Thank you everyone who attended our town hall meeting Nov. 14 to discuss the future of animal sheltering in Lincoln County. We had a wonderful turnout that exceeded our expectations! This was our first conversation with the community, the first step towards determining our next steps.

To summarize the meeting:

• The Lincoln County campus of Midcoast Humane located in Edgecomb is approaching the end of its service due to the age and condition of the facility and its inability to meet the needs of the pets and people in our communities.

There are several possible routes to take to address the community’s ongoing need for an animal shelter. Some options are:

• Looking for a new property and building a new facility that allows us to expand the programs and services we offer to the community;
• Building a new facility in the footprint of the existing shelter. This does not address the problems caused by the surrounding marsh and the encroachment of its wildlife;
• Closing the Edgecomb campus and consolidating all Midcoast Humane services into the Brunswick campus.

Some things to consider while thinking this over:

The existing property was built on a marsh and cannot expand outside of its current footprint, which limits its size and removes the potential to add programming and services.                                        

In addition to our current programs of pet adoption, stray housing, owner admissions and law enforcement housing, in a new facility some offerings could include low-cost veterinary services, dog training classes, an expanded pet food pantry, a humane education center, summer and vacation camps for children, a community dog walking trail, and more. 

The Brunswick campus will not be able to absorb the entire number of animals that enter the Edgecomb campus annually. Our neighboring shelters are also experiencing population pressures and would have difficulty absorbing more animals.

Without a campus in Lincoln County, there are significant concerns regarding the distance some residents would have to travel to receive service and the potential negative impacts on pets if they choose not to do so.

Importantly, Midcoast Humane does not feel it would best serve Lincoln County’s pets and people by eliminating a branch in Lincoln County. 

Your questions, opinions and feedback are welcomed, encouraged and critical in helping us determine how best to continue serving the pets and people of the many communities that rely on Midcoast Humane. My email address is  JTownsend@MidcoastHumane.org.

Thank you for your invaluable input in guiding the future direction of Midcoast Humane’s work in Lincoln County.