Hero Tours is a program designed to acknowledge children who make remarkable contributions to the AWS. When a child donor visits or contacts the shelter to make a substantial donation, they are given the opportunity to schedule a Hero Tour at the shelter. A Hero Tour includes a full behind-the-scenes tour of the facility as well as a Certificate of Appreciation and the option of having their picture taken which may be used on the website or in a press release.
Christian Stickney went out of his way to do the right thing when he saved two abandoned cats, one of which was locked in a vacated apartment. From left are Lona Ham, of the Animal Welfare Society in West Kennebunk; Sanford Police Chief Thomas Connolly; Sanford Animal Control Officer Lauren Masellas; Stickney; Sanford School Superintendent Elizabeth St. Cyr; and Sanford Junior High School Principal Becky Brink. Lona Ham has invited Christian for a "Hero Tour," a full behind- the-scenes tour of the Shelter in West Kennebunk with his friends and family. More...
This is Fran! She loves pets of all kinds. For her birthday she asked her friends to bring gifts for the animals at the shelter instead of gifts for her. She and her brother came for a behind the scenes tour of the Animal Welfare Society, as you can see, she enjoyed her time with four legged friends!
Kids love animals, and sweets!
So when Daniel, Jack and Owen decided to bake brownies and sell them to benefit the Animal Welfare Society they sold a lot of brownies!
Here they are on the day of their Hero Tour Daniel and Jack met two little grey kittens and Owen spent some time with a ferret.
Thanks boys, keep cooking!!
When Hannah received money on her birthday she decided that the animals at AWS needed presents more than she did. She went to the store and bought treats, cat litter, food, toys and paper towels for the shelter. Hannah loves animals and that is obvious from the smile on her face during her Hero Tour. Thank you Hannah!!
Meet Tia and Oliver, they had a lemonade stand and donated the money to AWS. They decorated their t-shirts for the stand and raised a lot of money. They are the future of animal welfare! Thanks you two!!
Brother and sister, Matty and Anya, are modern day heros! They both decided to ask for presents for the animals at AWS for birthdays instead of presents for themselves. Here they are on the day of their Hero Tour, Matty was holding a cat too but it jumped down as the photo was taken. The animals, volunteers and staff thank you for your generousity!
Adrienne just celebrated her 11th birthday. Her family has visited AWS many times and adopted 4 pets from the shelter. For her birthday she decided to put the animals first and asked her friends to bring gifts to donate to AWS. Here she is on the day of her tour cuddling a kittie and massaging a mouse!
Kaia decided to invite 10 of her close friends to the Animal Shelter to celebrate her birthday. They had a tour, got to hang out with some of the animals, made a craft, had cupcakes, and filled the two hours with laughter and friendship. Instead of bringing presents for Kaia her guests brought presents for the animals.
Thank you Kaia!
Meet Calvin, at ten years old, he decided that he was going to donate money to the Animal Welfare Society because he is proud of the work that AWS does. Calvin told Lona, the AWS humane educator that he "would like to see every animal at AWS get a home."
When Sophie (green shirt) and Paige (pink shirt) were planning their birthdy parties they decided that they wanted their friends to bring gifts for the animals at AWS instead of gifts for them. Their friends were very generous bringing toys, litter, food and Frontline. All of these items are necessary in order for the shelter staff to keep the animals happy and healthy! Thank you for putting the animals first!!
This is Tiernan, (holding a kitten), she is 7 and 1/2 years old. She came to the Animal Welfare Society and donated her own money so that she could help the animals. Thank you for doing such a generous thing! AWS relies on the support of people like you to care for more than 3,000 pets that we will place in homes this year.
These little munchkins from West Kennebunk decided to have a lemonade stand and donate the money to the animals at the Animal Welfare Society. Here they are with Doodle, a transfer dog in our Paws Across America program. Thank you for putting the animals first!
Ashley from North Berwick loves animals. She and her family have a cat and a German Shepherd. When she came on her Hero Tour after making a donation to the Shelter she was excited to meet Rosie, this 10 year old Shepherd who is up for adoption. They made fast friends. Thank you for your donation Ashley!!
Here is Danielle, a student at Coastal Ridge Elementary School, with Chaz, an adoptable cat at AWS. Danielle has two cats that she adopted from the Shelter and is urging her family to bring home another one before the end of the summer. For her birthday she asked for gifts for the animals. She must have known about "Kitten Season" because she brought in Kitten Formula which is so very important for the little ones. Thank you Danielle, we hope that you achieve your dream of becoming a veterinarian!
Brandon, Brandon, Brandon! This go getter - back row, in the middle, LOVES animals. He and his family adopted a dog from AWS after the Buxton Puppy Mill Seizure in 2007. He decided he wanted to do something special for the pets at AWS waiting for forever homes. His teachers in Falmouth allowed him to have a "Stuffed Animal Day" where students can bring in their stuffed friends if they pay a $1.00. They raised $78.00!! His parents were so impressed with his idea they added $10.00 more. That will buy a package of six Frontline for large dogs. Thank you Brandon and friends!!
