News and Upcoming Events
Hurry, Hurry... "Beat The Heat!" for Tom & Mom
And we aren't referring to the summer weather... Tell your friends, family members, neighbors & co-workers that our program is continuing in limited areas until available appointments fill. We are able to offer low-cost Spay and Neuter for your pet cats and kittens, strays or ferals that hang around your home for qualifying clients! By fixing cats, we can help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may end up homeless or killed in shelters. In addition, treated cats may roam, fight, or spray less and live longer. THERE ARE LIMITED SPACES, SO ACT QUICKLY!
Those households who qualify for this program might be on a Public Aid program, unemployed or under-employed, elders on social security, disabled veterans or individuals, students in need, or homeless or near-homeless. We are also often able to help Good Samaritans who have taken in strays or rescued animals or are helping others.
With the help of local animal rescue groups and the kindness from participating veterinarians, we only ask for a $20 cash co-pay for female cats and a $10 cash co-pay for males. We accept any cat, tame or feral or stray, they can be in-heat or pregnant, but they must be at least 8 weeks old and weigh 2-2.5lbs. Simply call and a volunteer will respond to refer you with one of the participating veterinarians. We make every attempt to find the closest vet, however, in some cases an open space may be in another part of town. If transporting your pet to the vet is a problem, ask to see if we can assist you. Within certain areas of Portland, we do have someone who helps individuals with transport of the pet to the veterinarian.
To use the hotline, dial 1-888-664-7729. If you get voicemail, please speak clearly and leave ONE message with your name, phone number(s) and best time to reach you, your home address, the age and sex of your cat(s), where you heard about us, and information as to how you qualify for the low-income program. Or instead, submit this same information into our general CONTACT US form on our website. A volunteer will contact you as soon as possible or within 1-3 days. To ease the burden on our volunteers, please apply using only one of the two methods. If you have a follow up question and need to call again, please refer us to the date/time when you originally phoned or submitted your form.
You will then call the participating vet with the information given to you by the volunteer. Clinic staff will schedule and a licensed veterinarian will perform all surgeries and provide follow-up care instructions. NOTE: Clinics do vary in the age and weight requirements of their patients. All surgeries are intended to be for animals in good general health. Also, some vets will be able to treat feral cats, while others may not. If you need additional help with feral cats, check with the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon 503-797-2606 or www.feralcats.com. Pet guardians will directly pay the vet clinic the $10 or $20 per cat in CASH-ONLY PLEASE on the day of surgery and must have (or borrow) a pet carrier for safe transport. The remainder of the actual cost is picked up by donations, the non-profit organizations & sponsors, and by the vets themselves, so please be sure to thank the vet and their staff for their kind participation in this special program so they are inclined to help us again next year! This year's sponsoring groups are The Oregon Spay/Neuter Fund, Lessons and Paws and People United for Animals.
Please help spread the word about this special program. Tell a friend! Don't forget to Like us on our Facebook page to hear about other upcoming events and opportunities. We appreciate any extra donations, big or small, and are always in need of sponsors.
Dog Lovers Converge at Doggie Palooza
Is that a team of horses entering the building? Wait no, it's a pair of majestic Great Danes. Yikes, the Abominable Snowman is alive and heading this way! Whoops, oh hello you gentle giant Great Pyrenees. Oh my gosh, watch out for the killer bees! Nope, wrong again, it’s just some frisky Corgies in bumblebee costumes. My, what a cute baby you have in that stroller. Hang on, that kid looks nothing like you, but it sure is a darling Yorkie. Maybe next time I should bring my glasses.
This year’s Doggie Palooza held at the World Forestry Center was truly a celebration of all things Dog! Owners and their well-behaved canines, many dressed up in their best wear or in costume garb, were welcomed into the center with open arms for this special one day only.
Wild Child Pet Fashions started off the day by showing off rescue dogs on the runway with their ready-to-wear fall looks including jackets, dresses, jewelry, harnesses and more! The Pooch Parade was an opportunity for furry contestants to be judged in three categories, Best Fall Fashion, Pet Owner Look-A-Like, and Best Pet Trick. This writer didn't get the names of all the winners, but know fabulous prizes were given and everyone who watched was quite entertained!
Dr. Jason Nicholas, BVetMed of The Preventive Vet gave a presentation on how common pet emergencies are, how expensive and debilitating they can often be, and how often they are easily preventable by (1) always using a leash, (2) being careful with medications (which ones you administer, how you store them, etc), (3) being sure to hang all bags, purses, diaper bags, backpacks, etc, (4) securing trash cans, and (5) not feeding pets table scraps & 'people food'.
Throughout the day, SPOT magazine was on the lookout for a new cover model. Photographer David Childs was busy snapping candid photos of canine visitors. Entry fees will go to a charity to be decided by Spot. The winner is still to be announced.
The vendors were all dog-themed, as you might expect. Nevertheless, they were quite varied in offerings of products or services, ranging from those selling dog designer outfits and accessories (be-jeweled bandannas and dog backpacks) to an animal communicator and energy healer, to an invisible fence company and Oregon’s only pet funeral home and crematory. Lots of pet food and supply vendors were there as well and offered many free samples, including a peanut butter treat that I saw being given to a Dachshund who did a little wiggle dance in happiness!
The Oregon Spay & Neuter Fund’s dedicated volunteers were there to spread the word of all the resources available to help remove the barriers of getting animals fixed and help reduce overpopulation. Other non-profits such as Oregon Dog Rescue, Animal Aid and Deaf Dogs of Oregon also had tables to help spread the word of the good things they all do to help many animals each year. PAW Team, a provider of well-pet care to animals living with homeless or very low-income guardians, held a supply drive. Paw Team is also the recipient of the door donations (each year a different non-profit is selected to receive same; last year OSNF was so blessed).
Overall, the day was a success… it is hard not to smile when you look up to and see a passel of pugs or a contingent of Corgis, the Rottie in a tutu, a Great Pyrenees jester and a couple of German Shepherd ladybugs parading on by.
