CAMDEN — The P.A.W.S. Animal Adoption Center is a den of activity as plans are in full swing for PAWS’s ninth annual live and silent Auction for the Animals at the Samoset Resort on Thursday, Nov.  29, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. 

There will be delicious food prepared by the Samoset Resort featuring hearty appetizers, carving stations, delicious desserts and a cash bar, while bidding on a wide variety of items to fit everyone’s budget. Tickets are $35 per person and are available online at PAWSadoption.org or at the door the night of the event. 

P.A.W.S. staff members and volunteers are busy gathering and entering the more than 300 items on the auction website.  There will be 100 items at the live and silent auction at the Samoset with more than 200 additional items only available in the online auction through Dec. 3 at pawsadoption.org/auction-for-the-animals; winners will be notified by email and items will be available for pick up at P.A.W.S., starting on Wednesday, December 5 at 11 a.m. 

“Among the live auction items is a day with Hartstone Inn chef Michael Salmon, a dinner for six served in your home by chef Andrea Barbour of 16 Bay View, an original work of art by Eric Hopkins, tickets to the New York Metropolitan Opera’s production of Carmen, two tickets on Cape Air to Boston, a glass blowing lesson with David Jacobson and an opportunity to be a named character in one of David Rosenfelt’s upcoming novels,” said P.A.W.S. Executive Director Shelly Butler, in a news release.

“We have a wide variety of items in the auction, including gift certificates for restaurants, health and beauty services, certificates for accommodations at local bed nd breakfasts and meals served by acclaimed local restaurants, perfect holiday gifts for out-of-town friends.

“Check out the auction website to see the varied auction items being offered for lovers of the out of doors. We have a biplane ride donated by the Owls Head Transportation Museum, day sails on Penobscot Bay provided by many of the area’s schooners, a round of golf at the Rockland Golf Club and the Goose River Golf Club, ski passes for the Camden Snow Bowl, ice skating at Midcoast Recreation Center, white water rafting experiences with North Country Rivers and day passes to Maine state parks.

“There is something for everyone,” Butler said, “for visual and performing art lovers, there are works of art including an original work as well as signed posters by artist Eric Hopkins, a custom oil portrait painted by Diana Falciani, creative pieces of jewelry and pottery fashioned by local artisans, annual memberships to both the Farnsworth Museum and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, movie theater tickets, tickets to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center’s production of My Fair Lady, and for gardeners, a one-on-one consultation with a gardening specialist at Hoboken Gardens during a Wine and Design event for six and a membership to the Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay.”

“For the past eight years we’ve had the pleasure of hosting this event to help meet the needs of hundreds of homeless dogs and cats that come through our center, waiting for adoption each year. Last year this event raised $50,000 to support the shelter.  And this year we hope to raise that to $65,000.  Funds raised from the auction help to fund not only the basic necessities for the animals, but also help to provide medical care, vaccinations, and training. All of our adoptable animals are spayed or neutered, receive age appropriate vaccinations, flea, tick and de-worming treatments, ear cleaning, microchips and other medical treatments as needed.”

Since moving to the former Camden First Aid building on John Street in Camden in 2015, PAWS, a 501 C(3) nonprofit, has expanded its services and activities as they administer to the more than 1,000 dogs and cats that annually pass through the shelter hoping for a better life.

 “Animals reach our shelter by various methods,” Butler said. “We partner with animal control services in 12 Midcoast towns (Appleton, Belmont, Camden, Rockport, Hope, Lincolnville, Belfast, Northport, Islesboro, Searsmont, Liberty and Swanville); take in abandoned or relinquished dogs and cats; board pets confiscated by law enforcement; shelter in place animals who come here as the result of domestic violence/abuse problems; and shelter lost and found animals.  In 2017 we began a program to help relocate dogs and cats on death row from high kill shelters in the south.

 “So in addition to charging fees for our services (adoptions, rabies vaccinations, nail clipping, dog training, and children’s camps), we have fundraisers such as our Annual Auction for the Animals;  our The Heroes Gala, where attendees join many of the P.A.W.S. partners, donors, volunteers and friends for an evening of fellowship and to honor three of our community’s most dedicated and compassionate P.A.W.S. supporters; Maine’s Weinerfest, in its 16th year, is held the second Sunday in September in Belfast; and the Paces for PAWS 5K run in Belfast in the late Spring.  All proceeds from our events go to support the shelter,” she said.

