Bangor Humane Society helps animals in need

Latest TWCares recipient fights for the rights of our four-legged friends

What if pets never got lost, abandoned, or mistreated? What if everyone treated their pets like they were family members and not pieces of property? What if everyone had enough money to give their pets the care they need?

Then we wouldn't need places like the Bangor Humane Society.

Unfortunately, all these “what ifs” aren't true, so the Bangor Humane Society (BHS) and animal shelters like it are needed to care for animals when they can't fend for themselves. The BHS is the largest animal shelter in Maine, both in terms of the number of animals they care for and the geographic area they serve. They're also the only animal shelter in the state with an in-house veterinary clinic, with a veterinarian on staff and on-call 24/7.

Largely because of that veterinary clinic, BHS receives 75% of Maine's animal seizures. Animals get dropped off at shelters for several reasons. A new child, moving to a place that doesn't allow pets, the death of an owner, or the owner simply not being able to care for the pet are just a few. Seizures are another reason — one that is growing, especially in rural parts of Maine where "backyard breeders" are common.

Seizures typically are of animals living in extremely poor conditions, and can involve large numbers of animals arriving at the shelter at once. In 2005, state humane agents seized 92 Springer Spaniels from two men who were breeding them in their home. The house was caked with urine and feces, and the animals were infested with parasites and underfed. All 92 dogs were taken to the BHS, bathed, and vet checked. About half the dogs were shipped to other shelters, but 42 of them stayed at the BHS for 95 days. At $12.40 per dog per day (BHS estimate), that's nearly $50,000 of unexpected expenses for the shelter, added to the cost of treating all 92 dogs when they were first taken in.

More recently, 20 dogs were rescued from a Topsfield home where the animals were living inhumanely. Severe matting limited their movement and in some cases covered their eyes so they couldn't see. The owner of the dogs is appealing the seizure and the animals can't be adopted out while legal action is pending. That has been going on for over 7 months and will likely continue for several more. In the meantime the animals have been at the BHS or in foster homes, costing the shelter about $45,000. The state can only afford to reimburse about 30% of that cost.

Cases like these are reported every year, but they aren't too common. The animals from such cases only account for a fraction of the total the BHS sees. The shelter has taken in 320 animals from seizures in the past three years. These stories draw media attention and raise public awareness for the shelter's needs, but it's the smaller, everyday cases that can add up quickly. “You take in six or eight cats, it doesn't seem like much to anybody else, but when you think about the board and care, it's $300 a month per cat,” says Mitchell.

BHS Executive Director Jeff Mitchell.

Caring for an animal can be an expensive endeavor, as any pet owner can attest. But when you're caring for 5,000 pets, the costs can be staggering. Despite the shelter's size, it remains a non-profit organization, which means it receives no local, state, or federal funding. “Costs to run the shelter just go through the roof,” says Jeff Mitchell, Executive Director at BHS. "There's more vet time, there's more medication, there's more food, there's more volunteer time, there's more everything.”

"We're never going to be able to earn our way into a comfortable situation financially," says Mitchell. "We're always going to have to be asking for money, and more money every year."

In addition to the financial cost, it takes thousands of man-hours to care for these animals. Over 100 volunteers assist the 22 full- and part-time staff members at the BHS. Mitchell says that is essential to the shelter. “We wouldn't be able to function without our volunteers. We wouldn't be here.”

Time Warner Cable chose the BHS as its latest TWCares recipient for their never-ending work helping animals in need. This award is given to non-profit organizations that make a difference in their community. The winner receives a monetary donation as well as the production and air time of a television spot. To apply for TWCares, go to www.twcares.com.

What if there was no Bangor Humane Society? With your help, hopefully we'll never find out.