Maine Humane

10/14/2026

An amazing day is well underway in Orono at the HuMaine Conference 2026!!! Huge thanks to our sponsors and exhibitors, and to all the attendees for making the trek in from all over the state, as well as those who braved the rain last night to join the Yappy Hour at Bangor Humane Society!

Here’s to learning, connecting, networking, sharing and helping animals in Maine!

10/13/2026

October is here, and with the changes in season comes Halloween. Of course we have heard the superstition that ill-intentioned people do bad things to black cats in October, and go into shelters to adopt cats just to harm them.

Every animal welfare organization in Maine has a mission to keep animals, including cats, safe. However, the data just doesn't show that adopting out black cats in October is dangerous. In fact, what can pose more danger is making them wait in a kennel for longer than they need to, leading to stress and illness.

For example, our friends at the MSPCA in Massachusetts, through their law enforcement division, receive animal cruelty reports and tips from all over the state, and have never seen an uptick in reports of cruelty this time of year. Other national, local and regional groups report the same.

We understand that many folks feel passionately about this subject. We're confident that our many shelters and rescues statewide have great match-making processes with their adopters, and they are empowered to say no if something feels wrong. We all want to protect cats. Proactive solutions include more rigorous return-to -owner programs, affordable spay/neuter options, trap-neuter-return and cat colony management, and effectively addressing stray cats in our communities. These programs reduce the number of cats roaming at large- where they are at most risk.

Let's advocate for happy cat adoptions year round- allowing us to help more cats in Maine who need us!

Every year in October, as Halloween approaches, black cats find themselves at the center of many myths and misconceptions. So what does the data tell us?

10/12/2026

This is a busy week, with the HuMaine Conference, MACA training in Augusta, and the feral cat spay/neuter day on Friday!

Today kicks off Feral Cat Awareness Month, and this one is especially close to our hearts.

A while back, we had what felt like a completely crazy idea: What if we could spay/neuter 30
community cats in ONE day?

We already had the cats. The need was absolutely there. What we didn’t have was the funding—or any idea if a day this big was even possible.

For perspective, 50 cats is more than Cat Life Maine has ever completed in an entire month. Our record is 41. We originally thought maybe we could push ourselves and do 30 in one day. But we couldn’t do it without our partner PALS Low-Cost Feline Veterinary Service or PALS No-Kill Cat Shelter

Then Monique at P.A.L.S. said, basically, “Why not 50?”

And somehow, that crazy idea became a real plan.

On October 16, 2026, in honor of Alley Cat Allies’ National Feral Cat Day, P.A.L.S. and Cat Life Maine will come together with an incredible team to complete:

50 cats.
50 ear tips.
50 surgeries.
ONE DAY.

We cannot say this strongly enough: this would not be possible without P.A.L.S. Their team believed in this idea, built the medical plan, opened their clinic and mobile unit to make it possible, and said yes to something much bigger than any of us had attempted before.

Then the ask for trappers and plan for surgery recovery and holding.

And then our sponsors stepped up.

Because of the generosity of Best Friends Network, IDEXX, Maine Humane, Boehringer Ingelheim, Petco Love, and Shelterluv, and another sponsor we are excited to name soon, these cats will receive the preventive care they need while helping us make an impact that reaches far beyond a single day.

We’re also incredibly grateful to Michael Lloyd of Camp Emmett and Laurie & Dave Mountain's for joining us in this effort.

This is what collaboration looks like.

This is what prevention looks like.

And this is exactly what we mean when we say:

Working together to make the invisible, visible.

October 16 is going to be a very big day. 💜🐾

10/12/2026

Conference week is here! Consider this your last reminder to get your ticket if you haven't already- Wednesday's conference in Orono will be a fantastic day of learning, sharing, networking and connecting.

If you're headed into town the evening before, please join us at the Bangor Humane Society for a relaxed Yappy Hour- get a tour of the shelter, win a door prize, meet other attendees and find a dinner companion- we'd love to see you there!

Don't have your ticket yet? Click the link in the comments.

10/11/2026

We want to send heartfelt thanks to Mr. Drew and His Animals Too for all he has done to help animals and raise awareness about exotics, for the past many years. We are deeply sorry to learn that his Poland location will close but glad that ongoing educational opportunities will still be available.

Unfortunately, this sad situation is a visible example of how the animal welfare field in Maine is struggling. A difficult economy hits our non-profit organizations on both ends- a decrease in donations, and an increase in the number and types of animals needing more support.

Across Maine, we need more animal welfare organizations to address the need, not fewer. If you are able, please consider supporting any of the wonderful organizations doing the good work of helping animals and the families who love them.

