Maine Friends of Animals (MFOA) is Maine’s largest active animal protection organization. We promote the humane treatment of animals through education, advocacy and legislation.

MFOA was founded over a decade ago by former legislator and long-time animal protection advocate Robert Fisk, Jr., when he found that animal protection had no real voice in Maine. There was little or no organized effort or effective structure in which animal issues could be advanced. The fundamental initial goals of MFOA were to effectively engage the legislative process and to set up a statewide organization as a foundation to increase public awareness.

Today, MFOA has an active seven-member board and 15 District Coordinators throughout the state working together with Maine animal advocates to move animal protection issues to the forefront in the legislature and with the public in general.

This statewide structure has provided MFOA with the ability to organize and successfully develop six two-year campaigns to increase the penalties for animal cruelty, to revamp the state Animal Welfare Program, to ban circus elephants in the state, to end coyote snaring, the bear referendum to end the hunting of Maine black bears with the use of bait, hounds and traps, and most recently, the “Dogs Chained for Life.”

We are a 501 c4 non-profit, which means MFOA can be more political in nature and in operation. MFOA actively supports and works to elect animal-friendly legislators.

“Love animals. Hate politics. Where does that leave the animals?” To increase our opportunities to make progress in our issues, we need animal-friendly legislators. MFOA works to support animal-friendly legislators and to defeat those who particularly oppose animal protection legislation.

Lastly, MFOA is an education and resource center. The spacious new office in Falmouth has an extensive array of articles, files, magazines, legislative history, books, videos and resources. MFOA can assist members who might like to learn more about the issues, or to set up a table/booth at a local school, community event, county fair, conference, political event, etc. MFOA’s Outreach Coordinator and office staff can assist members in outreach education either at our office or in your community. Education leads to advocacy that leads to public awareness and successful legislation.

Maine Friends of Animals has done much over the past decade, but there is still much more to do for Maine’s companion, farm, wildlife and marine animals. We are a broad-based organization that welcomes conservative (animal welfare), moderate (animal protection) and liberal (animal rights) advocates. The more individuals who engage in the animal protection movement and the more organized we are in working together, the more we will be able to accomplish as we strive to become a more humane state.

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Watch the "Dog's Chained For Life" PSA video