THOMASTON —  Longtime benefactor Lyman Pope recently donated $1 million to Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County (PMHSKC) to help secure the overall vision of the organization, which includes the construction of a new 10,075 square foot facility.

This additional one million dollar gift supports PMHSKC’s $2.2 million Capital Campaign, with 92 percent of the funding now secured.

"For over fifteen years, in so many different ways, Mr. Pope has been a tremendous friend to homeless animals and the shelters who care for them across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont and a great friend to PMHSKC." said Tracy Sala, executive director, in a news release. “I am deeply grateful for this gift and his faith in us.  Mr. Pope's generous donation, along with strong support from the community, over five hundred supporters, will have a substantial impact on our ability to save and care for homeless animals, benefiting the community for generations.”

Pope has a long history of supporting PMHSKC from providing fencing for dog play yards, painting kennels, special dietary food for animals, Lyme testing kits, and, because of his support and vision, a gift to launch the building campaign. 

Pope of Jackson, NH, founded the Lyman Pope Jr. Foundation, which helps animal shelters in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. A lifelong animal lover, Pope has supported more than 37 shelters in the New England region.

Three individual shelters, the Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County, the Pope Memorial Frontier Animal Shelter in Orleans, VT, and the Pope Memorial SPCA in Concord, NH, were selected by Pope for major donations to continue the work and services they provide and have been named in his honor.

“We are so thankful for Mr. Pope's support,” said Board President Kim Grinnell in the news release. “This gift will allow us to begin construction of the new PMHSKC facility in the spring of 2015, a facility that addresses a critical need in our community.”

On any given day the Pope Memorial Humane experiences a high volume of visitors and inquiries, including those viewing adoptable animals and those who have a need for services. The demand for services continues to grow with intake of homeless animals reaching nearly 1,500 animals a year, more than doubling animal admissions from just ten years ago. 

The current building floor plan provides an overcrowded facility that is not conducive to meeting the animal welfare needs of towns in Knox and Waldo Counties that PMHSKC’s serves through contracted services and all others seeking help.

PMHSKC will construct a new facility on land owned by the organization that is adjacent to the existing facility on Buttermilk Lane in Thomaston. The new building will feature a state of the art air exchange system and sanitation measures to reduce stress and disease, providing a healthier environment for staff and resident animals; separate dog and cat wings with segregated quarantine/isolation areas for sick and injured animals and a large room dedicated to educational programs to reinforce humane values and animal care knowledge.

Founded in 1989, the Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County is devoted to caring for and placing unwanted and abandoned animals in loving homes; promoting responsible pet ownership, humane treatment of all animals; demonstrating and enhancing the benefits of the human-animal bond and ending pet overpopulation through aggressive spay/neuter and Trap Neuter Return programs.

The shelter is located between the Dexter Street Extension and Buttermilk Lane in Thomaston and is open between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday (closed Sundays). 

PMHSKC provides animal support services to the towns of Rockland, Thomaston, Warren, Owls Head, St. George, Port Clyde, Martinsville and Tenants Harbor; So. Thomaston, Spruce Head, Hope, Union, Appleton, Montville, Cushing, Matinicus, North Haven, and Vinalhaven, Stockton Springs, Morrill and Thorndike.

For more information about PMHSKC, visit www.hskcme.org.