Donate
Adopt
Volunteer

How You Can Help

You Can Make a Difference

Completely dependent on public support for survival, The Ark relies on its donors who are passionate about our cause and engaged in our mission to provide a safe haven for animals in need. Our work is vast and bold—covering both Washington and Hancock Counties—from Calais to Deer Isle to Southwest Harbor.

The cost for these bold efforts?

Immense. Your donation makes our vital work possible, every dollar positively altering the course of a pet’s life. So we encourage you to become a friend of The Ark, if you are not already, and donate what you can to help perpetuate our great cause.

The Ark needs your support!

Online donations can easily be made using any major credit or debit card, Google pay or Apple pay. It’s so easy to donate any amount quickly and securely. Set up a monthly gift for convenient continued support!

Consider directing your gift to one of the following special funds:

Did you get our Holiday Newsletter and want to donate online?❄️

Holiday Newsletter Appeal Donations 🎁

Making a general donation?

General Donations

 The Ark’s commitment to reducing the overpopulation of unwanted animals is unique among shelters in Maine. Our Stitch in Time program, funded by The Thrift Shop, small grants and individual donations, offers financial aid to families needing assistance to pay for the cost of their pets’ spay or neuter surgeries. In a little more than a decade, the annual cost of this program has escalated from $12,600 to almost $45,000 compelling us to impose a yearly cap on this expense.

Donations dedicated specifically to this account cover urgent care costs for sick or injured pets of owners who could not otherwise afford potentially life-saving emergency veterinary services. In extreme circumstances, it is available for animals at our shelter.

Shelter Needs

Fostering a dog is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have (other than adopting, of course). By taking an animal in need temporarily into your home you’re:

  • freeing up a spot so the shelter or rescue can take in another dog,
  • giving your foster dog the time he needs to be ready for adoption,
  • helping the shelter or rescue learn more about the dog so he can end up in the best home possible, and
  • socializing the dog to a home environment and possibly getting him used to being around other pets and different types of people.

Complete our Foster Application

We have an ongoing need for support from the community and frequently post urgent requests to our Facebook page, but the following supplies are always in great demand!

🐾 Friskies pâté in any flavor
🐾 Kitten dry food
🐾 Cat dry food
🐾 Paper towels
🐾 Bleach
🐾 Catnip toys
🐾 Durable outside toys for dogs

 

  • Paper towels
  • Clean nylons, pantyhose, or knee highs, for making catnip balls (no support hose, please)
  • TIDE with Bleach Alternative laundry detergent
  • Clorox Bleach
  • Dawn dish detergent
  • Preferably 3ML, 50-55 gallon trash bags
  • Window cleaners
  • Pails
  • Brooms
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Dry dog food
  • Dry cat food
  • Dry kitten food
  • Friskies any flavor pate cat food
  • Fancy Feast any flavor
  • Wood pellets, to use in litter boxes
  • Dog toys, stuffed toys, Nylabones and Kongs
  • Dog leashes (6 foot nylon leads, either 3/4 or 1 inch wide)
  • Cat toys balls mice and other toys kitties love
  • Office supplies (accordion folders, black sharpies, high-quality pens)
  • Redeemable bottles and cans
  • LARGE dog marrow bones–the type you purchase at the grocery store
  • Volunteers to work at the shelter: walk dogs, groom and pet cats
  • Volunteers to take pets for veterinary appointments
  • Volunteers to assist with light administrative work

Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. If you love animals and are interested in volunteering, please call 207-594-2200 and ask for Lori, The Ark’s Shelter Manager, or e-mail her at sheltermanager@thearkpets.org.

Fill out a volunteer application online now, or come in and see us!

Always needed roles include:

Shelter Volunteer;  Cleaning duties within the shelter and direct animal care including brushing, walking, and socializing with animals. Duties will be based on your individual interests. Also, spending one-on-one time with animals that need further socialization requires patience and can be very rewarding. Regular close contact with an animal can make them more interested in human attention thereby increasing the likelihood of a successful and happy adoption.

Foster Parents;  Providing a loving home for a variety of pets while they await their forever homes.

Events volunteers; Helping to plan and/or staff both on and offsite events to support the shelter.

The Thrift Shop is always looking for help, too!

The Ark is very welcoming of new faces and people who want to help. It can be very rewarding to work with people who share the same passion as you. Please use your skills to benefit the shelter and come join our family. It will be a happy “tail” to tell!

Use your “Willpower”

Remember The Ark in your will. A bequest is a versatile, tax-deductible donation you can include in your will and living trust and an amazing gift that will keep on giving forever. Just a few simple sentences in your will or trust is all that is needed to make a lasting contribution to the welfare of so many orphaned animals in need of your help.

Join the Pack

Want to learn more about us and how we help people and pets? Sign up to receive the Ark Newsletter!

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