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| Addison is a 3-year-old female domestic cat available for adoption at the HART Adoption Center & Shelter for cats. COURTESY PHOTO, HART OF MAINE |
Since 1997,
the Homeless Animal Rescue Team (HART) of Maine has placed about 10,000 cats in
adoptive homes, averaging about 500 adoptions per year.
HART of
Maine is a feline only shelter located in Cumberland and Operations Director
Andy Hanna said their main goals are to provide medical care and comfort and a
healthy place for cats to live temporarily until an adoptive home is found.
The HART of
Maine shelter got its start on Long Island, New York, Hanna said. A woman there
had taken in about 100 feral cats, and in 1997, she moved all of those cats to
a renovated barn in Cumberland and started HART of Maine right down the road
from where the current shelter stands.
At that
time, the shelter was entirely run by volunteers. In 2004, those volunteers pulled together
resources and funding to build the building located at 302 Range Road, Hanna
said.
The shelter
is still primarily run by volunteers, with only two paid staff members, the
Operations Director and the Medical Manager.
Hanna said
the shelter takes in cats surrendered by their owners and helps rescue
operations both in Maine and out of state whose areas are overpopulated find
those cats homes as well. The shelter has space for 85 to 100 cats, and kittens
live in foster homes, rather than at the shelter.
“Their
immune systems won’t support them living here and exposing them to all of the
things that happen in the shelter would be really detrimental,” Hanna said.
At the
current time, HART of Maine has 168 cats, with about half in the shelter and
the other half in foster homes.
The need for
foster homes is currently met, Hanna said, but they are working to create long
term medical care foster homes, which would provide a home environment while
HART of Maine provided the mediation and medical care. The hope, Hanna said, is that getting these
cats out of the shelter environment will allow their conditions to improve,
which will help them become more adoptable.
The biggest
need that the shelter has, Hanna said, is monetary donations. Because they do
not have town or county contracts, all funding comes from donations from
individuals, foundations, or businesses.
Physical
donations are also welcome and there is a link to their Amazon Wish List on
their website, where people can purchase needed items for the shelter.
Canned food
is always a big need, Hanna said, and donations can also be dropped off on the shelter
porch. Details about what they are able to accept during the COVID pandemic are
on the website.
Donations
they receive that can’t be used in the shelter are passed along to rescue
partners in the state who may not have the same outreach capabilities as HART
of Maine.
“It’s really
nice to be able to give to those folks as well,” Hanna said.
Two other
unique ways to support the shelter include their Sponsorship program, where for
$15 per month or $150 annually, a person can sponsor a cat at the shelter, and
the Cars for Kitties vehicle donation program.
HART of Maine is a 501©3 non-profit corporation, so donations are tax
deductible.
The shelter
can always use volunteers as well, especially those interested in transporting
cats to medical appointments. Currently,
there are a couple of days when cleaners are needed, and some other volunteer
administrative tasks, Hanna said. All
volunteer needs can be found on the website.
Those
looking to adopt a cat can visit the website to look at available cats and
complete the online application.
Currently, adoptions are by appointment only because of social
distancing restrictions.
“They have
to have an appointment. We will turn folks away if they don’t have one,” Hanna
said.
Anyone coming
for an adoption appointment should be ready to take a cat home with them, he said.
The fees to
adopt are $160 for kittens up to 6 months old; $95 for young adults from 6
months up to 5 years old; $80 for adults ages 5 to 10 years; $50 for seniors ages
10 to 15 and for special needs adults; and a donation for seniors ages 15 years
and older. The adoption fee is non-refundable.
According to
Hanna, supporting the shelter by following their social media accounts on
Facebook and Instagram and helping let others know about them is also appreciated.
For more
information about the HART of Maine shelter and other different ways to help,
visit https://www.hartofme.org/ <