These young ladies, Isis, Lily and Madison asked their teacher at the Burns School in Saco if they could do something for the animals at AWS. Their teacher thought it was a great idea and helped to coordinate a donation drive for the animals. They brought in two huge boxes of pet supplies and food. Thank you for the extracurricular activity girls!
Meet Kristen - wearing the yellow shirt, she came to AWS after her 10th birthday and presented the animals with lots of food, toys and treats. What a generous young lady!! Here she is on the day of her hero tour...yes Kristen, you are a hero!! Thank you on behalf of the animals!
Caitlin from Kennebunk had her birthday party in the Education Room at the Animal Welfare Society. It happened to be right after the shelter had brought in some transfer puppies so during her party she and her friends got to play. Caitlin is such a kind soul that instead of getting presents for herself at the party she asked her friends to bring supplies for the animals. She really enjoyed the "puppy love" and the pets at the Shelter really enjoyed their treats and other gifts. Thank you Caitlin!
Here are Kali and friends, including Hope, a retired, racing Greyhound, who were at Kali's Birthday Party at the AWS. Kali asked her friends to bring presents for the animals rather than gifts for herself. That was such a selfless thing to do, Thanks Kali!!
Mariah and Nicki decided it wasn't enough to talk about how much they love animals - they wanted to do something about it. So they started asking people for money to support the work that AWS does. The York natives went door to door, stood in front of the local pizzeria and got family members involved. They came to the shelter unannounced and modestly made their donation. To us they are HEROS! Here they are with Kerrie Robinson on the day that they delivered the funds.
When asked what kind of animal she likes the most, Isabella from Kennebunkport is quick to answer, "Dogs, no, I mean cats, well, I really like bunnies, I guess I really don't have one favorite." During her Hero Tour of the shelter she spent time with all of her "favorites." She held her birthday party at the Animal Welfare Society and it was no surprise when most of her party guests reeled off a list of the pets they had at home. Here she is with her Dad, also a huge animal lover, and Buddy, the sweetest adoptable Beagle who attended her party too. Isabella's friends brought toys, treats, litter and food to the party, some even wrote checks to the Shelter. Thank you for your generousity Isabella, you are truly a Animal Welfare Hero!
Lily's Mom gave her a choice for her 11th birthday, a gift or a party at the Animal Welfare Society. She picked the shelter! She and her friends spent the afternoon visiting with the animals and doing a craft. In addition to the donation they made for the party her friends and family donated supplies and money for the shelter. It won't be a surprise if these animal lovers become future AWS volunteers!
Sophie invited her friends to her birthday party at the Animal Welfare Society and she asked them to bring gifts for the animals. The girls had a great time doing a craft and eating the cake that was shaped like a dog! Mostly they wanted to spend time with the pets. Thank you for putting the animals before yourself on your 8th birthday Sophie, you are the future of Animal Welfare.
Emma from Gorham loves animals! For her 8th birthday she was kind enough to ask her friends and family for donations to the shelter instead of presents for herself. Emma has learned at a young age how good it feels to help those in need. Thank you from the animals and staff at the shelter!
Meet Lea from Saco! This creative young lady has been making clay pins of animals and selling them to benefit AWS. She also does extra chores around the house so that she can contribute to the care of homeless animals while they wait for their forever home. Join her at the AWS Kitten Shower on Saturday, May 9th and purchase a pin for from her!
These heros had a bakesale to benefit AWS! Erin, Stephanie, Laura and Gabby came to the shelter for a tour and really enjoyed playing with the cats! Thank you girls!
Katie, from York, knows how important the work AWS is for the lost and abandoned animals in Southern Maine. She decided to help our efforts by doing pet sitting and selling lemonade. She donated all of the money from these ventures to the Animal Welfare Society. Thank you Katie, the animals appreciate you!
This is Girl Scout Troop 944 from Biddeford. They are working on their Animal Care and Kindness Badge. When they came to AWS for a tour they brought dog and cat food with them. They love animals and being Girl Scouts!
Molly loves animals and she loves the AWS website. When she was asked if she wanted to be on the website she answered with a wide smile and a YES! Molly asked the guests at her birthday party to make a donation to the shelter and they also said YES! She brought supplies and a cash donation so that AWS can continue it's good work for the animals.
Meet Kelsy(center)!
She decided to ask the guests at her birthday party to bring pet supplies for AWS. Here she is on the day of her Hero Tour with her sister Caroline and a friend. Thank you for putting the needs of the animals above your own!!
Here are a group of students from Lebanon Elementary School who decided to hold a food/supply drive for the animals at AWS over the holidays. They came to the Shelter with two cars of food, litter, toys and treats. These young people are a great example of what people can do to help the animals.
Meet Julia and Melodie two heros from Wells who care about the abandoned animals at Animal Welfare Society so much that they had a fund raising Lemonade Stand that raised $150.00!! Good Job and Thank You!
