Animal Well Fair draws hundreds of animal lovers
With an autumnal nip in the air, guests and staff of the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals warmed themselves with hot cider and hot chocolate as they circulated through the Society’s big barn filled with rehabilitated horses. Twelve animal welfare organizations were represented. These included equine and small animal veterinarians, animal welfare advocates, the Windham Police Department’s Canine Unit, staff from Maine’s Department of Agriculture, equine photographer Corrine Wheelock, and Christina Perkins, a lawyer specializing in equine law. They all came together with the MSSPA to hold the first Animal Well Fair on Sunday, October 19th. The first of its kind event at the farm was sponsored by local businesses Hall Implement Company and Gorham Fence Co., with additional funding from the national ASPCA. Dozens of other area businesses, organizations and artists contributed prizes and in-kind goods.
More than three hundred guests were welcomed to the Society by its president, Marilyn L. Goodreau. Visitors strolled through the barn and around the picture-perfect River Road farm, admiring the horses, dogs, cats, goats, and pigs. Guests at the Well Fair received information to help them care for their pets – large and small – through the upcoming winter months and beyond. There were demonstrations, literature available, plenty of time to ask questions of the experts on site, and celebration of the Society’s fund-raising event, “Ride to Rescue.”
Outside, on the lush green lawns of the MSSPA, dozens of visitors gathered to watch the canine members of Windham’s police force strut their stuff. To the delight and admiration of spectators, the highly trained dogs sniffed out and identified contraband hidden by the officers for the purpose of the demonstration. The dogs also gave their audience the chance to see how a criminal suspect could be apprehended by canine skill and held until human officers arrived to secure the scene.
The Cumberland County 4H Equestrian Club and MSSPA volunteers offered delectable chowder, chili, sandwiches, soft drinks, and sweets to the crowd. Donna Chapman, Windham Town Councilor, leader of the 4H Equestrian Club, and President of Operation Homefront Maine, was on hand to support the event and enjoy the bright, cool weather. State Senator Bill Diamond made a brief statement congratulating the Society and recognizing the tremendous contribution it makes to animal welfare in Maine. Inside the big barn, free face painting and pumpkin painting kept the numerous young visitors to the farm entertained.
A highlight of the Animal Well Fair was the presentation by MSSPA President Marilyn L. Goodreau of a custom-made wool cooler to thirteen year old Jamie Goldberg of Lexington, Massachusetts. The specially embroidered horse blanket was given to Jamie in recognition of the more than $3,000 she raised to help support the animals of the MSSPA. As the top pledge-getter of the 2008 Ride to Rescue, Jamie was interviewed by WCSH television (watch the video ) and the Boston Globe. “I just wanted to do something for horses – to save them,” giggled Jamie as the Society’s crowd-pleasing favorite, Belgian filly Delilah, nudged Jamie for attention. More than twenty other prizes were given away to those holding raffle tickets.
To see more photos taken at the Animal Well Fair, visit the gallery of photos by clicking this link . The Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals is open to the public each day between the hours of 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (barns close at 3:00 p.m. for night feeding) with no admission charge.
The MSSPA is a tax-exempt, 501(c) (3) and receives no federal, state or local funding. The Society is entirely funded by membership dues, donations, bequests, grants, and fund-raising activities. The Society does not charge for its services and seeks no reimbursement from any public source. The MSSPA provides nearly two million dollars in services annually to the taxpayers of Maine, and salvation to abused animals.