Community news

Bangor

Animal welfare seminar

Bangor Humane Society, in conjunction with Petfinder.com and cMarket.com, an online auction fundraising platform for nonprofit organizations, will be the host for Adoption Options, a one-day animal welfare seminar, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, at Four Points Sheraton, Bangor Airport. The event, sponsored by the PETCO Foundation, is open to those involved in animal welfare.

Highlights will include shelter dog trainer Sue Sternberg, who will demonstrate effective ways to train shelter dogs to improve their adoptability. Others will discuss ringworm management, creative marketing and fundraising.

The cost to attend is $20, $10 to Petfinder.com members, and includes lunch, a Petfinder.com T-shirt, a gift from PETCO and educational materials. Space is limited. For information, e-mail adoptionoptions@petfinder.com. To register, mail a check to: Lynn Katz, Petfinder.com, 28 Garden St., South River, NJ 08882.

Petfinder.com is the oldest and largest virtual animal shelter and represents nearly 10,000 animal welfare organizations nationwide and in Canada. The site lists 200,000 adoptable pets and has facilitated 10 million adoptions since 1996. Thanks to its sponsors, Petfinder.com is free to potential adopters and to its members. As part of its commitment to animal welfare, Purina signed on as the Web site’s premier sponsor.

Other sponsors are Bissell Homecare Inc., a manufacturer of home cleaning and floor care products; PETCO, a national pet supply retailer; The Animal Rescue Site; and Merial, maker of the veterinary-recommended flea and tick preventative Frontline and heartworm preventative Heartguard.

Corinth

A van for Tommy

Efforts by friends, family and concerned community members are ongoing to help purchase an accessible van for the family of 14-year-old Tommy Mousseau of Brewer, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a degenerative disease that affects every muscle in the body and for which there is no cure.

A new, full-size van costs at least $50,000.

To help Mike and Lori Mousseau make this purchase for their family of six, a Benefit Poker Run will be held 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, beginning and ending at the Corinth Snowmobile Club, 805 Main St., Route 15, in Corinth. The rain date is Saturday, Oct. 21.

The fee is $5 per hand with no limit on the number of hands, and a $100 prize for the winning hand. The fundraiser also features a 50-50 raffle, door prizes and a barbecue after the ride.

To register, call Christien Dearborn, 990-7382 or 478-6081, or e-mail christien.dearborn@mebngr.ang.af.mil; or call Jason Edwards, 990-7541, or e-mail jason.edwards@mebngr.ang.af.mil.

If you cannot attend but would like to help the family, visit www.tommyneedsavan.

com for information. Tax-deductible business donations can be made by writing a check to the Community Church of the Open Door in Hampden, with Deacons Fund on the memo line.