By: The New England Times
WEST KENNEBUNK, Maine -- Nearly 40 homeless puppies and dogs from Mississippi arrived in West Kennebunk Sunday evening.
In January, Falmouth High School senior Kiely Flynn went to Mississippi to help Habitat For Humanity rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. During her trip, she said she fell in love with a homeless dog that wandered onto the jobsite. She later adopted that dog, named Bear.
When she got home, she teamed up with a program in Mississippi and several local animal shelters to help save some of the hundreds of homeless dogs from being euthanized.
Sunday, some of those dogs arrived at the Animal Welfare Society in West Kennebunk. "It gave me a flashback to when we brought Bear back," said Flynn. "They're scared, they're hungry, they're tired, they don't really know what's going on. But once they see people they warm up so quickly, they're full of energy, just like every other puppy. I think they're just excited to be loved and have somebody take care of them."
Students at Falmouth High School also collected dog food and supplies to donate. Some students in health class even made dog biscuits. Thanks to their efforts, the students were able to fill an entire van with supplies.
Most of the dogs will stay at the Animal Welfare Society, but some will go to either the Animal Refuge Leage or the Coastal Humane Society. Officials said the dogs would be ready to adopt next week.
Organizers said they hope to bring more dogs to Maine in the coming months.
