The Messenger Animal Rescue Inc.

05/31/2026

Goodnight everyone from Roo! 🐾

Roo had a pretty rough start in life before she was rescued. Our friends at Downeast Feral Cat Connections took her in along with her pregnant mom. Sadly, after her mom gave birth, none of the kittens survived.

This is the harsh reality for so many cats that are abandoned and left behind when people move. Roo’s mom was struggling and likely wasn’t getting the proper nutrition she needed, which may have contributed to the kittens’ poor outcome.

Roo and her mother were later transferred to us. Since then, Roo’s mom has found her forever home and been adopted, but Roo is still here waiting for her chance. She spends her days in our community cat room and is a shy girl who often prefers to watch from a distance, but she never misses an opportunity for wet food or a Churu treat! While she has made progress, she will need a very patient adopter who understands that trust takes time and that she may be quite reserved when she first goes home.

If you’re willing to give a shy cat the time and understanding she deserves, Roo just might be the perfect fit for you.

Roo is available for adoption and ready to go anytime. ❤️

05/30/2026

It looks a lot different around here this afternoon! The renovations are coming along nicely, and we’re really excited about the progress.

The contractor will need to come back on Monday to finish things up, and then I’ll tackle the painting myself. Once it’s all completed, it’s going to make a huge difference for the dogs.

This project will give them a little more privacy, help reduce stress, and cut down on the noise inside the shelter. We’re looking forward to having a quieter, more comfortable environment for our residents. 🐾

05/30/2026

I wanted to give everyone an update on why shelter hours may be a little limited for the foreseeable future.

My personal dog, Axell, has been diagnosed with a fully torn CCL in his left knee and a partial tear in his right. He needs surgical repair on the left knee as soon as possible and, realistically, will likely need surgery on the right one in the future as well.

This is the same dog who has already undergone surgeries on both elbows, so it’s been a long road for him. Right now, my focus is on getting him through surgery and helping him recover.

Please rest assured that all of the animals in my care at the shelter will continue to receive the care, attention, and medical treatment they need. That will not change.

However, Axell is my family, and he is my top priority at the moment. He requires a significant amount of care and supervision, so public hours may be more limited than usual while we navigate this process. I will still do my best to be open a few days each week for visitors and adopters, and I’ll continue to post updates as I know more.

Thank you all for your understanding, patience, and support. It means a lot.

05/30/2026

Renovations to the dog area are underway today!

At this time, I am not able to take owner-surrendered dogs, and I do not expect that to change anytime soon. I am currently dealing with a medical emergency involving one of my own dogs, and he requires round-the-clock care for the time being.

We are a very small shelter with limited space and resources. We always want to help the animals that truly need us, but we simply cannot accept every dog that an owner decides they no longer want to keep.

We do not usually accept stray or abandoned animals brought in by random people. Those situations have to be handled by an animal control officer. The proper protocols have to be handled, and there is a legal process that has to be followed.

Before getting a pet, please make sure you are prepared to make a long-term commitment. Pets are not disposable when life becomes inconvenient.

There are certainly situations where people have legitimate reasons for needing to rehome a pet, and we are always willing to help those owners by sharing courtesy posts and helping them network to find a suitable new home, even if we are unable to bring the dog into the shelter.

In many cases, that is actually the best outcome for the dog. Dogs that have spent their entire lives in a home often struggle when suddenly placed in a shelter environment where they spend most of their time kenneled. If you can continue caring for your dog while a new home is found, that is usually in the dog’s best interest.

Because we are a small shelter with very limited resources, we have to be extremely selective about which dogs we can accept. Our priority will always be helping the animals with nowhere else to go.

We are excited about these renovations because it will give dogs here more privacy and security. Having their kennels opened to viewing by every single person that walks in creates stress and people think it is perfectly acceptable to approach our kennels and try to interact with dogs. That will no longer be allowed. This is what's best for the well being of the dogs. Access to the dog kennels will be limited to just staff and volunteers. Meetings can be arranged outside in the fenced in area or in a neutral area inside the shelter. But a dog's kennel should be their safe space and it doesn't feel like that to them when multiple people a day are approaching their kennels and forcing interactions.

Thanks as always for your understanding and support!

05/30/2026

Congrats Katryn Picard for winning the Farm to Table basket!! Thanks to all for your donations, these are very popular! 🎉
Special thanks to David and Pam Russ for sponsoring this week's giveaway!

05/29/2026

05/29/2026

What a great resource!

Who are you going to call? 📲 Well, the National Cat Behavior Helpline, of course! In our latest Q&A, learn how this free counseling service helps adopters, foster volunteers and others resolve cat behavior issues, keeping cats in homes and saving your team valuable time. 🐾 Pounce over to learn more at: https://bit.ly/4xdlLQX

05/29/2026

Closed for now.
I have an emergency with one of my dogs and am focused on him for the time being.
We are definitely closed over the weekend. Next week will probably be by appointment only. I will know more after today.
Thanks for understanding.

05/29/2026

Contest closed!

🌟 $5 Friday! 🌟

Happy Friday everyone! This week’s $5 Friday is sponsored by Dave and Pam Russ, and they have once again donated one of their amazing farm to table baskets! 🧺

These baskets are always popular, and it’s easy to see why. Everything in this basket was handmade by Dave and Pam using foods grown right in their own backyard.

This basket includes:
🍑 A jar of peach butter
🌶️ A jar of pickled peppers
🍇 A jar of currant raspberry jelly
🍑 A jar of peach topping
🍯 Three little jars of infused honey: lemon, cinnamon, and tangerine

And this time, they have sweetened the deal even more by adding $20 worth of scratch-off tickets to the basket! 🎟️🍀

A huge thank you to Dave and Pam for continuing to support the shelter animals and for always putting together such thoughtful, homemade raffle prizes. We appreciate you both so much! 🐾💙

🎟 How to enter:
$5 = 1 entry
$10 = 2 entries
$15 = 3 entries
…and so on!

💻 Payment options:

Autobooks:
👉 https://app.autobooks.co/pay/messenger-animal-rescue
➡️ Please check the box to cover processing fees so we receive the full donation and you receive your full number of entries.

Venmo:
👉 https://venmo.com/u/Sarah-Strout-9
(Last four digits if needed: 0499)

PayPal:
👉 https://www.paypal.me/stroutsarah
➡️ Please choose Friends & Family and, if using a credit card, consider adding a little extra to help cover fees.

🎉 Winner will be drawn Saturday May 30!

Thank you again to Dave and Pam Russ for sponsoring this week’s raffle and supporting The Messenger Animal Rescue. Good luck everyone!