by The Ark Manager | Jul 28, 2020 | Dogs, Dogs Pending Adoptions
These three dogs are very bonded, and we are searching high and low for a family who might just be crazy enough (in the “good” way, of course)! To take on three of these lovely little babes.
Let us start with Dalton. Dalton is SO cute and sweet! He is very friendly, and also quite talkative. He makes a lot of noises, grunts, groans, and a yip here and there. Dalton will need a belly band and some work around his “marking” with urine. He is about 8 years old.
Dalton will need to be adopted with his friends Cutie and Bella, as they are very bonded. For the perfect family, we will offer a special adoption price for all three of these sweet hearts!
This tiny man is finally ready to go home! Cutie’s FAVORITE thing to do is be babied. He likes being spoon-fed his soft food, but he WILL eat hard food, which is a little scary, as he only has one tooth after his dental work was done! He will need supervision when eating hard food.
Do you think you might be the one who can give this little sweet old man a home to live out his golden years with his two besties? Cutie is around 15 years old and weighs in at about 3 pounds.
Bella is very sweet and outgoing. She is not high-energy but has bursts of playfulness. She is not house broken. She is very interested in food and loves to eat! She is very food motivated, loves people, loves toys and loves to play. She four years old.
by The Ark Manager | Jul 14, 2020 | Blog
Why Having a Dog Sleep in Your Bed Might Not Be a Great Idea
Owning a dog can be great for your health. Their wagging tails and barks every evening, when you get home from work, can make you smile and forget about your stressful day. And the fact that you must take at least two walks every day can help you stay fit. So, after leaving him at home the whole day, you just want to snuggle up with him in the evening and fall asleep.
But do you know that co-sleeping with your dog is not a great idea? As much as you don’t want him to be lonely at night, inviting him to bed can be detrimental to your health. Snuggling up with him in bed can help you fall asleep faster, but it can also destroy your chances of good night sleep. Here are a few more reasons why sleeping with your dog in bed is not a great idea.
It Can Affect Your Sleeping Patterns
Dogs are fidgety, and they have odd sleeping behaviors such as twitching and snoring. Your furry friends can wake up at night to dig into your beddings until they get a cozy spot, stretch, or walk around the room. Even a pooch that is capable of sleeping an entire night can sometimes wake up to drink water or patrol the house. And this will affect your sleeping pattern too. Therefore, you might end up feeling tired the whole day simply because you didn’t sleep well.
A study conducted by Mayo Clinic on whether co-sleeping with your pooch is beneficial confirmed that it’s not a great idea. Even though dogs can sleep peacefully throughout the night, the study confirmed that the sleeping efficiency of their owners was reduced.
They Can Destroy Your Expensive Bed Linen
Even the toughest and high-quality bed linen is no match for his claws and teeth. Dogs can get snagged in your beddings while looking for a comfortable spot or playing on your bed. And if you sleep with two or three dogs, then your beddings are not safe. Your dog can track some dirty from outside into your bed.
Dogs have a tendency of destroying or chewing their bed and in severe cases, they can even chew your furniture, papers, and shoes. This behavior can be a sign of stress, anxiety, and boredom. And revoking his bed privileges after he has slept for years might trigger this issue. So to avoid this you should get your dog a chew resistant and tough dog bed. These beds are indestructible, and they are the best options for chewers.
Your Pooch May Exacerbate Your Allergies
Other than hypoallergenic dog owners, pet owners are not usually allergic to their dogs. Your allergies might not be triggered by pet saliva or dander, but sharing a bed with him could still be dangerous. Some common allergens like dust and pollen can stick to his fur when playing outside and then be transferred to your bed.
These allergens can worsen your allergies, which can affect the quality of your sleep. So, instead of sharing your bed with them, why don’t you get him a doggy bed?
Your Bed Can Become Part of Your Dog’s Territory
Your pooch is a territorial creature that loves protecting his domain. Therefore inviting him into your bed every night can make your bedroom part of his territory. This can become a problem when you try to remove him from your bedroom in the future.
Some dogs tend to become aggressive every time you sleep on a specific part of the bed. If this happens, you should stop sleeping with your dog until he curbs this aggression. Another disadvantage of allowing him to make your bed his territory is their behavior of marking their domains with a little urine.
Doggy Drool
Some dog breeds tend to drool a lot, especially when asleep so that you can wake up to several wet spots on your bed. If this is the case, you can get him a comfortable bed next to yours. Some dogs love sleeping in your bed even when you are not at home. This might not be an issue, but wait until he comes to bed all muddy and rests on your clean sheets.
