do”
momentum that resulted from the challenge
has resulted in major changes for the
Lewiston-based shelter, and as a result,
more animals are being adopted than ever
before. Hence more lives are being saved
Roller Derby members helped get out the vote!
Continued on page 8
2
From the Director
Last newsletter, I shared with you my goals for the
agency this upcoming year. I am happy to report that
we are steadily moving forward with enthusiasm and
perseverance in attaining those goals.
These are exciting times for us here at the Bangor Humane Society. By the time you read this, we will have completed our sixth
monthly in-house spay/neuter clinic hosted by local veterinarians. We are
thrilled to be able to offer a public feline spay/neuter clinic for low-income
individuals, in an effort to reduce the significant number of unwanted cats
and kittens that come to us each year. We also gave out over $20,000 in
vouchers to support low income spay/neuter surgeries for dog and cat owners in our community. We thank all the veterinarians throughout our area
who have supported these initiatives.
We have also made a concerted effort to increase our adoption rate and
save more lives. At the end of March, we celebrated the success of our first
mega-adoption event sponsored by the ASPCA. With the help of staff, volunteers, and the community, over 100 animals were adopted in twelve
hours- emptying the shelter of every adoptable pet for the first time in our
history. The event filled myself, and everyone who participated, with pride
that the Bangor community, literally, lined up outside our doors and filled
our lobby to support pet adoption and give our animals second chances.
Almost two months later, when I think back on that experience, I am
immediately brought back to the moment I walked through our empty kennels and did not hear one stressed bark, meow, whine or whimper. Knowing that we accomplished such an incredible goal, in which every animal
was in a warm and loving home instead of in a shelter kennel, continues to
fill me with overwhelming pride, humility, and an immensity of eclectic
emotions that are indescribable. It touched me profoundly and is something
I will never forget. It motivates me to have that experience again and
again– where adopters line out the door regularly, waiting to give every
one of our animals a home.
Our experience with the Mega Match-a-thon has given us the confidence to embark on our next endeavor to save even more lives. After a
competitive application process, we are one of fifty shelters from across
the nation to compete in the third ASPCA $100K Challenge event, during
August through October of this year. Our goal is to not only vie for the
ultimate prize of $100,000 dollars for the shelter, but to save more lives.
We hope to shift the community from viewing us as a shelter where you
bring your animal when you no longer can care for it, to the first place you
go to add a new furry friend to your family. We want every individual to
visit us and see that our animals are not broken, sad, or to blame for their
circumstance. Rather, they are loving, happy
and deserving of a loving, forever home. To
achieve our “challenge” goals, we can’t do it
alone. We need our dedicated staff, our committed volunteers and our supportive community to embrace these goals as well, so we can
save more lives and grant more second
chances.
Thank you for your continued support of
our mission and I whole-heartedly hope you
will join us in accomplishing our goals and
celebrating our successes!
Best regards,
Hours of Operation
Monday — Friday: 12:00 p.m.– 6:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m.– 6:00 p.m.
Board of Directors
Steve Thomas, President
Emily McIntosh, Vice-President
Robert Shuman, Treasurer
Amy Faircloth, Secretary
Anne Marie Storey, Past President
David Cloutier, DVM
Louise Cross
Lani Naihe
Renee Ordway
John Kenney
Lanni Moffatt
Matt Nye
Jeff Russell
Our Staff
Executive Director
Suzan Bell
Shelter Operations Manager
Chris Young
Office Manager
Amy Gentle
Volunteer & Public Relations Manager
Stacey R. Coventry
Adoption Counselors
Sonia, Brittney, Kristian, Brittany, Lisa,
Carol, Josh
Animal Technicians
Sadie, Charmaine, Sarah, Tasha, Laura,
Kimberly, and Jill
Veterinary Technician
Alayne Newton
Foster Care Program
Kimberly Patterson
3
Your Donor Dollars Matter...
101 Lives Saved in 12 Hours
By: Stacey R. Coventry
Over 100 animals were adopted in 12 hours, during the BHS first mega adoption
event, emptying the shelter kennels for the first time in its 164 year history.
n March 30th and March 31st, 101 animals were
adopted into loving homes in twelve hours, during
the agency’s first Mega Match-a-thon that was
sponsored but the American Society for the Prevention of
Animals (ASPCA).
The event took two months of planning and was scheduled to run through April 1st. But, by noon on the second
day of the event, the facility was emptied of every adoptable pet– 48 cats, 15 dogs, 30 puppies and 8 small animals.
The Bangor Humane Society was one of 55 shelters
around the nation to receive a $10,000 grant from the
ASPCA to participate. The grant allowed BHS to lower
adoption fees and streamline the process so potential
adoptees were matched with pets more quickly.
O
The grant money from the ASPCA helped BHS spay/
neuter every adoptable animal before the adoption event,
provide each animal with microchip, ID tag and collar,
and distribute a strong, positive marketing message to the
masses.
The Bangor Humane Society also partnered with the
Greater Androscoggin Humane Society, who also participated in the event, to transfer over 90 puppies to Maine
from Shelby Humane Society in Alabama, where they are
regularly overwhelmed by dog overpopulation. Thirty of
those puppies made their way to Bangor on a 38-hour trip
in a transfer van. They arrived vaccinated, spayed/
neutered and ready for a new family.
By 8 a.m., one hour before the Mega Match-a-thon
doors opened, a line of hundreds of potential adopters
wrapped around the building out to the parking lot waiting in wintery temperatures in hopes of finding a new
furry friend for their family. Adopter demographics
ranged from college students to senior citizens to families
and war veterans.
Despite months of planning every detail, staff could
not anticipate the overwhelming crowd that filled the
lobby that Friday morning, which resembled the anxious
shoppers at the mall on Black Friday.
“With the exception of the puppies, these wonderful
shelter pets are here every day, but because we created
this mega-event to encourage adoption, we experienced
massive crowds,” says Jill Benson, a Humane Society
Animal Technician. “We hope this event will show people that these pets deserve that same kind of crowd everyContinued on page 6
BHS staff pose
in the empty
kennels after all
the dogs were
adopted, during
the Mega
Match-a-thon
event.
BHS partnered with Greater Androscoggin Humane Society to
transport 30 puppies from Shelby Humane Society in Alabama for
the Mega Match-a-thon.
4
Paws for Thought
Ask the Vet
WARM WEATHER PET TIPS

