Shelter Open for Business

Trent the gentle giant is a two-year-old neutered Great Dane who needs a home. He’s friendly and loves kids. A large yard (and dog bed) are required. Make that very large.

The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard, formerly the MSPCA, has been steam cleaned, repainted and is open for business again at the same location in Edgartown. In addition to Trent, the shelter currently has Felix, a tuxedo cat.

And there will be more in the weeks and months ahead as the shelter again takes up the business of providing a temporary home for stray and unwanted dogs, cats and other small animals.

It’s been a long road for the shelter, which nearly closed for good early this spring after the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced it could no longer afford to run it due to financial strain in the mother organization. Thankfully a dedicated group of volunteers joined forces with the county government to take over the operation and lease the building from the MSPCA. A grand opening is planned for later this month. There is much work still to be done; money must be raised to keep the shelter on sound financial footing, as the county itself has no extra funds and will tap the six Island towns for modest contributions in the short run. But a small corps of dedicated and organized Islanders are determined to keep it going — and we expect they will do just that.

Today the Gazette again begins publishing Please Adopt Us, a weekly column that lists the pets available for adoption and other small bits of news from the shelter.

And volunteers are needed — call 508-627-8662 if you would like to help out.