Owner Drew Desjardins made the announcement in a Facebook post Wednesday.

10/10/2026

Sponsor Spotlight Saturday! We're so thankful to have Humane World for Animals join us as a Pet Pal Sponsor for the HuMaine Conference 2026! In additional to their worldwide animal protection work, they are active here in Maine on a variety of fronts, and their State Director, Katie Hansberry, currently serves as the Maine Humane Board President.

Visit their table, along with our other pawsome sponsors and exhibitors during the day-long conference this coming Wednesday! Tickets are still available- click the link in the comments and join us for a great day of compassion, collaboration, and learning for animals.

10/09/2026

Check out MH Vice President, Jess Townsend, featured in an episode of Doobert.com's Top Dog Podcast! You can meet folks from Doobert at the HuMaine Conference next Wednesday in Orono!!

Animal welfare is a marathon, not a sprint. And building a sustainable future starts with taking care of the people doing the work.

In this episode of the Top Dog Podcast, Jess Townsend, Executive Director of Midcoast Humane, reflects on more than 20 years in animal welfare and the challenges of serving 39 towns across Midcoast Maine.

Jess discusses the realities of working in a rural and geographically diverse region, where access to veterinary care, housing, and other essential resources can be limited. She also explains why many challenges facing pets are connected to broader issues such as job insecurity and housing instability.

From operating a pet food pantry to supporting families through intake diversion, Midcoast Humane works to address the needs of both animals and the people who care for them.

Jess also opens up about burnout, compassion fatigue, and the importance of recognizing progress instead of focusing only on what remains unfinished. Her leadership philosophy emphasizes celebrating successes, maintaining perspective, and creating a healthier pace for the long term.

Because meaningful change in animal welfare requires dedication, but it also requires leaders and teams who have the space to rest and continue.

🎧 Watch or listen to the full episode here:

https://doobert.com/jess-townsend-the-case-for-pacing-yourself-in-animal-welfare/

📅 New episodes drop every Tuesday and Thursday, featuring powerful conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

10/07/2026

We're thrilled to be representing animal welfare at the Maine Municipal Association conference in Augusta today and tomorrow! Meeting new folks, hearing about animal related challenges, and talking animal control with friends new and seasoned! Great to see fellow Animal Welfare Advisory Council member Kim McLaughlin, who represents municipalities on the Council!

10/06/2026

Conference exhibitor update! We're excited to share that Trupanion has joined us as an exhibitor for the HuMaine Conference, coming up on Wednesday the 14th in Orono!

During the conference there will be ample opportunity for attendees to meet, connect with, and learn about our fantastic exhibitors and sponsors! Trupanion joins Doobert.com, Maine Friends of Animals, Maine Chinchilla Shelter, Mainely Rat Rescue, Rhode Island Parrot Rescue Maine Branch, and Cat Life Maine Inc. as the exhibitors who will be with us all day in the main ballroom.

Don't have your ticket yet? There are still some available so snag yours today by clicking the link in the comments!

10/05/2026

The Shelter Animals Count mid year data is out! How do these national trends compare to what you are seeing at your local organization here in Maine? For all the Maine shelters and rescues, if you aren't currently reporting your data to this organization, please consider doing so! We want all the good work for animals across our state included in this data!

Overall, cat intake has ticked upwards, but so have cat adoptions, hitting the highest mid year total in over a decade. Dog intakes remain high, while adoptions remain sluggish. Overall, more animals entered facilities than left, increasing the overall number in care across the country.

See their report for more details and trends.

The 2026 Mid-Year Data Summary from Shelter Animals Count is now live, featuring our new, interactive Mid-Year Data Explorer.

Dive into the analysis of the first half of 2026 - and more than a decade of sheltering data - where you can customize views by organization type, species, region, and age group to discover trends that matter to your community.

Key findings from the first half of 2026:

- 3.7 million cats and dogs entered shelters and rescues, up 72,000 animals (+2.0%) from the same time last year.

- Cats drove nearly all the increase, with cat intake up 59,000 animals (+3.5%) compared to 2025.

- Cat adoptions reached 1 million, the highest mid-year total in more than a decade and 117,000 higher than 2016.

- Dog adoptions totaled 1.1 million, but remain 72,000 below 2016 levels, leaving more adult dogs waiting for homes.

- More animals entered care than left it, resulting in a net increase of 213,000 animals in shelter populations through mid-year.

- Kitten season continues to challenge shelters, with 674,000 kittens entering care in the first half of 2026.

Looking ahead, SAC projects 7.4 million cats and dogs will enter shelters and rescues by year's end.

Explore the full report and discover what the data can tell you about your organization and your community at https://www.shelteranimalscount.org/2026-mid-year-report/.