Horse Rescue Farm Holiday Open House
On Saturday, December 5th, the River Road farm of the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals was filled with holiday spirit as guests enjoyed hot cider, hot chocolate, coffee and holiday treats. The horses whinnied their greetings and showed Society visitors what equine rehabilitation is all about. The stalls were decked with evergreen garlands and festive decorations as volunteers entertained the youngest animal lovers with face painting, ornament making and coloring the pages of the Society’s horse-themed coloring book. Thanks to the hard work of Society staff and volunteers. the barn and the horses living in it sparkled and shone, reflecting the lights of the candy cane wish tree.
Several of the newest equine residents were present and demonstrating the reasons why some horses are placed at the River Road farm. Those animals with ribs, hipbones, and tail heads protruding provided a stark contrast to the horses who have been rehabilitated at the farm. Those who have been at the farm for a period of time are in excellent condition, with gleaming coats and look markedly different than those who have recently arrived. All the horses at the MSSPA have been rescued from circumstances of abuse and neglect by Maine’s law enforcement agents. The Society serves as Maine’s preferred placement for large animals. Because the Society provides superior rehabilitative services and does not seek or receive taxpayer reimbursement, the organization serves as a model of a truly public-private partnership.
Six very large handmade holiday wreaths were raffled off, compliments of the multi-talented Jeff and Pauline Berry, who made the festive decorations and donated them to the MSSPA. Ticket sales for the wreaths were brisk and six lucky winners were drawn. A donation of 50 handcrafted balsam fir Christmas trees (compliments of Bill Anderson) created some lively commerce as visitors "ponied up" $25.00 apiece to take home a lovely Christmas tree . At 1:30 p.m. a lucky local resident won the enormous deluxe Purple Pagoda Tree donated by Bryan Kaufman of www.r6meows.com. Bryan’s generous gift to the Society has been generating raffle ticket sales for several weeks and its proceeds will go to purchase many bags of grain and bales of hay for the Society animals. Thank you, Bryan!
The horses living in the big barn had (with a little help from their friends) hung their stockings with care on stall doors. Society logo merchandise was offered for sale) and Society staffer Tina Bailey was kept busy making change and running the credit card swipe machine. The candy cane wish tree was decorated with the wishes of the animals and staff of the Society. Guests were invited to take a candy cane (with an optional wish to fulfill) and enjoy the taste of the season.
Although the jolly old fellow in the red suit did not make an appearance, one of his many assistants, that pesky green Grinch, was making merry mischief while entertaining those attending the annual event.
From the staff and animals of the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals, thank you to all who donated services, goods and time in the spirit of the season to make the 2009 Holiday Open House an event that put some “fun” into fund-raising. Thank you, too, to our many visitors and guests who generously gave donations and purchased everything from raffle tickets to custom-made Society photo greeting cards and who helped to renew faith in the generosity of people.
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 more than one million dollars in services annually to the taxpayers of Maine, and salvation to abused animals.