FARMINGTON — On Saturday, Dec. 10, Franklin County Animal Shelter [FCAS] hosted a fundraising event where families and their pets could get their picture taken with the Grinch. Those who attended were also encouraged to donate in the form of pet food, toys, or cash to the shelter.

People who attended were also treated to a cup of hot cocoa. Many arrived with their pets to get pictures taken with the Grinch, and the range of pets included dogs, cats and even guinea pigs.

According to Michelle Guillaume, secretary of the FCAS Board of Directors, the shelter relies primarily on fundraising and donations. Guillaume, along with several other members of the board, are a part of a fundraising committee to brainstorm ideas for raising money.

“So, this fall, we did the Strut for Strays fundraiser and then we came up with this idea,” Guillaume said. “Holly [Kresge] actually had this idea. And we’re going to meet again, January 6, and come up with some more ideas for the rest of the year.”

“COVID-19 kind of really curtailed a lot of fundraising efforts,” she added.

FCAS had to think on their feet to find ways to get fundraising during the COVID-19 pandemic and according to Guillaume, things have not gotten any easier with the lifting of many COVID-19 restrictions.

“We had an employee named Kaylene, who did a fantastic job with an online auction,” Guillaume commented. “That was wonderful. But especially this year, we’re running a bit of a deficit because of heating oil and just everything. The cost of pet food, bleach, litter, everything has gone sky high.”

FCAS has several ideas to help generate funds for the shelter, which include a yard sale, a calendar featuring pets from the shelter, a supper and more.

“We just keep trying to come up with things so that we can just keep money coming in,” Vice President Melinda Ripa stated. “It does cost quite a bit. What people don’t realize is [the animals] have already had the shots. They’ve been spayed or neutered. They have been checked for fleas. They have a chip put in and they’re up to date on their shots. We have to actually pay for that.”

With the increase in the cost of heating oil, it is expected that adoption costs are also going to see an increase.

“Heating costs have gone up which is going to make our costs go up,” Kennel Technician Holly Kresge stated. “Adoptions will be going up, transport bringing from down south up here have gone up for fuel. So, it’s going to take an impact because we run off donation and if people are spending money on these extra costs, there’s no donation. And that’s what the animals run off.”

FCAS asks for any kind of donation, whether it be monetary or in the form of toys, pet food, cat litter, bleach, paper towels and pet waste bags.

The shelter is currently housing dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs. Animals that are considered unadoptable by the shelter are taken by members of the shelter, which include animals with physical disabilities or the elderly.

“So, we take them, and we raised them,” Ripa stated. “We got one that was 10 years old, and no one wanted her because she was 10. She came from a puppy mill, and we were told that she would live about three to six months. And we just put her down and we’d had her nine and a half years.”

Any donations to the FCAS can be made at their website at fcanimalshelter.org/give. Donations can also be made over the phone by calling 207-778-2638.

The shelter is located at 550 Industry Rd. in Farmington for those interested in making in person donations or adopting. Volunteers are also welcomed.

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