BIDDEFORD — Sorrento was a mere 15 pounds when the premature harbor seal pup was brought to the University of New England’s Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center. The sickly pup was brought to the rehabilitation center, known as MARC, by the New England Aquarium in April after being rescued from Salisbury Beach, Mass. Thanks to a diet of heavy cream and cottage cheese ”“ donated by Maine’s Oakhurst Dairy ”“ and other nutrients, Sorrento bulked up to a healthy 62 pounds prior to being released back into the Atlantic Ocean by MARC.

Thursday’s harbor seal pup release was MARC’s first of the summer season. Rehabilitating rescued seals and other marine animals is one of MARC’s primary missions.

Sorrento was joined for the release at Granite Point by his buddies Brewer, a harbor seal rescued by the Maine Department of Marine Resources after being stranded at Muscongus Bay in Round Pond; and Auburn, who was stranded on a beach in Trenton and was rescued by the College of the Atlantic. Both of these young pups were brought to MARC in May after they were separated from their mothers.

All of the released harbor seal pups were neonatal, only one to two days old, when they were brought to MARC; Sorrento was almost a month premature.

Brewer was 23 pounds when he came to MARC, and 55 pounds when released. Auburn was 16 pounds when rescued, and 47 pounds at the release.

MARC Coordinator Keith Matassa credits the healthy, hormone-free Oakhurst Dairy products with helping to bring the pups up to a healthy weight.

“It’s a great product,” he said, and added, the donation “has helped out so much.”

Matassa said the dairy products are an important part of the food mix ”“ which includes a variety of healthy oils and vitamins ”“ fed to the pups that closely replicates the natural milk of the mother seal.

Because Oakhurst Dairy products are so healthy, and have the added benefit of being produced by a Maine company, Matassa said, he has always used Oakhurst products for seal pups’ diet.

This year the product was donated to the rehabilitation center after Matassa wrote a letter asking for the donation. The center’s expenses have been greater than ever, said Matassa. In addition to caring for seals, the center also rehabilitates sea turtles, and earlier this year two porpoises were housed at MARC. The care for the porpoises ”“ one of which was released earlier this month ”“ was especially expensive, so Matassa decided to reach out to the vendors with which the center does business.

And Oakhurst responded positively.

“This came up earlier this spring,” said Althea Bennett McGirr. “This was just a perfect partnership.”

McGirr is the director of customer relations for Oakhurst as well as a member of the Bennett family, which owns the company.

Members of the family running Oakhurst are “very involved in the community and like to help out when they can,” said Mike Collins, a spokesman for Oakhurst.

McGirr said the company donated approximately 10 cases each of cream and cottage cheese. Matassa estimated the value of these products to the rehabilitation center at $3,000.

McGirr said she was “thrilled” to attend the release and actually help release Sorrento back into the ocean.

“It’s very rewarding,” said Jean Driscal, who is McGirr’s sister and works in Oakhurst’s marketing department. “We do a lot of charitable donations, but we don’t always see the result.”

In addition to the staff and volunteers of MARC and representatives from Oakhurst there were approximately 100 people attending the seal pup release.

While the seal releases in Biddeford have always been popular, Thursday’s appeared more popular than ever.

“There are more and more people here supporting us, which is nice,” said Matassa.

Matassa said the center is seeking more donations and doing additional fundraising. He said what he hopes will be annual reception and art auction for MARC will be held for the first time on Aug. 31 at the UNE art gallery.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.