BY JENN McDOWELL

The Animal Rescue League houses hundreds of abandoned, surrendered and rescued animals and finds homes for them in surrounding communities, but few people know that they do much more.

The League has a “no kill” philosophy, so unlike many shelters, there is no time limit on how long an animal stays at the shelter. Some of them have been there for years, according to adoption coordinator Danielle Hastings.

The League offers a variety of animal-related services, one of those being “Spayapalooza,” a spay and neutering clinic in which people on state assistance can sign up to get those services for $25.

They also have their own animal cruelty investigator, Maureen Prendergast, who in the past month has been working on four animal-hording cases in the area.

In July and August, more than 100 cats were rescued from homes in Manchester, Hooksett and Campton.
In one instance, a couple in Manchester had 56 cats in their apartment.

“People that are horders usually have a disorder that is related to obsessive compulsive disorder. They get overwhelmed, and don’t know how to get out of the situation,” said the shelter’s CEO Caroline Boyd.

In most cases, the League is able to negotiate with the horder to let them keep a few pets and surrender the rest, all of which have to be housed, spayed or neutered, and vaccinated.

Inmates at the Goffstown Women’s Prison help socialize the feral kittens the League brings in, something that is beneficial to both the prisoners and animals.

“Wild kittens, you only have a certain amount of time to socialize them. Inmates are great candidates for that,” said Boyd. “When the kittens are ready to come back, they are social, friendly and adoptable.”

The Animal Rescue League  gets no state or federal funding. All of its operating costs are generated through private donations and fundraising.

On Oct. 5, the League hosted the “Elegant Homes Tour,” sponsored by Shanner Homes, for which people bought tickets to view homes running in the $1 million range. All proceeds went straight to the ARL, said Boyd.

The League also has a kennel sponsorship program, said Hastings, where donors can pay for one of the dog cages and receive a newsletter about the inhabitants in their donated living space.

They also sell “Muddy Paw” coffee, a venture bent toward raising money for animal care, and receive $2 out of each bag sold.

In November, the League will hold its ninth annual “Live and Silent Auction.” Everything from diamond jewelry, luxurious getaways in California and other tourist destinations, cruises, and even a three-hour flight in a fighter jet will be auctioned off.

For more information about the Animal Rescue League and their programs, go to www.rescueleague.org. The Animal Rescue League is located at 545 Route 101 in Bedford.