TURNER — On a cold December afternoon, Tommy the horse found himself the center of attention at Rising Stars Therapeutic Farm. And he loved it. As five people brushed his coat and combed out his mane, the black and white American paint horse let his head droop a little, let a rear leg go slack. […]
Animal Tales
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Lisbon cat hotel caters to feline families
LISBON FALLS — Not too long ago, Jean E. Litchfield was watching a large, unhappy cat while his owner was out of the country. Knowing his pet was bitter about being away from home, the owner suggested Litchfield try singing. But not just any song. “It was the theme song to ‘Zorro,’” Litchfield said. “So […]
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Animal Tales: New Sharon man's donation gives shelter a future
WINTHROP — Robert Martin’s wife of 61 years had just died. Their beloved cats were gone. They had no children. At 84, Martin wasn’t feeling well himself. It was time, he felt, to give away his money. He’d donated $5,000 to a New Sharon library and he was preparing to sponsor a college scholarship in […]
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Animal Tales: Old turtles find new home in Lewiston
Beakster, a 45-year-old eastern box turtle, and five other members of his aging turtle family were taking in this summer by Drew Desjardins. Their previous caretaker had them for decades but recently had to move to a nursing home. LEWISTON — As elderly turtles go, Beakster is pretty spry. He eats. Swims. Sometimes he bullies […]
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Animal Tales: Tiny Lewiston charity quietly saving pets
LEWISTON — Denise Morin remembers every hard story. The three kittens who had been hidden in tall grass by their mother and were accidentally run over by a lawnmower. The three little dogs whose owners couldn’t keep up their care. The cat who was so ravaged by fleas that he was near death from the […]
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Animal Tales: Monthly free clinic puts pets first
Scout, a beagle-terrier mix cools off in an ice bath while he waits for care at the Androscoggin Humane Society tents at Kennedy Park on Wednesday. LEWISTON — Teila Reed, her grandmother and the family dog, a terrier-Chihuahua mix named Chewy — short for Chewbacca — arrived at Kennedy Park Wednesday morning and lingered in […]
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Animal Tales: So you think you want a hedgehog
Kersti Bayne holds her pet hedgehogs at her Lewiston apartment recently. LEWISTON — Kersti Bayne always wanted a pet hedgehog. The longing started so far back that she can’t really even remember why. “I always thought they were just so precious,” she said. “They’re fun. I don’t know, I love them.” Today, a pair of […]
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Animal Tales: Groomer on the go
AUBURN — Margaret Betts tried repeatedly to brush out Wren’s thick, matted undercoat, to no avail. The 5-year-old border collie hated it and Betts realized she needed a professional’s help. It turned out she needed Pixie Willow’s Mobile Pet Spa. Groomer Darleen LaFontaine founded Pixie Willow’s — named after her family’s own dog — last […]
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Animal Tales: New homes for old dogs
Tyson, a senior Great Dane, yawns as Lisa Perkins pets him. When Perkins learned of him almost a year ago, Tyson had a host of health problems, including a mouth full of abscesses from gum disease. He’d doing much better now thanks to Old Dogs New Digs, a nonprofit group that started a year ago […]
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Animal Tales: Goat by goat
LITCHFIELD — At first, Aaron Grim and his wife, Briis Wile, just wanted a few goats for themselves. They were homesteading on 13 acres and goats seemed easier to care for than, say, cows. And besides, goat milk was sweet and rich and tasted really good raw. Six years and 11 goats later — seven […]