From Nutter Butter to Miss Priss: Shelter Stars Steal the Show.
Jul 30, 2026
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop.
BAR HARBOR— On the screen at the far end of the Bar Harbor Club, Rowdy (now Rudy) stared from where he sat pretty on a wooden floor. Next up on the screen Horizon glowed, adopted in March, and still his sassy self. Napkin, all white haired is “doing amazing” the slide proclaims before the image moved on to Miss Priss, who is 18 years young.
“Oh, Nutter Butter. He was adopted on Christmas,” one woman cooed from a back table as she was served her salad and Nutter Butter graced the screen.
Rowdy now Rudy, Napkin, Miss Priss, and Nutter Butter are some of the animals that the SPCA of Hancock County and the people of Hancock County have saved.
On July 28, the Wine and Whiskers gala, where those images were proudly displayed, was meant to save a few more.
Through live and silent auctions and donations, those gathered helped to become heroes to the SPCA and its animals.
“We were founded in 1911. We have 115 years of history in helping animals,” Board President Michelle Allvin told the crowd. That’s a lot of saving.
The SPCA is 99.95% community-funded and 100% appreciative of all the support it receives, its website states.
That appreciation was obvious in the shout-outs and thanks to donors that Allvin and Executive Director Mindy Quinn Wulf gave throughout the evening. Shelter heroes, defenders, boosters, allies, supporters, and pals were listed in the program and included Carol and Bob Calder, Chris and Susan Pappas, and Lyn Nobil, in loving memory of Jim Nobil.
Allvin explained that the work of the SPCA in Hancock County first started with Edith Grinnell Bowdoin, one of the Bowdoin family that lived in LaRochelle, the West Street cottage in Bar Harbor that now is home to the Bar Harbor Historical Society.
“It got started with horses,” Allvin explained.
According to newspaper reports from 1919, Bowdoin placed drinking pails for horses at every brook she could get access to. She was vice president of what was then called the ASPCA of Hancock County.
“Miss Bowdoin has seen to it that on every road on the island of Mount Desert, where spring or brook flows, pails for the watering horses and cups for drinking have been placed, and this system has been gradually extended over the whole of Hancock County. Several men are employed by Miss Bowdoin in looking after this system, and pails and cups, conspicuously lettered with neat little signs, are put up by the roadside at short intervals,” a 1913 NYT article states.
The next 115 years and what it holds for the society and the animals of Hancock County is an important question, Allvin said.
The organization created a new strategic plan to try to help draft its way into the future for the organization which is currently overcapacity with dogs. Many mom dogs are in foster homes with puppies. Chihuahuas are kennel sharing.
According to the agency’s website, so far this year, they’ve adopted out 72 cats and dogs; another 36 are in foster care.
Pillars of priority for the no-kill, fear-free shelter include financial security, canine capacity growth, and organizational structuring so that the SPCA can continue to meet the region’s growing needs.
“We believe as much as you do that animals deserve better,” Allvin said.
“It takes a team,” to help animals Wulf told those gathered.
It takes, she said, compassionate people, volunteers, businesses who invest, adopters who open hearts, fosters who open their homes, animal control workers, law enforcement officers, and talented staff.
“Tonight we celebrate all of you,” she told them.
In 2025 the SPCA spent $38,000 on veterinarian services. It uses the Feel Better Fund to pay for things like surgeries, dental work, and diagnostic tests.
“The needs of our community continue to grow,” and so do the needs of the animals they care for, Wulf said.
She thanked supporters for believing that every animal deserves compassion and community and hope.
“Thank you for continuing to change lives one animal at a time,” she said.
Andrew Simon emceed the auction with Wine and Whiskers Event Committee Chair Jamie O’Keefe. They auctioned a six-hour yacht cruise, private chef’s tasting menu in The Glass House at Aragosta, and a “gearhead’s” dream private tour of a local car collection of 100 Corvettes, including one that once belonged to a member of the musical group the Beach Boys.
“The auction is the only show where the audience is the star,” Simon said.
PADDLE RAISE
The paddle raise allowed donors to support different services at the SPAC, but also showed just how much money is needed to keep animals healthy, alive, and safe.
It costs $5k for outside vet bills for a month. It takes $2.5k to spay and neuter for a month. Allergy medications cost approximately $500 a month. The list goes on and on.
SERVICES OFFERED AT THE SPCA
Pet Food Pantry
We are working to support community members with feeding their pets! Click Here to Apply.
Last Litter Program
The SPCA of Hancock County is working within our community to reduce pet overpopulation, help prevent unplanned litters, and ensure that every animal has a home. We will take in mom and the litter and when the babies are weaned, mom will get spayed and returned to you. We will then find loving homes for the littermates when they are old enough.
More information and the Last Litter form can be found here.
Microchipping
Low-cost microchipping is available by appointment.
Cost: $30
Why microchip? Studies show that cats with microchips are more than twenty times as likely to be reunited with their families than cats who are not microchipped.
Pet Mobility Aid Program
Our Pet Mobility Aid Program provides donated mobility support items—such as dog wheelchairs in various sizes, ramps, harnesses, and more. These items are available to the community by donation, and we cannot guarantee availability of specific equipment.
Call 207-667-8088 or email info@spcahancockcounty.org to discuss what is available.
Pet Nail Clipping
Dog and cat nail clipping, appointments strongly encouraged. Staff will try their best to complete the appointment, but will stop if needed due to temperament.
Cost: By donation.
WAYS TO DONATE
Feel Better Fund
Donations made to the Feel Better Fund go directly toward the veterinary and medical costs of the animals that need the most help in our shelter.
Pet Pal Program
When you sign up to make a recurring donation of at least $30 a month, you’ll be a valued “Pet Pal” and will automatically get monthly updates from shelter animals.
Gifts of Stock
A donation of stock can bring tax benefits to you while furthering our work to provide needed care and loving homes for animals throughout Hancock County. Please contact us at development@spcahancockcounty.org or (207) 460-0536 for information.
Legacy Giving
Create your legacy of love for cats and dogs.
When creating or modifying your estate plan, including the SPCA of Hancock County is a simple and meaningful way to ensure that we continue our lifesaving work for years to come.
The Mickey Duffy Fund
The SPCA of Hancock County is also the steward of the Mickey Duffy Fund, which helps keep pets in their home by providing relief to qualified owners for emergency veterinary bills.
Send a Check
Want to mail a check? Please make it out to:
SPCA of Hancock County
Mail to:
SPCA of Hancock County
141 Bar Harbor Road
Trenton, ME 04605
Federal Tax ID: 01-6018214
LEARN MORE
The SPCA of Hancock County website
Its Facebook page.
Unless otherwise specified, all photos Shaun Farrar and Carrie Jones of the Bar Harbor Story. Many thanks to the SPCA of Hancock County for its photos.
We have more photos from the event over on our Facebook page, which is here.
Annual Wine & Whiskers Event to Support the SPCA
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