Dedicated to Rescue, Rehabilitation, & Forever Homes
By Susan Spisak
Monique Kramer, D.V.M., founder of Journey Animal Rescue, aka Long Journey to a New Beginning Animal Rescue, has been involved in this type of work for almost two decades. In 2005, she obtained a Maine shelter license so she could help another group pull dogs from the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. In 2013, she officially registered her non-profit as a 501(c) (3).
Journey Animal Rescue is a small, in-home animal shelter and rescue--she fosters almost all the dogs herself on her 10+ acre spread in Stow near the NH border. Additionally, she has her own pack of dogs and wolf hybrids that aren’t adoptable due to medical, behavioral, or breed needs. These permanent pack members have found their forever home with her.
Dr. Kramer is indebted to her handful of volunteers, especially the board treasurer who regularly stops at her home to help with the rescue’s care. That’s a good thing because Dr. Kramer also attends to her clients at the Art of Alternative Animal Healing in Fryeburg.
The dogs come to Long Journey from all over the country. They’re fostered, socialized, vetted, exercised, loved, and given proper nutrition until the perfect home can be found. Because Dr. Kramer’s first dog was a blind and deaf Australian Shepherd who brought her joy for 14 years, she advocates for special needs pets.
One recent happy adoption story is that of Ajani, a blind and deaf Australian shepherd. He was rescued from Louisiana because he was slated for euthanization by his breeder due to those “defects.” Dr. Kramer said he purposely bred two merle-colored dogs which results in blindness and deafness 25% of the time. Prior to his life at Long Journey, Ajani was mostly crated resulting in significant issues with confinement.
At her home, Ajani became best friends with one of her Pitties and two Wolf dogs. “They were infinitely patient with him. He was adopted by a former animal welfare vet for the state of Maine who currently runs her own rehab and acupuncture practice. She has another deaf and visually impaired Australian shepherd mix that she adopted from me and a rescued Newfoundland mix.”
Currently she has only one dog available for adoption, an Australian Shepherd named Jackie (see below). She’s expecting four Chihuahuas soon, but they won’t be immediately available for adoption. Watch the Facebook link for more, facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057526544483.
For adoption info and the application, go to journeyanimalrescue.org/. Expect a home, vet and reference check prior to adoption. Once the application is approved, all family members must be present for a meet and greet with the dog. All animals are vaccinated, microchipped, spayed/neutered, heartworm tested, and de-wormed prior to adoption.
As far as needs, they are simple. Cash donations are welcome as well as tangible items, such as Phycox and Glycoflex joint supplements and ElleVet chews. journeyanimalrescue.org/.