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Midcoast Humane’s Edgecomb campus has reopened walk-in adoptions by appointment after three years of being a shed and animal care facility only. However, although interested families may enter the shelter for cat adoptions, the organization will continue to bring dogs to outdoor meetings. This decision comes after the interest of the community and the update of COVID-19 procedures.
“There are people out there who would love to go to their local shelter and I really want us to be able to do that for them,†said Midcoast Humane Acting Executive Director Jess Townsend. “When you bring people in one by one, and they have someone dedicated to them, and you use every possible precaution, it really makes sense to bring people in and meet the animals that interest them. “
Community Resources Manager Tammy Walsh said that since on-site adoptions reopened in November, the shelter has received excellent feedback from adopters.
End of 2018, the Edgecomb campus has stopped in-place adoption in favor of mobile events, to make adoption more accessible for the 40 cities served by Midcoast Humane. Trendy Stanchfield, the former executive director, explained to Lincoln County News that due to financial problems, the shelter had to choose between increasing the hours of operation or bringing animals closer to potential adopters.
During this time, the Edgecomb campus also welcomed pets from Brunswick Institution who needed a quieter environment or one-on-one time with staff. However, Brunswick head office plans to move to a new 24,000 square foot facility at Industrial Parkway next spring. This will improve the quality of housing and provide space for community services such as a public clinic and a training center. Townsend hopes similar improvements can one day be made to the Edgecomb campus.
This extra space also means that Midcoast Humane can re-evaluate the animals it sends between locations.
“Will these dogs (who need more calm) maybe do better (in Brunswick)? Will they get home faster? Can we send another type of dog to Edgecomb because we think they can get him home quickly? It’s really about looking at the assets at both locations and then working with your animal population with those assets in mind, â€Townsend said.
She added that Midcoast Humane tries to reduce unnecessary travel between facilities as it can be stressful for the animals. Midcoast Humane is also sending vets to Edgecomb instead of bringing pets to Brunswick Medical Center to accomplish this goal.
Besides adoption, Townsend and Walsh focused on other programs to help people keep their pets, including helping with medical problems, running rabies clinics in rural areas, and maintaining ‘a pantry for pets at both sites.
“Personally, I think the goal should be when we can help keep families together, we should. I love to start new families, we do it everyday with adoption. But if we can also keep a family together, that’s just as important, â€Townsend said.
The refuge at 27 Atlantic Highway, Edgecomb and is open Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Make an appointment at (207) 449-1366.
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