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News
Latest News Items:
130 Cats Adopted -- Sunday July 4th, 2010
As of July 4, 130 cats have been adopted out through Cats Galore. Most of these cats have been adopted out through our adoption events at Petco in Walla Walla. Cats are also adopted out in July on Lampson You-Pick Blueberry Farm picking days in Milton-Freewater, where the shelter is located.
Petco Foundation Grant Re -- Saturday July 3rd, 2010
Petco Foundation awarded Milton-Freewater Humane Society a $7,500 grant on July 3, 2010 for vaccinations for feral cats and added vet care for feral cats that come in for spay/neuter through our 2010/2011 Umatilla County Spay/neuter program.
The funds are expected to cover vaccinations for 500 feral cats and $2500 for vet care needed to ensure the feral cats returned to the wild can live a reasonably healthy life. It would also pay for euthanasia of cats that are diseased or cannot be expected to survive long in the wild in their condition and cannot be realistically rehabilitated.
Thank you Petco!
Weston Benefit Sale -- Saturday June 5th, 2010
The 2010 Weston Pioneer Picnic Benefit Yard and Bake Sale raised $450 for spay/neuter on June 5, 2010. The benefit was led by Weston resident, Lisa Greer. Lisa's sister, Dana, MFHS Treasurer Gary Litchfield and MFHS President Lyla Lampson, as well as numerous parade attendees assisted in unloading and setting up for the sale.
Mary Widner and Lisa Greer contriubted bread, pies, fudge, cake and candy to the bake sale. Approximately $60 of the $450 was from the bake sale. Major contributors to the yard sale were Lorraine Miller, a long time supporter of Cats Galore (MFHS's cat shelter) from Walla Walla, Paula Udy of Athena, Gary Litchfield from Milton-Freewater and Lisa Greer and her sister, Dana, of Weston.
Thank you, Lisa, for leading this drive, and to all who donated goods, baked items for the bake sale, and helped with the yard sale. Thank you, Suzie (of Suzie's Market) for letting us use your yard area for the yard sale.
Large Grant Received -- Friday June 4th, 2010
Milton-Freewater Humane Society, Inc. received word this week that they are being awarded $45,000 from Handsel Foundation for a 2-year collaborative effort with Pet Utopia and Katz & K9s (both of Pendleton, OR) to do a county-wide spay/neuter project for cats.
The three groups will be working together to get 4,000 cats spayed/neutered in the next two years. This will include feral and free-roaming cats as well as subsidizing spay/neuter for low-income cat owners. The project is expected to cost over $200,000. In 2010 the project will focus on eastern Umatilla county and in 2011 will be expanded to Hermiston, Echo, Umatilla and Stanfield in western Umatilla county.
Local veterinarian, Dr. Patrick Kennedy, DVM will continue to provide spay/neuter services in northeastern Umatilla county around Milton-Freewater, OR. Dr. Colette Bergam, currently based in Rockford, WA, will be providing the bulk of the spay/neuter services in Pendleton and Hermiston area.
An (800) number has been set up as a Umatilla County Spay/neuter hotline to take spay/neuter assistance requests and appointments, 1-888-852-3495.
WW Cat Mngmt Coal. -- Tuesday June 1st, 2010
In their first full year of operation, the Cat Management Coalition (CMC) (made up of Blue Mountain Humane Society, Walla Walla City Animal Control, Milton-Freewater Humane Society, and Saving Wonderful Animal Team)got 670 cats spayed/neutered. While this was a good deal less than the 1500 cats they were aiming for in Year One (due to limited funding), the results on reducing euthanasia at Blue Mountain Humane Society were impressive.
The number of cats taken in to the shelter was reduced by 48% (1375 in 2008 before the CMC started and 713 in 2009). In 2008 1,035 cats were euthanized at the shelter. In 2009 after the CMC started only 423 cats were euthanized, a 59% per decrease.
Citizen complaints related to cats made to the police department in Walla Walla prior to the CMC were 298 in 2008. In 2009 there were only 120 complaints, a 60% reduction.
We ARE making a measurable impact on our local cats! Hurray!
4-Paws Pets Pet Food -- Thursday April 8th, 2010
MFHS, Pet Utopia and Katz & K9s have gone together to purchase 4-Paws Pet Food. 100% of the profits from the sales of this pet food will go to spay/neuter in Umatilla county and nearby areas.
4-Paws Pet Food carries Taste of the Wild, Canidae, and Prism cat and dog food, among other itens. They can currently be purchased at Comfort Pool & Spas in Pendleton at 34 SW Emigrant. They will soon be available in Hermiston and MF as well at competetive prices.
Thank you, PETCO! -- Thursday April 8th, 2010
Petco donated $780 in March, 2010 to Cats Galore & MFHS to help with shelter operations. In January they donated $55 from the Santa Photo event in December, and $78 from the December fundraising drive. Due largely to the Walla Walla Petco adoption events Cats Galore adopted out 61 cats and 1 dog so far in 2010.
Pendleton Fix-Em Event -- Saturday March 27th, 2010
78 cats were "fixed" in a two-day Lickity Snip spay/neuter clinic (based out of Spokane, WA) near the airport in Pendleton on March 27-28, 2010. Spay/neuters for this event were subsidized by an Ehmann Trust grant obtained by Milton-Freewater Humane Society, by a Wildhorse grant obtained by PAWS and by Katz & K9s, both in Pendleton. The City of Pendleton provided the space for the spay/neuter clinic. Cat Companions provided transport for those pets who needed it.
Feral Cat Yard -- Wednesday March 10th, 2010
Justin Chen and Jonathan Prest, students at Walla Walla University donated over 40 hours of their time this spring to build a cat fenced in area for the feral cat sanctuary. They also built sturdy shelves in the shed that protects the cats from the elements to allow for sleeping areas. Thank you, Justin & Jonathan!
MF Area Cat Cleanup -- Sunday February 28th, 2010
125 cats were taken in for spay/neuter in February and March by volunteers from Milton-Freewater Humane Society. Gary Litchfield, Tammy Silva, and Lyla Lampson worked at trapping 103 cats in Milton-Freewater. Lori Moore and Lisa Greer assisted in getting 17 cats in from Weston. Greg Shannon trapped and brought in 8 cats from Helix.
Spay/Neuter Funds Receive -- Monday February 1st, 2010
Ocregon Community Foundation -Ed Cauduro Advised Charitable Trust awarded Milton-Freewater Humane Society a $20,000 grant for general operations. MFHS plans to use half the funds for spay/neuter in the Milton-Freewater area and the other half for the Cat Management Coalition in Walla Walla. This is the third year we have received substantial funding from this source.
Cats Galore Merges -- Wednesday January 6th, 2010
Cats Galore (cats only shelter) and Pets of Milton-Freewater, Inc. (spay/neuter promotion of companion animals) have joined into one organization, Milton-Freewater Humane Society as of January 1, 2010. The current board of directors for the new humane society are: Jodi Green (MF), Kelli Kidd (MF), Lyla Lampson (MF), Gary Litchfield (MF), Lori Moore (Weston), Jean Petersen (MF), Greg Shannon (Helix).
Humane Society of Milton-Freewtaer will cover area code 97862 and additional cities that have active volunteers working with the organization (which includes Weston and Helix at this time.
The Humane Society of Milton-Freewater will continue the spay/neuter emphasis of Pets of Milton-Freewater, Inc. It will also operate a cat shelter & sanctuary DBA Cats Galore. The new organization plans to adopt out dogs on a limited basis using foster homes, similar to the Walla Walla-based Saving Wonderful Animal Team (SWAT).
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