Home at last

WRITTEN BY AISLINN SARNACKI

Every  year, hundreds of dogs and cats find homes through the Bangor Humane Society, an animal shelter that can trace its history back to 1869. Coincidentally, this haven for homeless pets is located on a road called Mount Hope Avenue. Indeed, it’s a place of hope.

“There’s lots of happy stories from this year in particular, and lots of dogs and cats waiting right now for a family,” said Kathryn Ravenscraft, director of development and communications for the Bangor Humane Society. “We’re hoping for similar outcomes for all of them.”

It’s always heartwarming to see an animal find its family, but some adoption stories are particularly moving. So, looking back on 2025, let’s celebrate a few of BHS’s biggest success stories.pact their stakeholders — and the planet.”

Bruno 

One of the happiest BHS stories from this year occurred back in January, when a big brindle dog named Bruno was finally adopted. He’d been waiting at the shelter for four years.

“A lot of [the pets at the shelter] are waiting for their unicorn person to come along,” said Ravenscraft. “They’re looking for the exact environment they need to thrive.”

Bruno was such a case. He came into the shelter as a stray, so his background is a mystery, but it’s safe to say he’d been through a tough time. He was reticent about people, the kind of dog who needed time to build trust with anyone. 

BHS staff worked hard training Bruno and giving him the best life possible at the shelter. One staff member in particular bonded with him and would take him for car rides and long walks in the Bangor City Forest. 

“Bruno is a dog that we couldn’t even have on the adoption floor because he’d be so triggered by too much sensory input and strangers coming in,” Ravenscraft said. “So we had him in the back of the house in a private ‘condo.’”

A couple became interested in adopting Bruno after seeing his profile on the BHS website. With the help of BHS staff, they got to work slowly building trust with him, visiting periodically at the shelter, then having a trial sleepover at their home. At the beginning of 2025, Bruno went home with them and hasn’t looked back.

“Bruno is loving life to the fullest,” said Lily Perlmutter, who adopted Bruno. “Every day is something new. He is always up for an adventure.”

“We have videos of him chasing balls in the rural place where he lives,” Ravenscraft said. “It’s just the ultimate success story to see Bruno go out and be happy.”

Tigger, Lucky, and Caesar

This year, BHS facilitated about 1,500 pet adoptions. With a no-kill policy, the shelter treats pets that have a wide range of medical and behavioral challenges, and they look for adopters who can continue that care.

For instance, Tigger, a brown tabby with white markings, has diabetes and requires regular doses of insulin by mouth. While Lucky, an asthmatic cat, uses a little inhaler. Both found homes through BHS this year.

Then there’s Ceasar — a big cat with a big personality. With long, luxuriant black hair and white markings and socks, Ceasar first arrived at BHS in 2017 and was quickly adopted, then returned in January of 2024. There he waited over a year before being adopted again. By then, Ceasar had developed kidney disease, but his new owners didn’t bat an eye.

“When I first met Caesar, he was described as ‘spicy,’” said Barbara Plummer, who adopted him. “It turned out that he was mostly sweet with a bit of spiciness. He was very affectionate. He loved to play and zoom up and down the stairs… Things did need to be on his terms and he needed to be introduced slowly to things like being brushed.”

Caesar adapted well to his new home, and for a brief time, lived like a king. Then his disease flared up, and he passed away.

“My prior cat also had kidney disease and lived a long life,” Plummer said. “Caesar was young and very fit, so it was a bit of a shock.”

“The great part of this is that he didn’t die here in the shelter,” Ravenscraft said. “He went home with someone who loved him very much, who worked really hard to understand what he needed in order to be happy and gave him a great home.”

Donatello and Scarlet

After losing Caesar, the Plummers decided they’d like to adopt two cats so they could play and keep each other company. First, they adopted Scarlet, then Donatello — who needed a little extra love and care.

“He came in as a stray and was severely emaciated and very sick with an upper respiratory infection and had corneal ulcers,” Ravenscraft said. “He also had a ligament tear in one of his legs at some point, so he has a bit of a limp … But [the Plummers] can’t be put off by medical cases.”

After just a few months in his new home, Donatello is doing well and putting on some weight. In addition, he’s adapting to his new playmate, Scarlet, and establishing boundaries — as cats will do. 

“I can’t say enough good things about the staff at the Bangor Humane Society,” Plummer said. “They truly care about the animals in their care and want what’s best for them. I’m also impressed by how much our community supports them. Every time I have been there, people have been dropping off donations.”

If interested in supporting BHS through donations, volunteerism, or adopting a pet, visit bangorhumane.org.