Horse rescuers saved from death by chocolate!

Thanks to the quick pens and open checkbooks of guests at the MSSPA’s "Fill the Fountain" reception held on May 15th in the sumptuous lobby of Maine Bank & Trust on Congress Street in Portland, Society staffers were saved from having to eat everything dipped in chocolate from the chocolate fountain. Attendees at the fund-raiser were treated to delicious refreshments prepared by the CVC Catering Group of South Portland. Dodge the Florist donated a spectacular floral arrangement, and the Portland Fire Museum displayed vintage photos and artifacts dating from a time when Portland’s fire engines and streetcars were horse-powered. In addition, fascinating rare movie footage taken in 1912 was played, to the amazement of those present. Many buildings in the film are still standing and recognizable today. To mark the celebration of the MSSPA’s history with Portland and draw attention to the gorgeous granite watering trough fountain, dedicated to a past president of the MSSPA, that still stands behind Portland’s Central Fire Station, partygoers indulged in the delights of a chocolate fountain.

Maine Bank and Trust President Sam Ladd welcomed the group and reflected on the extraordinary historical relationship between the MSSPA and Portland’s Fire Department. Longtime MSSPA board member Harold C. Pachios, of Preti Flaherty Beliveau and Pachios, told the assembled group that the MSSPA for years had been quietly doing the difficult work of rescue and rehabilitation for horses seized by law enforcement agents. He stressed the fact that the public should learn about the Society’s unique work in the field of animal welfare and support the annual budget of more than a million dollars in services per year that the MSSPA donates to the State of Maine. "The time has arrived for the Society to raise its visibility and more affirmatively engage the public in financially supporting the special work it does so successfully," Pachios said. Senator Bill Diamond of Windham, board member and treasurer of the MSSPA, spoke of his lifelong affection for horses and his admiration for MSSPA President Marilyn L. Goodreau, who attended the event as well.

On display were spectacular items for a raffle to be held in October of 2008 at the Society’s fall fundraiser, "Ride to Rescue." Raffle items included one-of-a-kind jewelry items designed by Jayne Redman, Kate Altman, Liz Krengel, and others. For the raffle, Joseph’s of Portland donated a gift certificate for a custom made men’s dress shirt. The Portland Historical Society donated a reproduction of a vintage photograph of horses pulling a streetcar marked, "Union Station and Munjoy Hill;"; handsome framing of the piece was courtesy of FASTFRAME of Falmouth. Raffle tickets will be available on the website, by telephone (207-892-3040) and at all summer events featuring the MSSPA at a cost of $10.00 per ticket, or $20.00 for three tickets. The MSSPA will have a table at Maine’s Skowhegan State Fair in August and the Common Ground Fair September 19 – 21, 2008.

The Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals is unlike any other animal welfare facility in New England. Originally formed in 1872 to protect the horses who pulled Portland’s streetcars and fire engines, the Society now provides around the clock on-site staffing, has access to veterinary services twenty four hours a day, and maintains nearly one hundred equines on its farm facilities. Animals who have been seized by Maine’s law enforcement officials and placed by court order with the Society are kept for the entirety of their lives or placed in forever homes.

The MSSPA is a tax-exempt, 501(c) (3) and receives no federal, state or local funding. The organization is funded by a combination of membership dues, bequests, donations, 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 each year at no cost to Maine taxpayers.