It’s Kitten Season!
Talk with your veterinarian on what preventatives he/
she recommends to protect your pet against fleas,
ticks, heartworm, and Lyme disease.

Limit the amount of exercise your pet engages in during
warmer temperatures to prevent heat stroke.

Never leave your pet in the car on warm weather days!
Imagine this…
One unspayed female cat
who produces three litters of
4.5 kittens in one year,
where each kitten follows the
same reproduction pattern
equals
91,511,383 cats in 7 years!
Dr. Benson, Broadway Vet
Love Them Longer: A closer look at obesity in pets
Just like us humans, our pets need to maintain a
healthy body weight to ensure a long, healthy and high
quality of life. Dogs and cats that are consistently and
significantly overweight can experience the same issues
that we as humans can. Diseases like cancer and diabetes,
along with other health issues, like cardiac and respiratory problems, and early onset of arthritis can all be triggered by obesity in pets.
Studies show that 40-70% of the pet population is
overweight or obese. If you are unsure whether or not
your pet is overweight for its size, breed, and age, check
with your vet. Or, visit this website, http://
www.purina.com/dog/weight-and-exercise/
bodycondition.aspx as a reference guide for healthy body
conditions in cats and dogs.
Essentially, you should be able to see a defined
waistline in your pet as well as feel their ribs with little
fat coverage when you gently press your fingers against
your pet’s body. Cats should not have a lot of fat near
their hips. Most cats do have a fat pouch in their lower
abdomen, which is normal, as long as it doesn't become
too large.
If your pet is overweight, it is essential to get them on
a customized weight-loss program. Do not put your pets
on a crash diet to drive fast weight-loss, as that can cause
health issues as well. Instead, get them on a slow and
steady regime that includes exercise and calorie restriction. Talk with your vet to see how many calories your
pet should consume to facilitate weight loss without sacrificing the important nutritional needs of your pet.
Start with minimal exercise, like short walks down
the road and build up to longer, more strenuous activities
like jogging long distances or swimming in the lake. For
cats, you can use toys and low-calorie treats to engage
them in play activities like ‘toss and chase’ to help them
burn excess calories.
You and your pet can both enjoy the benefits of exercise together. You can work out and get fresh air together, while enjoying great opportunities for additional
obedience training. Engaging in games of fetch or chase
are fun and burn calories as well.
Signs that the activities are too strenuous for your pet
are labored breathing, extreme fatigue, soreness, and
open mouthed breathing in cats.
There are lots of weight-loss foods and low-calorie
treats on the market, so ask your veterinarian what he/she
recommends for your pet.
Don’t feed your pet excess treats and table scraps.
Say ‘no’ and mean it! Set healthy rules and boundaries
around eating, be consistent, and follow through with
positive feedback.
Also, remember to cut back on treats and calories especially during the winter when pets get less exercise.
Weight gain can catch up with them and their weight will
become harder to maintain over the long-term. As pets
get older, their metabolism slows and it becomes harder
for them to shed the extra pounds.
Remember to schedule your pet for an annual
checkup. Regular vet visits can help avoid many expensive visits to the emergency clinic and save your pet from
needless suffering. The sooner your vet diagnoses and
treats potential problems, the better the prognosis.
Many people over-feed their pets or reward them
with table scraps as a gesture of love and affection. When
their pets gain weight, they feel often “there is more of
them to love.” But, if you keep your pet at a healthy
weight, you will be able to love them a whole lot longer.
5
A Temporary Home
Volunteer Spotlight
The BHS Foster Program
By: Stacey R. Coventry
last spring and helped bring 20 new families into the BHS
Over 5,000 animals
network.
find refuge at the Bangor
The Bangor Humane Society’s foster care program
Humane Society every
started over 15 years ago when the large variety of
year; two-thirds which are
“special needs” cases of animals skyrocketed, and has
