In the summer of 2008, two thousand animal lovers paid a total of $50,000 to pre-purchase an Animal Welfare specialty license plate and convince the legislature that there is enough interest in the plate to warrant legislation to create it. The license plate effort was spearheaded by a collaboration of organizations from the government, non-profit, and private sectors. Calling themselves the Maine Animal Leaders Team, or MALT for short, and led by Planet Dog, they successfully collected the $50,000 in a record 72 days, clearly demonstrating Mainer's desire to help animals. In the fall of 2008 a bill, sponsored by Senator Nutting of Leeds, was submitted to the legislature, and subsequently flew out of the House and Senate.

Maine's new Animal Welfare specialty license plate, the "ADOPT" plate, became available on October first. This colorful plate depicts Maine's love of animals with a rabbit, horse, bird, cat, and dog and the words "love, respect, Adopt," and it helps fight animal abuse and promote shelter animal adoption. Mainers can purchase a plate wherever they register their car, even if it isn't time for their registration renewal. Proceeds from the sale of each plate will help the Animal Welfare Program (AWP) investigate animal cruelty and it will also fund the Help Fix ME spay/neuter program to assist our overburdened animal shelters.

The AWP receives hundreds of complaints of animal cruelty and neglect every year. The program's field staff consists of one veterinarian and five humane agents. These six employees and the program's Director, Norma Worley, investigate these animal cruelty complaints across a 33,215 square mile area. Many Mainers might not know that the AWP does not receive any money from the state's General Fund. The majority of its funding comes from dog license fees. Every time a Mainer follows the law, and licenses a dog, eighty five percent of the dog licensing fee goes to the AWP to fight animal cruelty. Sadly though, only approximately 40% of Mainers license their dogs.

The Help Fix ME Program spays and neuters cats and dogs so that they and their off-spring do not end up in Maine's animal shelters. Every year Maine's shelters and rescue groups are challenged with finding loving homes for thousands of unwanted companion animals. These animals are often turned into shelters, or are turned out of their homes to face life on the streets, because they have not been spayed or neutered. Since 2005, the Help Fix ME Program has altered more than 7,000 cats and dogs preventing the birth of tens of thousands of unwanted animals.

There are several things the citizens of Maine can do to have a positive impact on animal cruelty and companion animal over-population. When reporting animal cruelty, they must be willing to state their name. They can also license their dogs and spay or neuter their pets. They can adopt from a shelter or rescue group. Maine's shelters have many wonderful animals waiting for new homes. If they can't find the animal they want at a shelter they should make sure they are buying from a reputable and licensed breeder. Information is available on the internet that provides guidance on how to identify a reputable breeder. They can also donate to the Help Fix ME Program by checking the Companion Animal Sterilization Fund box on their state tax form.

And finally, if they love animals they can help ensure "the way life should be" for Maine's companion animals by buying and proudly displaying Maine's new Adopt specialty license plate.

Sharon Secovich of Lyman is the Chair of the state's Animal Welfare Advisory Council and a co-founder of Spay Maine.