The Bangor Humane Society says it was able to raise $100,000 for homeless pets in 3 months with the help of a challenge grant from a Maine foundation.
The Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, based in Freeport, announced in October that it would match $50,000 in new or increased money raised by the animal welfare organization.
Bangor Humane Society Executive Director Suzan Bell says the funding has primarily been earmarked for medical and veterinary care, something that costs the organization more than $250,000 a year.
“We receive on an annual basis a little over 3,000 animals a year that are either surrendered or stray, and they’re homeless and have no other place to be with us,” Bell says. “Our job is to get them as healthy as possible, get them as mentally ready as possible and then find them a new home.”
Bell says that the Sewall Foundation awarded the Bangor Humane Society an additional $50,000 challenge grant for the coming fiscal year.
