FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Date: January 15, 2007

Contact: Carol Ann MacKinnon, Program Coordinator, 985-3244 ex. 117, carolann@animalwelfaresociety.org

Kennebunk Rotary Recognizes The Animal Welfare Society for help with Puppy Mill


The Kennebunk Rotary Club’s Mark Sutton, Paul Wolf and Bob Hores were a welcome sight on January 9th when they stopped by The Animal Welfare Society with a pizza lunch to thank the staff for everything they’ve done for the 350 dogs and pups seized from a Buxton puppy mill this past year.

On August 21, 2007, at the request of the state’s Animal Welfare Program, The Animal Welfare Society was asked to provide care for these animals, something that they were quick to agree to since it is part of their mission, and something that took a real toll on its budget and staffing. The Animal Welfare Society is a non-profit municipal shelter that serves 18 surrounding communities, providing shelter for approximately 3000 stray, owner surrendered and abandoned animals each year. The society is in the last leg of what has been a very long journey, doing final adoptions for the mill dogs and doing their best to ensure the new adoptive families are not only meeting the dogs’ needs, but that the dogs are meeting their expectations.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.