Join us for our Annual Cleanup and Cookout at Pope Memorial Humane Society, where we’ll spend the morning tackling all the things that make this place feel fresh again. Think flower beds that need a little love, windows that have seen one too many snowstorms, siding that could use a scrub, gravel that needs leveling, and trails that are ready to be walked again.

There’s something for everyone, whether you’re handy with a rake, a sponge, or just willing to jump in wherever needed. Bring work gloves and any favorite tools (metal rakes are always a win), but don’t worry, we’ll have extras on hand too.

And because we know how to balance hard work with a good time, we’ll wrap things up with a picnic-style lunch around noon. Bring a dish to share if you’d like, or just bring yourself. We’ll have a potluck signup closer to the event.

It’s one of those days where you can see the difference you made by the time you head home, and you get to spend it with a bunch of people who care about the same things you do.

Save the date for Saturday, May 16th. We’ll share more details as we get closer, but for now, consider this your official heads up to plan for a little fresh air, a little elbow grease, and a lot of good company.

Volunteers are an important part of our daily operations. They help us care for more than 1,200 animals each year and support the programs that keep our shelter running well for the community.

Volunteer tasks may include:

• Cleaning cat rooms and dog kennels
• Walking and exercising dogs
• Assisting at the front desk
• Helping at events and community programs
• Other projects as needed

Most volunteers commit to one shift per week, usually 1½ to 2 hours. Consistency matters, and we appreciate the time and reliability our volunteers bring.

How to get started:

1. Complete the online Volunteer Application.
2. Attend a Volunteer Orientation. Orientations are held monthly in the PMHS Community Room and cover our mission, policies, and expectations for volunteers. You will also receive a tour of the shelter.
3. Meet with our Volunteer Coordinator to discuss your availability and determine the best fit for you.

Next Volunteer Orientation
Saturday, April 11, 2026
11:00 am to 12:30 pm
PMHS Community Room

If you have questions or would like more information, contact Jacqueline Harjula, Volunteer Coordinator, at 207-594-2200 ext. 104 or Volunteer@PopeHumane.org.

We’re grateful for every person who chooses to give their time to the animals in our care.

Ten years of kids filling the shelter with questions, giggles, glue sticks, and big ideas about how to help animals.

The 10th Annual Be Kind to Animals Kids’ Day at Pope Memorial Humane Society is happening Saturday, May 9, from 12 pm to 2 pm, and this milestone year will be our biggest yet.

What started in 2017 as a simple afternoon of crafts and critters has grown into a signature PMHS tradition. Every spring, hundreds of children and their families join us to meet animals, learn about responsible pet care, and discover that kindness is something you can practice at any age.

This year, we’re celebrating a full decade of raising young animal advocates, and we’re adding even more hands-on fun. Support from local businesses like First National Bank, First National Wealth Management, Maritime Energy, and Shepard Storage helps keep this event free, accessible, and full of opportunities for kids to learn how they can make a difference. We’re also excited to have Jean’s Dreams Food Truck and Squeeze the Day Lemonade join us this year, with a portion of their proceeds supporting the animals at PMHS.

Here’s a peek at what’s in store:

• Meet adoptable animals and hear their stories
• Step into our Junior Veterinarian Station and try your hand at pet care skills
• Create enrichment toys for shelter animals
• Make animal-themed crafts to take home
• Write Kindness Cards and Letters for pets waiting for families
• Design a handmade Mother’s Day gift
• Play games, enjoy snacks, and explore the shelter

Kids’ Day is free and open to everyone. It is designed to be welcoming, hands-on, and just the right amount of chaotic in the best way. Kids get to ask questions. Parents get to see those lightbulb moments. Animals get a whole lot of extra attention.

If you have been coming for years, thank you for growing this tradition with us. If this will be your first visit, you picked a pretty great year to start.

Mark your calendar, gather your crew, and come celebrate ten years of kindness at PMHS.

thank you to our kids’ day sponsors

We still have a limited number of Kids’ Day sponsorship opportunities available for local businesses and community partners who want to be part of this 10th-year celebration. Sponsorship helps keep the event free and accessible for every family that wants to attend. If you are interested or have questions, reach out to Kasey@PopeHumane.org.