cats and kittens. The masince, shown no signs of diminishing. Kitten season
jority of the animals that
(spring through fall) has become an annual reality and onfind their way to the shelgoing reminder of the many homeless animals in the our
ter, either as strays or
community, while emphasizing the necessity for a local
through owner-surrender,
sustainable spay/neuter program.
are not spayed and neu“Our foster program couldn’t exist without
tered.
A foster parent bottle feeds a newborn
kitten without a mom.
these
wonderful volunteers,” says Kimberly.
Often, cats
It is something
“I’m
so
proud of each foster, who has helped
arrive pregnant or with vulnerable litters of
that brings us
make the program a success. I appreciate the
kittens. Many times, litters of underage kitboth so much joy. honest and genuine relationship I have with
tens arrive without a mom to nurse their deeach of my foster parents, so we can utilize
velopment and healthy growth.
their strengths and support their limitations.”
In addition to the thousands of cats and
Our foster families understand that they play a vital role
kittens that BHS cares for annually, there are also dozens
in giving these animals a second chance, while allowing
of dogs that arrive needing additional surgical care and
the BHS staff to care for the thousands of other lessrehabilitation for ailments like broken legs or severe hip
dysplasia. On the rare occasion, some dogs come pregnant vulnerable animals coming through the shelter. They know
that their calm, loving and disease-free home environment
or with newborn pups needing additional care.
gives these defenseless animals a better head start in findAt these times, Kimberly Patterson, BHS foster care
ing their way home.
coordinator reaches out to her growing network of foster
The foster program began with just two compassionate
parents, who continuously rise to the occasion to provide
much needed tender, love and care to these vulnerable ani- families and now, 15 years later, has grown to over 40 caring homes. Last year, these community volunteers fostered
mals. Patterson, a regular foster parent herself, who has
fostered almost 100 animals, took over the foster program
Continued on page 7
“
“
Austin’s Corner
It has been busy around here the past few
months. Did you hear about how successful
our Mega-Match-a-thon was? It was crazy
with people lined up in our lobby all day.
The staff decided it would be better if I laid
low, so they kept me safe and sound in an office with a window looking out to the lobby,
so I could watch it all unfold.
I watched 100 of my fellow fur-mates get adopted into
loving homes, all within 12 hours. Imagine that! That night
was pretty quiet as I trotted through the empty shelter. It was
a nice feeling knowing that the shelter was empty for the first
time in 164 years. But, don’t you worry, we are filled back
up again and the organized chaos that is the world I live in is
back to normal.
I’ll be honest with you. This is not Austin’s favorite time
of year. It’s kitten season. We’ve got kittens everywhere and
well, you know how moms can be around their little ones.
I tend to keep a low profile. We recently had a kitten
shower and many of you brought some great gifts. I’m in
charge of watching over all of that loot and I take my job
very seriously.
For all those kittens and their mommas we need small pet
beds for nursing, KMR - that’s kitten milk replacement - for
the poor little ones who either don’t have a momma or can’t
nurse properly - it’s important stuff.
We also always need toys, both for our cats and our dogs.
Our dogs are lucky to have great staff and volunteers who
make sure they get out for plenty of exercise and fun, but toys
in their kennels keep them busy and less stressed all day long.
The kennel floors can be cold and hard, so it’s nice if the
doggies have comfy beds to curl up in, so if you are so inclined, you might consider dropping off a nice big dog bed.
We can always use them.
So please stop by anytime and drop off a little donation.
I’ll be the handsome orange tiger and I’ll make sure that your
generous donation gets to exactly the right cat or dog. And,
perhaps, if I’m in the mood, I’ll nuzzle your ankles. Austin
6
‘101 Lives Saved’ continued from page 3
BHS staff take
a team photo,
celebrating the
success of their
first mega
adoption event.
day.”