“The backbone of our organization is our volunteers,” said Volunteer Coordinator Paula Horton, herself a volunteer. “Our volunteer’s help our staff keep the shelter ship shape, taking on various cleaning jobs, doing the laundry, walking the dogs, socializing the cats, helping staff with mailings, staffing the reception desk, poster distribution and helping at the various fundraising events. We also have a program where people can foster dogs who need a break from the shelter while they wait to be adopted and mother cats and their kitten that need special care.  And we need more people to serve as foster parents.

  Moving to the larger building on John Street has enabled the shelter to offer more services for the shelter animals and to the community. One segment of the shelter’s operations, run by veterinarian Dr. Jodie James, is its in-house medical center funded in part by funds raised at P.A.W.S.’s Annual Auction. At the shelter, Dr. James, with the aid of the shelter’s Medical Assistant, Denise Alderson, and other volunteer veterinarians from the community, administers to the needs of the shelter’s dogs and cats. Dr. James, who was one of the co-founders of Pen Bay Veterinary Associates in Rockport, joined the P.A.W.S. staff as their resident veterinarian in 2016 and oversaw the development of the shelter’s medical center, which was initially made possible by an anonymous donor.

“P.A.W.S. is one of the few shelters in the state of Maine with a resident veterinarian on the premises,” Butler said, explaining that the shelter can handle nearly any type of medical need the animals present. 

The John Street building has a community room used for a variety of activities,” Butler said. “Dogs that are waiting to be adopted are visited at least once a week by volunteer animal behavior consultant, Royan Bartley, owner of keepyourpet.net, who works with P.A.W.S.’s Resident Trainer, Brandi Moore, to develop customized behavior plans using positive, force free methods and low stress handling of the animals. In addition, Moore, who is also our Director of Programs, works with our dogs to get them ready for transitioning to their forever homes.

“Having a community room at our John St. facility has given us the opportunity to offer a variety of educational opportunities for adopters, their dogs and the general public. Classes range from dog behavior training sessions; monthly Humane Education Workshops on the second Saturdays of the month, rabies and microchip clinics.

 “We also run a variety of classes, from training volunteers to walk the shelter dogs around a path on our property prepared for us by the West Bay Rotarians, to offering dog training classes open to the general public. We are currently offering a basic Doggie Skills class, Focus and Fun class and private lessons. In the Spring, we are also planning to introduce a few new training and exercise programs for dogs.”

Discussing the dog training classes, Moore said: “Dog owners will strengthen the bond with their dog while learning the training foundations together. Our classes teach the foundational skills that will help you and your dog live together in harmony. In these classes your dog will learn the training basics: 'sit', ‘down’, ‘stay’ and ‘come’.  Also covered is loose leash walking and what to do if your dog jumps up.  There will be a few more useful and fun skills taught too.We are also o ffering one-on-one private training sessions, giving you hands-on lessons in handling and training your dog. Your dog learns all the skills from the group classes, but without the distraction of other dogs.”

All lessons are held at P.A.W.S.

Continuing its mission of offering services to the community with an educational component, P.A.W.S. offers a fun and educational children’s’ summer camp and holiday break camps. Popular ‘PAWS Pals’ Summer Camp will be going into its third summer in 2019. ‘PAWS PALS’ is a seven week summer program consisting of week-long half-day sessions from 9 am to noon for children 8 to 12 years old. 

“We teach children about the responsible care and treatment of animals,” said Moore. “Hands-on activities include visits with shelter animals, informative lessons about responsible pet ownership and dog/cat safety and fun animal crafts and service projects. Children explore the key issues in animal welfare and the role that P.A.W.S. plays in their community, as well as brainstorming ways that young people can make a difference in the lives of animals that need their help.”

P.A.W.S. also offers a vacation camp program for 8 to 12 year olds during the December, February and April school vacation weeks. 

Even though the shelter is no longer alongside the dog park in Rockport, “we still operate our dog park on Camden Street, which was generously underwritten by long time P.A.W.S. supporter Jean Kislak,” said Butler. “On any given day dozens of frolicking dogs and their chatting owners can be seen at the park from dawn to dusk.” 

 These days P.A.W.S. is a beehive of activity. From providing care to the most vulnerable cats and dogs to welcoming visitors eager to find their new furry soulmate. Looking to the future, Butler said: “The board of trustees has just completed a new strategic plan for the organization and plans are in place to continue to expand our services and programs for the animals and to the community. 2019 is going to be an exciting time for P.A.W.S.”

P.A.W.S. is at 123 John Street, is closed on Monday and open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, visit pawsadoption.org or call 236-8702.