House Training Accidents Can Happen
Even though cuddling with your newly adopted dog helps with bonding, it is not a good idea, especially if you are still house training him. He can forget and urinate on your bed in the middle of the night. Throwing his beddings in your washing machine is easier than steam washing your mattress.
It Might Not Be Suitable for Your Marriage
Allowing your pet to join you in bed can interfere with the kind of intimacy that contributes to a great relationship or marriage. A dog can become jealous and start guarding one of the spouses against the other. If your dog starts exhibiting these behaviors, then it’s time to remove him from your bed.
It Can End up Being a Lifetime Commitment
Snuggling up with your dog can form a habit that can last for his entire life. You might be single right now, and you don’t mind sleeping with your pooch every night. But what will happen when you finally start a family. What will happen when you start sharing your king-sized bed with your child and spouse?
The bed will become overcrowded, and revoking bed privileges at that stage can be challenging. Therefore, you should introduce your pooch to his own bed on the day you adopt him.
Your Dog Won’t Be on Guard
One of the best things about being a pet owner is that your pooch can alert you in case of intruders. Dogs have very sharp hearing, and they can hear someone breaking into your home long before your human ears hear anything. However, with him nestled deep in your beddings and the bedroom door closed, he might not hear noise disturbances at night.
Warming Your Bed
Dogs tend to give off some heat every time they sleep, which can increase the temperature in bed. While this factor can be quite beneficial during winter, it can affect people who don’t like sleeping warm. If you sweat a lot when the temperature increases, then snuggling with him is not a great option.
by The Ark Manager | Jul 14, 2020 | Succesful Rabbit Adoptions
The Ark is accepting donations in honor of June Cashman’s memory. Please go to the “donate” tab to make an online donation or mail us a check, noting that it is in June’s memory. She loved animals very much and her family reached out to us, knowing that this would have made her so happy to know she was helping an animal shelter.
https://obituaries.bangordailynews.com/obituaries/obituaries/search?search_type=advanced&ap_search_keyword=june+foster+cashman
by The Ark Manager | Jul 8, 2020 | Successful Dog Adoptions
Beautiful and adorable Lola is very shy and timid. She has lived in a home before and was very destructive and demonstrates severe separation anxiety. Lola would thrive in a home where her new “parents” are able to consistently and patiently work with her on her challenges by taking recommendations from shelter staff and veterinarians and implementing them to help Lola feel comfortable and safe. Time will certainly be something that we are going to expect her new family to give her, rather than giving up on her.
If you’d like to have a conversation with us about Lola, please do not hesitate to give us a call!
We feel that Lola might be a chihuahua and cattle dog mix. She is about 1.5 years old.
by The Ark Manager | Jul 8, 2020 | Successful Dog Adoptions
This tiny man is finally ready to go home! Cutie’s FAVORITE thing to do is be babied. He likes being spoon-fed his soft food, but he WILL eat hard food, which is a little scary, as he only has one tooth after his dental work was done! He will need supervision when eating hard food.
Cute will need to be adopted with his friend Dalton, as they are very bonded. For the perfect family, we will offer a special dual-adoption price on both of these cuties!
Do you think you might be the one who can give this little sweet old man a home to live out his golden years? Cutie is around 15 years old and weighs in at about 3 pounds.
by The Ark Manager | Jul 8, 2020 | Successful Dog Adoptions
Dalton is SO cute and sweet! He is very friendly, and also quite talkative. He makes a lot of noises, grunts, groans, and a yip here and there. Dalton will need a belly band and some work around his “marking” with urine.
If you are interested in providing this little pup a home, give us a call today and make an appointment to meet him!
Dalton will need to be adopted with his friend Cutie, as they are very bonded. For the perfect family, we will offer a special dual-adoption price on both of these cuties!
Dalton is about 8 years old.
by The Ark Manager | Jul 8, 2020 | Successful Dog Adoptions
Binkie would love a to curl up on a lady’s lap! She is not comfortable with men and will need a woman-only home. She is so stinking cute! She will need a fenced yard as well. Do you think you could be the one who might make the perfect home for this little love? Binkie is two years old and ready for her next adventure.
by The Ark Manager | Jul 8, 2020 | Successful Cat Adoptions
This little kitty is a bit shy and will need someone who understands shyer kitties and help them come out of their shell! We are sure Hades will come around quickly If you feel you need this little kitty in your life, give the shelter a call to make an appointment!
DOB 2/10/2020
by The Ark Manager | Jul 8, 2020 | Successful Cat Adoptions
Persephone is beautiful, young and ready for her home! A Bit shy, she will need someone with patience to help her acclimate to a new environment. Give the shelter a call today if you feel that you might be the right home for this beautiful kitty.