The adoption event featured kid-friendly activities and delicious whoopie pies donated by Governor’s Restaurant to keep potential adopters busy
while they waited to visit with a furry friend. The
transfer puppies were all adopted by 11 a.m. and
all adult dogs were adopted by 5 p.m on Friday.
Additionally, the event provided an opportunity for some of the long-term residents to finally
find their match. Like, Lexi, the six-year- old extremely shy Australian Cattledog, who needed a
patient and quiet home. Or, Otis, the handsome
one-year-old Doberman/Boxer mix, who needed
an experienced home willing to train. And, Buddy,
the four-year-old Hound mix who needed a committed and active home. Then, there was Abbey, a
two-year-old Torti who had been awaiting adoption off-site at PetQuarters for over three months.
The event not only resulted in over 100 animals
finding new homes, but in also finding their perfect match that would help ensure the adoption’s
long-term success.
The success of the event triggered an outpouring of support from within the local community
and nationwide. Shelters and animal welfare advocates from across the globe have called, emailed
and posted messages of “congratulations” on the
agency’s Facebook page, along with just as many,
“how did you do its” to “can we transfer some of
our adoptable pets now that you have room?”
The secret to the success of this event is no
secret at all. It took a lot of planning, a team of
twenty hardworking and passionate staff and local
veterinarians, twenty-five motivated and enthusiastic volunteers, in addition to some grant dollars to
help fund the veterinary and marketing costs for
promoting the event. Most importantly, it took a
community who showed up at 8 a.m. on March
30th to open their minds and hearts to pet adoption.
For staff, the highlight of the event occurred at
12:30 p.m. on March 31st, when the last animal
was adopted. Staff each took a moment to walk
through the empty shelter (the first time in the 164year history) to hear the silence and feel the pride
of knowing that every animal was in a warm and
loving home.
“This event far exceeded our expectations,”
says Suzan Bell, Executive Director. “I just want
to thank the community for their support. Personally, I am overwhelmed. March 31, 2012 was the
best day in the history of the Bangor Humane Society, as far as I’m concerned.”
BHS staff members,
Sonia Boissonneault
and Kimberly
Patterson pose with
the ‘adoption countdown board,’ after
the 101st adoption
was completed.
7
‘Temporary Home’ Continued from page 5
40 cats, 269 kittens, 9 dogs, 8 puppies and 11 rabbits.
That’s 337 more lives saved!
Kathy and Bruce Black were one of the very first BHS
foster families and have become an integral part of the
BHS team. “Fostering is our way of helping the many
homeless animals while supporting the BHS mission and
the tireless work of the BHS staff,” say Kathy and Bruce.
“We have been so blessed to love hundreds of animals in
our home, and we don’t even have to pay their rent!”
hile these volunteers provide much needed offsite support, they are not alone. After a brief
application process, which includes an orientation and home visit, they receive ongoing advice and support from BHS staff. All expenses, including supplies and
veterinary care, are provided by BHS. The foster parents
then add a quiet environment with a lot of love and nurturing.
Diane Paine and her husband became foster parents
over a year ago when a friend at work told her that BHS
desperately needed foster homes for dozens of kittens.
“I asked my friend more questions and by the end of
the week I had an interview appointment to become a
foster parent,” says Diane. “We had our first two foster
kittens within the week. We have found fostering to be
one of the most rewarding things we have ever done. It is
something that brings both of us so much joy.”
Summer is always a challenging time of year, as we
struggle to manage the huge influx of animals that look to
BHS for help. Without our dedicated and compassionate
volunteers, we would not be able to celebrate all of the
W
Shelter Highlights & Events
Rollie, a three- year-old Pitbull,
receiving physical therapy for his
knee in foster care.
successes that occur
daily at BHS. Each of
our foster parents have
become a core part of
our BHS team. Each
year, they are right there
