The Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland will be joining a national campaign to “clear the shelters” this Saturday, Aug. 15. The event will bring in animals from a number of other local shelters.
The shelter, on Stroudwater Street in Westbrook, will have more than 150 animals available for adoption between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, without a set adoption fee. According to a press release from the shelter, adopters can name their own donation fee.
The event is sponsored nationally by NBC and regionally by New England Cable News. Cats, dogs, bunnies and other animals will be available for adoption on a first come-first serve basis. The Westbrook shelter is expecting a large turnout.
Patsy Murphy, the executive director of the Animal Refuge League, said Monday that the event raises awareness for shelters, which are a constant source of adoptable pets.
“We are very excited to participate in this national event to raise the awareness and availability of shelter animals as loving companions and fantastic family pets,” she said.
Murphy added that the summer months are often a busy time for shelters.
“We decided to participate in NBC/Telemundo’s Clear the Shelter event because summer is our busy season, from strays to owner surrenders,” she said.
All adoption fees will be based on what the adopter chooses to donate – no animals will be adopted for zero dollars.
The press release also asks the public to expect a longer timeframe, from meeting an animal to finalizing the adoption paperwork, due to the expected attendance.
Murphy said Monday that for “Clear the Shelters,” the ARL is working with smaller shelters elsewhere to take in a large number of animals, pulling them from “at-risk” lists and locations. She said events like this can give animals exposure to a larger community.
“More importantly, we have the privilege of being located in Greater Portland with lots of community support but we wanted to do something big to help out other shelter locations that don’t have the visitor foot traffic that we do,” Murphy said.
So far this year, she said, the Animal Refuge League has received more than 700 cats and kittens from other Maine shelters and rescues.
“So even though this event is happening in Westbrook, we really are making a difference for all animals in shelters across Maine,” she said.
Jeana Roth, the communications manager for the Animal Refuge League, said the organization regularly receives the most animals from the Waterville Humane Society, Halfway Home Pet Rescue in Caribou and PAWS in Milo, “to assist them with their overcrowded animal population.”
This year, 400 of the 700 cats from other shelters came from these three shelters.
“We are fortunate to live in a community that wholeheartedly supports adoption,” she said. “When we can help other areas of our state, where spay/neuter programs aren’t as strong and shelters are over-crowded, it’s a win-win for all.”
Murphy said the event highlights the importance of spay-neuter for population control. The Animal Refuge League offers a clinic for low-cost spay and neuter services to income-eligible community members.
The Animal Refuge League has also been closing in on the end of a $6.5 million fundraising campaign toward a new building. According to the organization’s website, it has raised $5.1 million.
Construction on the project, a 25,000-square-foot facility, is expected to begin in September. Murphy said crews from R.J. Grondin & Sons will most likely start the ground-clearing site work this week. She said she’s hoping for an “official” groundbreaking ceremony in September.
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