This little pumpkin, Elizabeth, just turned four years old. When her parents asked her if she wanted to wanted to pick a charity for friends and family to donate birthday gifts, she said, "The animals!" Thank you Elizabeth, you are the future of Animal Welfare!
These young entrepreneurs contacted the company that makes "Kong" dog toys on behalf of AWS and received a large box of the sought after toys, they held bakesales and craft sales, they asked family and friends for items on our wish list and even money! Thank you Andrea and Arianna, you are AWS Heros! The animals benefited from your gifts in many ways!
Meet Ryan from South Berwick! For his birthday he asked his friends to bring gifts for the animals and they sure did! Thank you for your contribution to the Animal Welfare Society!
This is Sam! He is a frequent visitor at AWS. For his 13th birthday his guests brought toys, food and supplies for AWS. Thank you Sam and Happy Birthday!!
Chase and Morgan LOVE animals! So when Chase decided to open a lemonade stand and donate the proceeds to AWS her sister decided to get into the act and donate the money in her piggy bank! Animal Welfare Society is lucky to have supporters this dedicated to helping with our Mission. Thank you girls and good parenting Lee and Hans!
Sydnie from Wells had a Birthday Party and asked for presents for the animals instead of presents for herself! She got the idea from her friend Zoe. Her she is with her sister visiting the cats in the community rooms during her Hero Tour. Thank you for your generosity Sydnie!!
Delaney and her sister brought gifts to the animals at Animal Welfare Society from her birthday party. What a selfless act! You girls are the future of Animal Welfare! Thank you!
Another family making a difference in the lives of the animals at AWS. Allie, Lindsey, Britney and Kaylee had a yard sale, baked cookies and sold lemonade to benefit the animals. Here they are in one of the Community Cat Rooms, do you see the tail of the kitty behind them?? Thank you girls!
Meet Osiris! He loves animals and wants to make a difference. He collects money to buy food and toys for the Animal Welfare Society and visits the animals often. Thanks for being a vital part of our community Osiris!
This is Tia! She had a Hawaiian Luau themed Birthday Party and asked her friends to bring gifts for the animals instead of herself. Among the loot she collected for AWS was cleaning supplies, baby animal bottles, litter and food plus tons of treats and toys. Thank you Tia, you and your gifts are making a difference!!
Meet Ricky and Lily, twins from Kennebunk who asked their friends who came to their 6th birthday party to bring donations for the animals instead of gifts for themselves. They ended up gathering a whole station wagon trunk full of food, toys, collars, leashes and 2 guests came to the shelter to make a cash donation. On behalf of the animals, thank you Ricky and Lily!
Here we have the Massabesic High Leo Club. These exceptional young adults hold fund raisers for non-profit groups. AWS was the recipient of a very generous gift. Thank you for giving back!!
Troop 75 Daisies collected food and litter for the animals at AWS! Good job girls!
Many thanks to these fifth graders from Lebanon! Their class held a bottle drive for AWS and donated the money! Hats off to you!!
This creative young lady, Kelly from Lyman, recovered recycled bottles and asked for donations for the AWS Kitten Shower. Thank you Kelly!!
When Zoe, in the purple flowered shirt, celebrated her 9th birthday she requested donations to Animal Welfare Society instead of gifts for herself. Here she is on the day of her Hero Tour with her friend Sydnie. Thank you Zoe - you are a Hero!
Here is Amelia with her brother the day they delivered gifts, treats and food for the animals. Amelia asked her friends and family to make donations to AWS instead of presents for herself. Amelia, YOU are a HERO!!
Adrienne just celebrated her 11th birthday. Her family has visited AWS many times and adopted 4 pets from the shelter. 
For her birthday she decided to put the animals first and asked her friends to bring gifts to donate to AWS. Here she is on the day of her tour cuddling a kittie and massaging a mouse!
Kaia decided to invite 10 of her close friends to the Animal Shelter to celebrate her birthday. They had a tour, got to hang out with some of the animals, made a craft, had cupcakes, and filled the two hours with laughter and friendship. 
Instead of bringing presents for Kaia her guests brought presents for the animals. 
When Sophie (green shirt) and Paige (pink shirt) were planning their birthdy parties they decided that they wanted their friends to bring gifts for the animals at AWS instead of gifts for them. Their friends were very generous bringing toys, litter, food and Frontline. All of these items are necessary in order for the shelter staff to keep the animals happy and healthy! Thank you for putting the animals first!!
Brandon, Brandon, Brandon! This go getter - back row, in the middle, LOVES animals. He and his family adopted a dog from AWS after the Buxton Puppy Mill Seizure in 2007. He decided he wanted to do something special for the pets at AWS waiting for forever homes. His teachers in Falmouth allowed him to have a "Stuffed Animal Day" where students can bring in their stuffed friends if they pay a $1.00. They raised $78.00!! His parents were so impressed with his idea they added $10.00 more. That will buy a package of six Frontline for large dogs. Thank you Brandon and friends!!