with us to witness firsthand how their support
helps us bear the burden
of the many animals in
need that come to us.
Last summer’s challenges were compounded by additional stressors; including Upper Respitory Infection,
Kennel Cough, Coccidia, Heartworm, Ringworm, and
Failure to Thrive, to name a few.
But our fosters met these challenges once again with
their fierce dedication and compassion. Foster care certainly saves lives. With the help of our volunteer foster
family, we were able to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds once again.
This year, we look optimistically ahead to the summer
with goals to find more foster homes for our special
needs dogs and increase kitten adoptions directly from
our foster homes to help eliminate their exposure to shelter stress. Lastly, we seek to expand our growing foster
family, so together, we can save more lives.
With heartfelt gratitude, we thank our current foster
families for helping us save more lives.
To learn more about fostering, visit our website for
qualifications and details on the application process.
Facebook for a Cause
The community ‘showered’ our BHS cats and
kittens with lots of donated kitten food, litter,
toys, and other much needed “kitten season”
supplies, at our third annual Kitten Shower
Event on May 5th.
Margaritas Restaurant in Orono is donating 5% of
their dining proceeds to BHS during their Full
Moon Madness specials scheduled on April 6th,
May 3rd, and June 4th! Gracias Margaritas!
We have spayed/neutered over 240 cats in our
first six monthly feline clinics for low-income owners! And, our low-income voucher program
helped fix over 120 dogs and over 135 cats!
In a Downeast Dog News Reader’s poll, BHS
was voted “Best Maine Shelter!”
A big, “thank you” to Quirk Subaru who raised $1,139
to go towards pet food, during their 40-day Facebook
campaign. They donated $1 to the Bangor Humane
Society for every new Facebook ‘like” on their Quirk
Subaru page.
(From left to right: Tim Morin, Suzan Bell, Jack
Quirk, Stacey Coventry, and Steve Thomas)
8
‘Community Challenge’ Continued from page 1
regularly.
That is exactly why we entered. That is our goal every single
day at BHS: to show compassion for the pets that end up here, to
care for them and find them new, loving and forever homes.
Executive Director Suzan Bell says if we are fortunate
enough to win, the money would be used to develop and
strengthen community outreach programs, expand off-site adoption opportunities, grow our foster care family, and increase our
collaborative partnerships with community organizations to increase adoption opportunities for our pets. All things that better
the lives of our pet population and
What You Can Do to Help
give them better opportunities to
 Volunteer: We need individuals find homes.
who are available regularly to
We have a dedicated and detertrain as shelter volunteers or
adoption counselors.
mined team of staff and volunteers
 Spread the Word: Tell everyone ready to win the challenge. But we
you know what we are doing and
can’t do it alone. We need you, the
encourage them to visit and
adopt!
community, to join us.
 Adopt: If you are looking to
The challenge itself saves lives,
bring a new furry friend into the
family, consider adopting from
and that is something that resonates
BHS first!
long after the challenge is over. It
 Donate: We’ll need lots of rehas the ability to help place BHS as
sources, so make a monetary
donation or by donate items from the premier adoption facility in the
our wish list, available on our
community. In 2010, competing
website.
shelters increased saved lives by
7,362 over 2009. Last year, there were 8,977 additional lives
saved over 2010.
Our Guiding Principles

Treat all animals and people with respect,
dignity, and integrity.

Work diligently to end companion animal
overpopulation by increasing awareness of
spay and neuter programs.

Promote adoption of physically and
mentally healthy companion animals.

Educate and train caretakers to develop
fulfilling and lifelong relationships with their
companion animals.

Serve as responsible stewards of our
resources.

Hold ourselves to the highest standards of
safety, care, and cleanliness.

Raise public awareness with regard to the
humane treatment of animals.

Use euthanasia only as a last humane
option in the best interest of the animal.
Cruz thanks you for
your support!