DOB 2/10/20
by The Ark Manager | Jul 8, 2020 | Successful Cat Adoptions
Artimus is a shy little kitty who would love to go home with you and have you patiently help him come out of his shell! Beautiful, soft and relaxed, he’d like to meet you soon!
DOB 2/10/2020
by The Ark Manager | Jul 8, 2020 | Successful Cat Adoptions
Nix is friendly and sweet and ready to be cuddled up in your house for the rest of his time. He is wondering where you are and is hoping you’ll give him a treat when you come meet him.
DOB 2/10/2020
by The Ark Manager | Jul 8, 2020 | Successful Cat Adoptions
Briar will NOT last long here at the shelter. Lovable, handsome, long-haired and orange, he will steal your heart quicker than your tail can flick. Make an appointment for his adoption today!
Briar is three years old.
by The Ark Manager | Jul 6, 2020 | Successful Guinea Pig Adoptions
Meet the adorable tri-colored GP (You guessed it! Short for guinea pig)…
This little guy enjoys hidey-places, timothy hay, carrots, toys, and making little piggie noises when you hold him.
To the right home, we will accept a donation for GP’s adoption.
GP is about 8-9 months old.
If you have any questions about the care of a guinea pig, give us a call at the shelter, or make an appointment to come meet him today!
by The Ark Manager | Jun 29, 2020 | Successful Cat Adoptions
Meet Seraphine and Liberty.
Seraphine is a beautiful black kitty ready to go home! While she and her friend Liberty were brought in as ferals, they have certainly had plenty of human interaction and handling during their stays at the shelter. When these two besties were moved into a community cat room, we found that while they still don’t enjoy being bothering with people or being handled, they DO love other kitties and do excellent with them!
These two beauties are built to work: Keep your barn safe and healthy and protect your feed and livestock. To the right home, these two girls will go home and be kept inside a heated and comfortable area until winter is over, as they are not used to being outside. Their dual adoption fee will be $80.
Liberty is a long-haired Tabby who is just as pretty as her sister. A dual-adoption would be ideal, but not necessarily a requirement. We hope to find a family who has patience with helping shy or feral kitties acclimate to their surroundings. We are also open to the idea of someone in need of healthy barn kitties, if the barn is heated and the transition slow and steady.
We also know that there are some folks out there who simply don’t mind caring for two healthy cats by providing them stability, warmth and food- and not feeling the need to handle their cats everyday. We know you are out there- we are just waiting for you!
Call us today if you are interested in these feisty little meowers! Beware: They look cute and cuddly and are absolutely BEAUTIFUL but they are pretty sassy!
by The Ark Manager | May 26, 2020 | Dogs, Successful Dog Adoptions
Meet 2-year old Odin, who is just as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside. Some dogs just have it all, and Odin is one of them. He does wonderful with people. His favorite hobbies include: Swimming, cuddling, playing fetch, and hiking. Odin always wants to be with his person, and he loves to ride in the vehicle! He is house trained, and doesn’t need to be in the kennel. He needs to be on a leash, and in a home with no other dogs. Odin loves fruits and veggies as treats! He eats 1 cup of food for every meal. He needs a slow feeder or he ‘frows up his yummies because he loves his food SO much that he eats it too fast!
Odin will also need to be in a home with OLDER children, 11 years or up as he can get overly stimulated and a little nippy with young ones!
If you think you might be the active, loving and one-dog family who could meet Odin’s needs, please give the shelter a call. He is waiting to snuggle WITH YOU, after playtime.
by The Ark Manager | May 24, 2020 | Successful Cat Adoptions
While he resembles Winston Churchill from Stephen King’s infamous Pet Cemetery, we can ASSURE you the Franklin is anything but an evil kitty!
Franklin is a big, handsome slate gray colored former “Tom” cat with a playful, quirky personality. OBSESSED with human loves, Franklin loves people and is very friendly with them. He loves attention, but he and his silly-self likes to claw when you try to leave him because he loves the attention so much! He also loves to hug and likes to try to sleep with humans. Some of the staff must give him temptation treats so that he doesn’t try to attack their ankles when they leave the room! He is very treat motivated.
Franklin is estimated to be about 8-10 years old. Franklin has FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus). While this virus is NOT able to pass to humans, it CAN pass to other felines. Because of this, we will need Franklin to be in a home where he is the only kitty, OR in another FIV positive home with another kitty who also has the virus.