Volunteers are an important part of our daily operations. They help us care for more than 1,200 animals each year and support the programs that keep our shelter running well for the community.

Volunteer tasks may include:

• Cleaning cat rooms and dog kennels
• Walking and exercising dogs
• Assisting at the front desk
• Helping at events and community programs
• Other projects as needed

Most volunteers commit to one shift per week, usually 1½ to 2 hours. Consistency matters, and we appreciate the time and reliability our volunteers bring.

How to get started:

1. Complete the online Volunteer Application.
2. Attend a Volunteer Orientation. Orientations are held monthly in the PMHS Community Room and cover our mission, policies, and expectations for volunteers. You will also receive a tour of the shelter.
3. Meet with our Volunteer Coordinator to discuss your availability and determine the best fit for you.

Next Volunteer Orientation
Saturday, March 14, 2026
11:00 am to 12:30 pm
PMHS Community Room

If you have questions or would like more information, contact Jacqueline Harjula, Volunteer Coordinator, at 207-594-2200 ext. 104 or Volunteer@PopeHumane.org.

We’re grateful for every person who chooses to give their time to the animals in our care.

Every volunteer task is vital in giving these animals a brighter future, from walking dogs to assisting at events. Tasks include:

– Cleaning cat areas and dog kennels.
– Helping at the front desk.
– Supporting PMHS events.
– Walking and exercising dogs.
– And more!!

Most volunteers commit to one shift per week, typically lasting 1 ½ to 2 hours, and we’re grateful for their time and dedication.

Ready to Get Started?

Here’s how you can join:

1. Complete the Volunteer Application.
2. Attend Volunteer Orientation. Our monthly orientation sessions are held in the PMHS Community Room. You’ll learn about our mission, programs, and the animals we serve. Plus, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes tour of the shelter!
3. Meet with our Volunteer Coordinator. You’ll discuss your availability and which opportunities fit your interests.

Next Volunteer Orientation:

Date: Saturday, February 14th, 2026
Time: 11 am – 12:30 pm
Location: PMHS Community Room

Whether you’re cleaning, walking, greeting, or organizing, every minute you spend volunteering makes a difference in the lives of homeless pets in our care at PMHS!

Have Questions or Ready to Sign Up?

Contact Jacqueline Harjula, Volunteer Coordinator: 207-594-2200 ext. 104 or Volunteer@PopeHumane.org.

Thank you for considering volunteering at PMHS. You can make a difference in the lives of homeless pets in need.

Per Maine state law, all dogs must be licensed at 6 months of age in the town where they reside, or after the dog has been with the family for 10 days, if adopted. To license/register your dog, you must provide proof that your dog is up to date on its rabies vaccination. To avoid a $25 late fee, dogs must be licensed with your town by January 31st.

To make things easier, Pope Memorial Humane Society is hosting a Low-Cost Rabies Vaccination Clinic on Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 11 am to 1 pm. Rabies vaccinations will be $15 per animal, with no income requirements. Everyone is welcome.

Pre-registration is officially open. Pre-registering makes things smoother for everyone and helps you get in and out much faster. Trust us, you don’t want to spend time filling out forms on clinic day!

If you have proof of a prior up-to-date rabies vaccine, please bring your certificate with you. It helps us keep the process moving, so this is your reminder to start looking for that paperwork now.

We are thankful to Dr. Mimi Moore for volunteering her time to administer the vaccines and help keep local pets protected.

Questions? Please email Kasey@PopeHumane.org.

Starting December 1 at 11 a.m., everyone is invited to stop by the shelter to pick a tag —or as many as you’d like. Each tag lists one or more items that make a difference in the lives of the animals in our care. Some requests are what you’d expect—food, toys, blankets. Others might make you pause: bleach, printer paper, and Pet Safe Salt. But trust us, every single item helps in its own way.

That ream of paper? It prints the medical records and adoption contracts that send animals home. The bleach, trash bags, and floor cleaner? They keep the shelter clean and healthy. The Pet Safe Salt? It means our volunteers can keep walking dogs safely all winter long. Every single thing on that tree helps make life a little better for the animals here.

Can’t make it to the shelter? No problem. You can find Holiday Pet Trees at Laurel’s Dolce Vita, Rockland Animal Hospital, Ruckus Donuts, and The Samoset Resort, each one filled with tags ready to be taken.

