World Spay Day Fundraiser for Berwick
Donation protected
In honor of World Spay Day which is February 25, Berwick Animal Shelter, located at Red Barn in Berwick, ME, is running a 6 day fundraising effort to help cover the veterinary costs associated with caring for the Berwick stray animals. In Berwick alone the number of stray and feral cats needing neutering and homes continues to rise, going up over 200% last year alone with this year proving to be even more concerning. It doesn't take long to create a very unmanageable situation even starting with as few as two un-neutered cats. Last year Berwick Animal Shelter assisted the Berwick Police Department when they were faced with one residence with 40 cats. That situation had started less than two years prior with just two un-neutered cats. The results were overwhelming for the family, the neighbors and the impact on the Berwick Animal Shelter was ultimately thousands and thousands of dollars. Fortunately the community (and beyond) provided a lot of support by donating supplies and financial contributions but the cats keep coming and funds run short. Kitten season, which comes every summer, will bring with it another overwhelming need.
Last week Berwick Animal Shelter sadly lost this sweet, gentle female cat that came to us last summer from downtown Berwick. She'd been given away by someone who'd let her have several litters, and gave her away without getting her spayed. She continued to have litters, roaming and scrapping to survive with litter after litter. A concerned resident brought her to us and less than 24hrs she had yet another litter, her last ones barely 8 weeks old. After spending 8 weeks with a great foster family, the kittens were all adopted. We had her neutered but she was older and her recovery was slow. She stayed with us for quite some time as she continued to convalesce. Last week she was diagnosed as having a very large mass in a kidney that was untreatable and sadly she had to be euthanized. She is the worst case example of an animal that lives a very unfair, painful existence because she was not neutered. In her memory, make a donation to prevent similar sad stories.
Please note that because we are co-located with our Red Barn business (which covers most overhead and labor costs for the Shelter) we have not been approved for 501c3 status. We continue to engage in conversations with Berwick selectmen about looking for a separate location but the resources needed to do so have been cost prohibitive. We are considering a larger capital campaign in the future.
Last week Berwick Animal Shelter sadly lost this sweet, gentle female cat that came to us last summer from downtown Berwick. She'd been given away by someone who'd let her have several litters, and gave her away without getting her spayed. She continued to have litters, roaming and scrapping to survive with litter after litter. A concerned resident brought her to us and less than 24hrs she had yet another litter, her last ones barely 8 weeks old. After spending 8 weeks with a great foster family, the kittens were all adopted. We had her neutered but she was older and her recovery was slow. She stayed with us for quite some time as she continued to convalesce. Last week she was diagnosed as having a very large mass in a kidney that was untreatable and sadly she had to be euthanized. She is the worst case example of an animal that lives a very unfair, painful existence because she was not neutered. In her memory, make a donation to prevent similar sad stories.
Please note that because we are co-located with our Red Barn business (which covers most overhead and labor costs for the Shelter) we have not been approved for 501c3 status. We continue to engage in conversations with Berwick selectmen about looking for a separate location but the resources needed to do so have been cost prohibitive. We are considering a larger capital campaign in the future.
Organiser
Peg Wheeler
Organiser
Berwick, ME
