Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals
In Maine, the month of May is a delightful tease for horse lovers and equestrians. The weather promises to improve and there is an occasional lovely day for spending time outside with a horse before fly season arrives. It is a time of year when many people consider acquiring a horse; it is also a time when many horses are in need of re-homing. This month’s column is devoted to the creation and operation of the MSSPA’s horse re-homing service, which is called, “Maine Horse Matchmaker.”
Several years ago, the Society’s Board of Directors engaged in a retreat process to consider several important policy issues affecting the operation of the animal shelter. One of those issues was whether the MSSPA would accept horses directly from owners who wanted to surrender or relinquish them. By way of background, the MSSPA regularly receives calls or visits from horse owners who, for a variety of reasons, want or need to give up ownership of their horses. Because the MSSPA generally reserves its stalls and many of its resources for horses that have experienced abuse or neglect and have been removed from their owners, it has established policy to redirect owners attempting to surrender horses to the Society. In many cases, hardship such as a terminal illness, unforeseen financial disaster or other personal tragedy causes the need to give up ownership of the animals. Because there is no entity in Maine required to assist animal owners in such circumstances, it often plays out badly for the animals. That fact was a source of frustration and sadness for everyone involved, including staff at the shelter.
The MSSPA’s management team puzzled at some length over the problem and considered ways in which it might be addressed. In a moment of inspiration, the Maine Horse Matchmaker was conceived. Here is how the re-homing service works: Individuals who need or want to re-home a horse(s) visit the MSSPA’s website. Once there, they click the button for the Maine Horse Matchmaker and type in all the relevant information about the animal(s) in need of a new home; type of equine, breed, color, gender, age, skills, behaviors, medical condition, and so on. The site allows the uploading of photos and videos as well. In addition, all of the contact information for the owner of the animal(s) is collected. Thereafter, the information is submitted to the MSSPA. The Society carefully reviews the submission, any questions related to the post are asked and answered, and ultimately, the post goes live on the Maine Horse Matchmaker Facebook page.
In using this free service, which is promoted to thousands of viewers, many of whom are seeking to adopt or receive equines without purchasing them, the owner of the animal(s) retains 100% of the responsibility for placement or re-homing of their animal(s). They are able to accept or reject any re-homing offers, perform as much due diligence as they wish regarding potential adopters of the animal(s), and work out the logistics of the transaction to their own satisfaction. The safety, care, and fate of the animal(s) remains wholly in the hands of their owners.
Maine Horse Matchmaker is carefully monitored by the MSSPA to insure that there are no sales of animals on its site, or negative online communications between individuals using the service. We promote the equines on the Matchmaker to a wide audience of those interested in obtaining animal(s), many of them being supporters of this horse shelter.
Launched in 2015, the Maine Horse Matchmaker has been an unparalleled success! Its re-homing rate is in the high 60% range and has helped dozens of animals avoid an uncertain future. It has helped divert at-risk horses from coming into the shelter system. The Matchmaker has also been a tremendous comfort to individuals undergoing traumatic life experiences that have required them to give up their beloved animals. You can easily view the site by pointing your browser to:
https://www.facebook.com/mainehorsematchmaker
or
https://www.msspa.org/maine-horse-matchmaker
Maine Horse Matchmaker is a registered service of the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals. The shelter, located at 279 River Road in South Windham, Maine is open to the public each day from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Learn more about the Society by visiting the shelter or www.msspa.org
Meris Bickford, Chief Executive Officer of Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals(MSSPA). Her resume also has experience as an Assistant Attorney General, Bureau Chief for Child and Family Services and Chief Administrative Hearing Officer at Maine’s Department of Human Service.