If you feel like wrapping your gift, go for it. We love unwrapping the packages with the animals, some of them even (safely) join in on the fun. (We reuse and recycle what we can, promise.)

The Holiday Pet Tree is our biggest donation drive of the year and sets PMHS up for the winter months ahead. Every tag taken, every gift given, helps ensure the animals in our care have what they need until they find their families.

And if you’re out of the area but want to take part, just email Kasey at Kasey@PopeHumane.org; she’ll send you a tag so you can join in from wherever you are.

Thank you for making this tradition what it is year after year. It means more than we can say.

Here are some pics from previous years!

Every volunteer task is vital in giving these animals a brighter future, from walking dogs to assisting at events. Tasks include:

– Cleaning cat areas and dog kennels.
– Helping at the front desk.
– Supporting PMHS events.
– Walking and exercising dogs.
– And more!!

Most volunteers commit to one shift per week, typically lasting 1 ½ to 2 hours, and we’re grateful for their time and dedication.

Ready to Get Started?

Here’s how you can join:

1. Complete the Volunteer Application.
2. Attend Volunteer Orientation. Our monthly orientation sessions are held in the PMHS Community Room. You’ll learn about our mission, programs, and the animals we serve. Plus, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes tour of the shelter!
3. Meet with our Volunteer Coordinator. You’ll discuss your availability and which opportunities fit your interests.

Next Volunteer Orientation:

Date: Saturday, November 8th, 2025
Time: 11 am – 12:30 pm
Location: PMHS Community Room

Whether you’re cleaning, walking, greeting, or organizing, every minute you spend volunteering makes a difference in the lives of homeless pets in our care at PMHS!

Have Questions or Ready to Sign Up?

Contact Jacqueline Harjula, Volunteer Coordinator: 207-594-2200 ext. 104 or Volunteer@PopeHumane.org.

Thank you for considering volunteering at PMHS. You can make a difference in the lives of homeless pets in need.

Every volunteer task plays a vital role in giving these animals a brighter future, from walking dogs to assisting at events. Tasks include:

• Cleaning cat areas and kennels.
• Helping at the front desk.
• Supporting PMHS events.
• Walking and exercising dogs.
• and more!!

Most volunteers commit to one shift per week, typically lasting 1 ½ to 2 hours, and we are grateful for their time and dedication.

Ready to Get Started?

Here’s how you can join:

1. Complete our Volunteer Application.
2. Attend Volunteer Orientation. Our monthly orientation sessions are held in the PMHS Community Room. You’ll learn about our mission, programs, and the animals we serve. Plus, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes tour of the shelter!
3. Meet with our Volunteer Coordinator. You’ll discuss your availability and explore which opportunities align with your interests.

Next Volunteer Orientation:

• Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025
• Time: 11 am – 12:30 pm
• Location: PMHS Community Room

Whether you’re cleaning, walking, greeting, or organizing, every minute you spend volunteering makes a difference in the lives of homeless pets in our care at PMHS!

Do you have questions or Are You Ready to Sign Up?

Contact Jacqueline Harjula, Volunteer Coordinator: 207-594-2200 ext. 104 volunteer@popehumane.org

Thank you for considering volunteering at PMHS. You can make a difference in the lives of homeless pets in need.

In partnership with Pope Memorial Humane Society, this Halloween event promises to be a ton of fun, filled with all the trick-or-treat fun you love! It’s a chance to get your candy and fun fix while supporting Pope Memorial Humane Society!

The event is free, but Pope Memorial Humane Society will collect donations on-site. The top needed items are pate-style poultry-flavored canned cat food, canned and dry kitten food, paper towels, cleaning supplies, 30/33 gallon trash bags, and mini/small dog treats!

This event would not be possible without the generous contributions of local organizations that join us dressed in costumes, handing out candy and treats from their Halloween-decorated vehicle trunks. If you or your business are interested in hosting a “trunk” and handing out treats to 500 local kids, don’t hesitate to contact Barbara at barbara@shepardcars.com.

*There will be several stations with decorated vehicles and people in costumes passing out candy and treats to children.

*Guests must stay in their vehicles as this is a drive-thru event.