ON ISLAND
A Passion for Caring
The Animal Shelter of Martha's Vineyard
by Kara Goldfarb
The mission of the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vine-yard is to give domestic animals the love, care, and shelter that they need until a permanent residence can be found. But the dedica-tion of manager Lisa Hayes as well as the workers and volunteers goes beyond just that. “The best thing we do for the animals is make the shelter a home,” Lisa says.
When cats first arrive at the shelter they must go to isolation for four days in order to be observed and cleared of any early signs of infection. However, once the isolation period is over, the cats go into the adoption room, an homey environment for the animals. “There are no cages, there are radios playing all the time, people are in and out socializing,” Lisa explains. “It is a nice atmosphere until we find a place for them we want them to feel like they are at home.” The dogs at the shelter are also provided a homelike surrounding. The many volunteers devote a great deal of time to playing with the dogs and the walking paths behind the shelter give them space for outdoor activity. “A dream is to get the backyard fenced in,” Lisa says. That way, the dogs will be able to run around more freely.
The Animal Shelter just recently became an independent and federally charter not-for-profit organization as of January 1st 2012, thus the continual effort to further better the shelter has been ongoing. The shelter was initially built in 1934 and taken over by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) in 1947, where it continued to help stray domestic animals for fifty years.
In 2009 the MSPCA had to close the shelter on the Island, and two more in the state. “Basically the people of the Island came together, asked the county to back them, and they said yes,” Lisa explains. The MSPCA left the building with all the basics already and it just needed to be cleaned and painted, which Lisa describes as “very gracious.” Having done veterinary work for sixteen years, Lisa’s name immediately came to mind in the search for a manager. Lisa’s reason for taking on the job was her “passion for animals and the need for a shelter.”
Lisa doesn’t hesitate to credit the other Volunteers and employees for their hard work. The shelter couldn’t run without Gordon Healy, the seven members of the board, and a phenomenal amount of volunteers. Those interested in volunteering are typically asked to start with half an hour or an hour or work. There are many different areas in which people can volunteer: coming in to clean in the morning, tucking the animals in, answering phones, gardening and mowing the lawn, meeting and greeting, carpentry, or anything else that needs to be done. With such a wide variety of activities, there is something for everyone.
Since the shelter runs solely on donations, they make sure to pack in many exciting fundraising events throughout the course of the summer. On June 16th there is the Celebration of Pets at Sunset Park in Oak Bluffs where there will be a pet parade, rides and demonstrations, and a Blessing of the Animals. All pets in attendance with receive a ribbon. On July 15th there is a huge garden party in West Tisbury with food, drinks, music, and an auction. Additionally, the first annual dog walk will be held later on over Columbus Day Weekend. The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard is open on Wednesday from 8:30am to 2:30pm; Thursday and Friday from 8:30am to 6:00pm; and Saturday from 8:30am to 4:00pm. For more information, or to make an appointment, call the shelter at 508-627-8662.
When cats first arrive at the shelter they must go to isolation for four days in order to be observed and cleared of any early signs of infection. However, once the isolation period is over, the cats go into the adoption room, an homey environment for the animals. “There are no cages, there are radios playing all the time, people are in and out socializing,” Lisa explains. “It is a nice atmosphere until we find a place for them we want them to feel like they are at home.” The dogs at the shelter are also provided a homelike surrounding. The many volunteers devote a great deal of time to playing with the dogs and the walking paths behind the shelter give them space for outdoor activity. “A dream is to get the backyard fenced in,” Lisa says. That way, the dogs will be able to run around more freely.
The Animal Shelter just recently became an independent and federally charter not-for-profit organization as of January 1st 2012, thus the continual effort to further better the shelter has been ongoing. The shelter was initially built in 1934 and taken over by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) in 1947, where it continued to help stray domestic animals for fifty years.
In 2009 the MSPCA had to close the shelter on the Island, and two more in the state. “Basically the people of the Island came together, asked the county to back them, and they said yes,” Lisa explains. The MSPCA left the building with all the basics already and it just needed to be cleaned and painted, which Lisa describes as “very gracious.” Having done veterinary work for sixteen years, Lisa’s name immediately came to mind in the search for a manager. Lisa’s reason for taking on the job was her “passion for animals and the need for a shelter.”
Lisa doesn’t hesitate to credit the other Volunteers and employees for their hard work. The shelter couldn’t run without Gordon Healy, the seven members of the board, and a phenomenal amount of volunteers. Those interested in volunteering are typically asked to start with half an hour or an hour or work. There are many different areas in which people can volunteer: coming in to clean in the morning, tucking the animals in, answering phones, gardening and mowing the lawn, meeting and greeting, carpentry, or anything else that needs to be done. With such a wide variety of activities, there is something for everyone.
Since the shelter runs solely on donations, they make sure to pack in many exciting fundraising events throughout the course of the summer. On June 16th there is the Celebration of Pets at Sunset Park in Oak Bluffs where there will be a pet parade, rides and demonstrations, and a Blessing of the Animals. All pets in attendance with receive a ribbon. On July 15th there is a huge garden party in West Tisbury with food, drinks, music, and an auction. Additionally, the first annual dog walk will be held later on over Columbus Day Weekend. The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard is open on Wednesday from 8:30am to 2:30pm; Thursday and Friday from 8:30am to 6:00pm; and Saturday from 8:30am to 4:00pm. For more information, or to make an appointment, call the shelter at 508-627-8662.