BRUNSWICK
The Coastal Humane Society is seeking help from the public to finish the Rachael Ray/ASPCA $100,000 Challenge that ends Sunday.
Coastal’s four-day “Funtastic Fifty Dollar Adoptions” began Thursday. Cats that are 6 months and older are fee-waived.
If the shelter successfully places 100 animals in homes before the end of the month, the organization will be eligible to receive additional grant money from the ASPCA.
The Challenge, a contest among 50 shelters nationwide to save more lives, began on June 1. Coastal Humane Society is the only shelter from New England that was invited to compete by the ASPCA.
Coastal Humane placed first in its division in both June and July, but the shelter closed for two weeks due to a case of ringworm in five puppies saved from euthanasia in an Alabama shelter. The quarantine was lifted only one week before the conclusion of the Challenge period. The shelter credits infectious-disease protocols developed by Shelter Veterinarian Mandie Wehr for the quick reopening.
“The quarantine has effectively eliminated us from competing for the $100,000 grant award, but we hope our communities will once again rally behind us so we can find homes for another 100 animals before the end of the Challenge,” said Wehr, who is also director of shelter operations.
“Despite the obstacles, we have had a fantastic summer,” noted Interim Executive Director Mary Fifield. “The support we have received from the community has been overwhelming. So many people have opened their homes to animals in need. People in our area are as passionate as we are about finding homes for shelter pets. It’s been a very heartening experience for all of us.”
The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less