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Katie D. Lisnik is executive director of Maine Humane.
Many Mainers have seen media coverage of a cat tied in a garbage bag and thrown into a dumpster at the Bingham Transfer Station. The town of Bigham rightly noted that, “human decency and basic compassion should have guided you to a completely different choice.”
Fortunately, the cat was noticed and rescued quickly by transfer station staff (thank you for your diligence and compassion), but this story could have had a much more horrific ending.
While there is no excuse for this action, and the person responsible should be held fully accountable if found, it highlights a broader trend across Maine that we must recognize and address.
During economic downturns, animal shelters and rescues find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place. The numbers of stray and surrendered animals rise as people are no longer able to afford their care. Additionally, animals entering organizations across Maine are in poorer health because families cannot afford necessary veterinary care or nutritious food. Consequently, demand for limited programs to help struggling families such as pet food pantries and low-cost, subsidized veterinary care skyrockets, quickly outpacing the resources available.
At the same time, organizations struggle with the impact of decreasing donor support, as well as slowdowns in adoptions. This leads to shelters trying to do more with less as animals stay longer in shelters and foster homes, waiting for a family to adopt them. Financial constraints coupled with the increased number of animals needing to come into the organization, result in shelters and rescues being unable to meet community needs. When kennels and foster homes are full, organizations face the conundrum of either taking in more animals than they can reasonably care for, or having to say “not now” when requests roll in.
None of these outcomes are what the animal welfare field across Maine wants to see, but it is the current reality.
So what can help right now?
Plan and prepare. Please don’t wait until the last minute to attempt to find a place for an animal you cannot keep. Providing more notice will help ensure that an organization will be able to help you in a timely manner. If organizations cannot assist you in the exact manner you request, please do not threaten the animal’s safety to manipulate the outcome.
Explore the options that exist to help you keep your pet. Maine Humane’s calendar lists all the low-cost spay/neuter clinics and vaccine clinics across the state that we are aware of. Utilize these resources to help keep your pets healthy when dollars are pinched.
Please make an effort to get your pets spayed or neutered. Prevention is key and the only thing that will truly solve these issues is fewer animals needing help.
Treat shelter and rescue staff and volunteers with the compassion and empathy you expect from them.
Support your shelter and rescue in any way you can. Whether it be a financial gift, a donation of some needed supplies, time spent volunteering, or becoming a foster home to provide a needy animal a safe place, all support is appreciated and makes a big difference.
Spread the word. Talk to pet owners you know, share social posts from organizations you follow, and encourage folks to seek help early
If you are witness to neglect or cruelty, report it to your animal control officer and the Maine Animal Welfare Program. If you hear someone threatening to do something, speak up for that animal.
We know that Mainers love animals and want to see them protected. The issues we are dealing with are big and complex, from economic challenges, housing insecurity, veterinary deserts and more. The only way we will see things improve is through better communication, planning, collaboration and support. Let’s seek to understand, and find ways that animals can get the help they need without breaking a field stretched to its limit.