The
Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals (MSSPA) had a very successful
“Buy a Bale” fundraising campaign this year, raising $103,700. “Buy a Bale” is
just one of the ways the community can support MSSPA, New England’s largest
horse shelter.
The
facility on River Road houses the main operations for MSSPA. It was built in
1972, starting with six stalls, according to president and chairman of the
board, Marilyn Goodreau, who has been part of the organization since that time.
“It became evident that there were a lot more horses than were going to fill
the six stalls, so in 1989-90 we built the big building,” she said. Currently
the River Road facility can house up to 45 horses.
With
foster care and other donated space, the organization has had as many as 90
animals in their care at once, added CEO Meris J. Bickford. Currently, their
head count is 57 animals.
“We
have structured ourselves in a way that we can expand and contract our capacity
as we need to,” said Bickford.
MSSPA
was originally founded in the city of Portland in 1872 said Bickford, with a
primary mission of providing after service care for the horses that pulled fire
engines and streetcars in the City of Portland. When the need for these horses
became obsolete with the advent of the gasoline engine, the organization faded,
but in 1972 Lawrence J. Keddy became the president, and wanted to do more. His
personal generosity and hard work revived the Society and helped shape it into
the thriving organization it is today.
The
Society receives animals when law enforcement officials in the state have investigated
abuse/neglect complaints and seized the horses from their owners. “The state
doesn’t operate any animal shelters,” said Bickford. “They have no place to put
them.” That’s where the Society comes in.
Horses
at River Road receive top notch care, provided by a mixture of paid staff, a
robust volunteer program, and inmate labor from the prison across the road. The
property spans 124 acres, providing enough turnout space so every horse can go
out for part of each day unless there is a medical reason preventing this
Bickford said.
The
Society uses 20,000 bales of hay per year to feed the animals they care for. About
half is made from their own hay on the property, with the rest being purchased.
Funds raised from the Buy A Bale program pays for making and buying this hay. Each
year, their budget for hay is approximately $100,000. This year’s campaign
exceeded that goal with tremendous support from the community.
“Windham
is a wonderful community for us to be located in,” said Bickford. “We get a lot
of support from the businesses and individuals here.” The Society is also
active with humane education in the schools in Windham, making presentations
and sometimes taking a horse to school. School groups often do some fundraising
for the Society as well. This year, for example, the Manchester School fifth
graders did a “Hearts for MSSPA Horses” campaign and raised over $500, said
Bickford.
Before
and after photos of horses posted in the barn clearly illustrate the difference
the Society makes to these animals. Their goal is to rehabilitate the horses,
train them if needed, and find them a permanent home. They have been quite
successful in this goal, said Bickford. In the last twelve months,
approximately eight horses have been placed. Finding homes can be tricky,
considering that a horse is an expensive proposition. A basic yearly budget to
care for a horse is estimated at $3,000/year, and that doesn’t account for any
emergencies or health issues that may arise.
MSSPA
is a no kill shelter. “The only time animals are euthanized here is when there
is a medical necessity that it takes place because they have incurable
suffering,” said Bickford. “Otherwise we tend to spare no expense in terms of
getting them what they need to make sure that they recover as fully as
possible. Those that can’t be adopted out remain here for the balance of their
natural lives.”
The
annual budget for MSSPA is around a million dollars per year, and the
organization receives no government funding. The Society is a 501(c)(3) public
charity, and receives funding from membership dues, donations from individuals
and businesses, grant funding, and fundraising efforts including Buy A Bale,
and a Support a Stall program, which allows someone to donate on a regular
basis and have a stall in the stable designated as “theirs”. This allows people
to build a relationship with the animals at the facility, and is a great option
for someone who doesn’t have the capacity to adopt, but wants to help in an
ongoing way. “If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a metropolis to
run a horse rescue facility,” said Bickford.
The
facility is open to the public daily, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. from June through August,
and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. the remainder of the year. There is no admission cost, and
the public is welcome to bring a picnic lunch, walk the property and see the
animals. Anyone over the age of 16 can volunteer at the facility, and younger
volunteers are allowed with a parent/guardian. For more information on the
Society, visit www.msspa.org or call 892-3040.
The Fisherman’s Catch in Raymond is the
home to a very rare visitor these days. Joining the usual greenish-brown
lobsters in the tank is what appears to be one that has already been cooked.
Owner Bill Coppersmith, Jr. explained that the coloring is due to a rare
genetic defect that turns the shell bright orange. 
The lobster was caught off Casco Bay by
Coppersmith, Sr. on Wednesday and he quickly sent his son a picture message to
see if he would be interested in displaying it at the store which Coppersmith
took over about six years ago. Coppersmith agreed and for the past week the
lobster has been on display for visitors to come see. It will be there for the
next few weeks. 
A roughly 1 in 30 million catch,
Coppersmith joked that he’d “rather win that in a lottery ticket than a
lobster”. This particular lobster
however has its own fair share of luck; instead of becoming someone’s dinner he
will be returned to deep water and released after a few more weeks at the
Fisherman’s Catch on Route 302 in Raymond at the A-frame. . 