FIV is typically transmitted from kitty to kitty through deep bite wounds. Where Franklin was an unaltered male before he came the the shelter and lived outside, he was probably more susceptible to getting the virus due to cat fights and such.
We know there is someone out there for Franklin.
by The Ark Manager | May 24, 2020 | Successful Dog Adoptions
Meet 2.5 year old Klaus, who is currently in foster. His foster family loves him so much and are going to continue fostering him until Klaus finds his perfect match. Here is what is wonderful foster family has to say about him:
“First he is sweet and very lovey. He gets along well with our dog as well as others we have introduced him to. (he does get barky at new dogs but he gets over it pretty fast). He is also good with our cats but he sometimes does like to try and get playful with them. He has been around indoor birds and chickens and done well with that too.
We have been crating him when we leave the house which he does well with but he does sometimes bark and whine.
He is pretty high energy and will likely do well in a home where they can regularly exercise him with walks or ball or just a good romp in the yard. He eats any toys he’s given so its best to give him ones that are hard for him to destroy but he loves a good chew bone.
He may also do best in a home that has a consistent schedule. His biggest problem is that he is not easily house broken. He will be good for a few days but then will randomly poo in the house. He may need to be crate trained for night time as that is when it is happening the most at this point.
Klaus being energetic is working on boundaries and jumping but he’s pretty smart and knows how to sit, lay down, and spin. He is very food motivated (but hasn’t been food aggressive). Because of his energy bigger kids may be better. (if not perfect for him). “
by The Ark Manager | May 21, 2020 | Blog
Funded by the Ark Thrift Shop in Blue Hill, the Ark has the most comprehensive spay/neuter program in the North East since 1984. It’s called Stitch in Time. We work with our local vets to help you get your pet spayed and neutered. The vets will pay a third, the Ark will pay a third, and the owner will pay the remaining third. All you have to do is make an appointment with your vet of choice and then send us proof of low-income, and we will fax a voucher to your vet.
While many people realize that the Stitch Program alleviates the unwanted pet population, what many people don’t realize is that spaying and neutering also can alleviate unwanted behaviors and expensive health problems in regards to your pet.
“Marking” and “Spraying”
While unaltered female dogs/cats sometimes can urinate in the home, it’s most often males. Male dogs will “mark” and male cats will “spray” in your home to claim their territory or make known their reproductive status. Unaltered males will often spray in your home, and their urine often smells very strong due to the chemicals in their urine from not being neutered. Spaying and neutering your pet greatly reduces this unwanted behavior.
Health Concerns
In females, it is important to get them spayed prior to their first heat, if possible. “In heat” refers to a cat who is mature and ready to mate. Spaying prior to a cat’s first heat decreases chances of infections in reproductive organs and different types of cancers.
In males, prostates can become enlarged without neutering, causing infections, pain, and other issues.Testicular cancer and other medical conditions could also result from not neutering.
Urge to Roam
Cats and dogs who are not spayed/neutered tend to wander, seeking a mate. Therefore, it is much more prevalent that un-altered cats are hit by vehicles or killed in nature.
Aggression
Some people believe that an unaltered animal can develop aggressive behaviors and be more territorial.
Unwanted Pet Population
Our world is filled with shelters that are housing unwanted animals, and oftentimes “kill” shelters are euthanized daily in order to keep up with the demand of incoming pet surrenders, while no-kill animal shelters meet their quota and are full and can no longer keep up with the demands of society’s lack of responsibility. Spaying and neutering your pet will stop reproduction, thus contributing to helping society with the issue of unwanted pets. Please be responsible socially and as a pet owner and spay and neuter your pets. The Ark is here to help you if you have any concerns about spaying/neutering, or if you need to utilize a Stitch voucher!
Shaina R. Mugford
Shelter Administrator
by The Ark Manager | May 14, 2020 | Successful Dog Adoptions
We couldn’t get a very good picture of her, because she was too busy playing. Gertie the German Shepard isn’t one to sit still for long! Full of intelligence, love, and doggie energy, she will need a very loving and active family! Gertie is super sweet and very smart. We feel lucky to be able to take care of her right now at the shelter, but we know she must go home soon! If you are interested in Gertie please call the shelter to make an appointment to meet her. Gertie is three years old.
by The Ark Manager | May 14, 2020 | Successful Cat Adoptions
As you can tell, Cider is a bit of a princess. Elegant, stunning, and long-haired, she will take your breath away with all of her charm. She is 6 years old, and it is high time for her to find her forever “throne” where she can perch, sun-bathe, and be petted. If you are interested in Cider, please call the shelter!
