It’s purr-fect. The Homeless Animal Rescue Team (HART) is a cat-only shelter in Cumberland whose mission is to provide cats with medical care and eventually to rehome them.
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| Cats up for adoption at the HART shelter in Cumberland include Dominic, a black and white male, and Winter, an all-white female. PHOTO BY CARLINE ASLANI |
The cats come from all over but a “bulk of them are from local surrenders” says Andy Hanna, Operations Director at HART.
Hanna says that strays are occasional, as are arrivals from other shelters in the state, some from as far away as Fort Kent. HART offers a great diabetic program, so on occasion they take in cats suffering from this disease.
A few of the HART cats come from states such as New Hampshire, Arkansas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and sometimes Puerto Rico. HART has agreements with shelters in these states to take in cats when they are at capacity.
“We can be particular about who we work with because our capacity is comfortably 85,” says Hanna. “This is due to the regulation which states that 18 square feet per cat is adequate space.”
There are other cats that are being cared for off-site as well.
HART’s foster program is great because the cats get the care they need “in a more home-like environment” says HART Board of Directors member and Development Committee Co-Chair, Janine Giustina.
A unique way to foster a cat with HART is through the “Seniors to Seniors” program where older cats are paired with elderly humans. Often these cats go to seniors on limited income. HART will pay the medical bills and provide constant checkups for the cats, but the animals get to live happily in loving and caring homes.
“Seniors may not be able to afford the care but love the cats,” Hanna said.
Cats need to be 5 months old to be accepted by the shelter due to its inability to vaccinate, so they are kept in volunteers’ homes. Foster parents raise the kittens and once they are big enough, HART can take them into the shelter and adopt them out.
This kitten-fostering program is very popular and there tends to be enough help. HART is always looking for volunteers to help clean the cat rooms, oversee well-being of cats, serve on committees, fundraise, help at events, or provide administrative tasks.
With only three paid staff at the shelter, volunteers are “really what keeps us going,” says Hanna.
He said that it takes eight or nine people a day just to clean the facility.
HART’s Board Directors are all volunteers.
“People use their skills for good,” Giustina said. She decided to volunteer because she wanted to give back to Cumberland and the surrounding area.
One volunteer who has experience with graphic design recently reconstructed the organization’s website and Giustina says the goal is to “reach and attract people to our mission.”
That mission, of course, is to make sure the cats are healthy, cared for, and ready for adoption. Already this year, HART has facilitated the adoption of just over 100 cats. On average, about 35 to 50 cats a month find their new homes through HART.
Giustina said that there is a vetting process for those interested in adopting cats.
“We don’t want to see the cats come back,” she said. HART contacts a prospective adopter’s current veterinarian and landlord/property manager to make sure the cats will be able to stay in these loving homes. HART will always take a cat back, however, if it proves to not be a good fit.
Adoption for these cats is not always simple. Usually, basic medical procedures consist of spaying/neutering and updating shots but sometimes they need more immediate attention or costly medical procedures.
HART is supported entirely by individual donors. Current fundraising is under way and HART’s goal is to raise $50,000 by the end of June. They will be focusing on using these funds on senior cats and special-needs animals that are long-term residents.
Events can help with this fundraising as well. Throughout the year HART has an Annual Yard Sale at the Cumberland Fair Grounds, bake and craft sales in Falmouth, a mini-golf event called Putts for Purrs in Freeport, and trivia nights. It also uses memberships to cover costs. These can be $50 to $1,000 with a host of different benefits such as tote bags, VIP tours, discounts to events, and more.
Support is encouraged through volunteering. Those interested in volunteering must fill out an application online and a volunteer administrative assistant or a member of staff will reach out to you.
HART isn’t open 24/7 but people are working around the clock to take care of the cats. If you’d like to adopt a cat, you should first fill out an application online at https://hartofme.org/ For more details, call 207-829-4116 or visit https://hartofme.org/ <
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