To those that have known the joy and companionship of a pet, they are usually considered to be part of the family. There are so many wonderful stories of cats, puppies, kittens, and dogs that weave themselves into the hearts and souls of their owners. Often a pet can bridge the gap between young and old alike with those that are in their world. Sometimes changes in life can happen, where a beloved pet is in need of a new residence. From an illness to passing of an owner, sometimes the fate of the pet is in question. What happens to that beloved animal once their human cannot care for them?
Fortunately for our community, Newberg Animal Shelter is made of caring staff and volunteers that can be a resource for these types of situations. We can turn tragic moments for these pets into new beginnings and happiness with a second chance at a family.
Today, we take a closer look at the Newberg Animal Shelter and how they serve our community.
The Newberg Animal Shelter was founded in 1976 and has been reaching out and taking in pets that are unable to be cared for properly, or ones who have suffered at the hand of abuse and neglect. They have come a long way in serving the Newberg Community. Built on love and care for animals, this shelter has evolved into an awesome care center for those animals in transitional places. In April of 2013 they opened their new facility thanks to funds raised by the Newberg Animal Shelter Friends organization (NASF). They have expanded their Board to include new skills, and have focused over the last year to successfully transition the shelter into a no-kill facility.
Their Mission Statement demonstrates their commitment to Newberg, “We’re a no-kill animal shelter that provides a caring environment for homeless animals, finds them nurturing homes and inspires community participation.” They currently have one full time employee, Sarah Williams-Jarred who serves as the Shelter Manager, and 10-15 volunteers who assist in the care of pets, administration, and cleaning of the facility. They are always looking for volunteers, anyone who wants to lend a helping hand. The puppy kisses and kitty purrs are free for all who earn them. When asked how many pets were housed, Crista Eberle, NASF Board President, replied “Typically 10-15 dogs and 20 -30 cats. We currently have 4 pregnant cats, and two nursing litters. Once all the kittens are born, the shelter will be very busy caring for an additional 20-25 kittens on top of their normal population. From the time a pregnant mother enters the shelter, to the time her kittens are weaned and old enough to be vaccinated, spayed or neutered, we’ve taken care of this family for several months.”
Presently, the shelter has need of an HVAC system. The summers are hot and present many challenges. Ken Austin, Newberg businessman and founder of A-Dec, was touched when he read about the situation at the shelter. He informed Newberg Animal Shelter that he will match, dollar for dollar, up to $15,000 in funds raised for an HVAC system. With $15,000 in donations, and a matching $15,000 donated by Ken Austin, the shelter will have the $30,000 necessary to purchase and install a shelter grade HVAC system. In addition to appealing to the public for donations, Ken Austin is challenging local businesses to donate $1,000 each towards this worthy cause.
The fundraising campaign officially kicked off on February 20, 2016. In honor of Ken Austin’s late wife Joan, the campaign will be called the Joan Austin 1:1 Matching Funds Campaign. Joan Austin was a lifelong animal lover and any funds raised during the campaign, not needed for the HVAC, will be used to establish the Joan Austin Angel Fund. This permanent fund will be used to provide for the safety and care of shelter pets, with priorities being medical care, spaying and neutering, and emergency situations. The board of directors, volunteers, and staff of Newberg Animal Shelter are very excited about this wonderful opportunity.
Installation of an HVAC system will make the shelter more comfortable for the animals and will increase the shelter’s capacity, allowing more pets to be housed as they await adoption. Crista told me each animal entering their care is spayed or neutered, given key vaccinations and dogs are micro chipped before being sent out to their new families. The stories from this shelter are amazing, and the lives that have been touched are many. Crista shared a story of one little pup who came to the shelter frightened and shut down. With these cases, the volunteers spend extra time providing a calm environment, sitting with the dog, calmly talking or singing, just giving the dog time to trust. In every case, dogs show amazing resilience and love, over time coming to interact with the volunteers, other dogs, and being happy go lucky again. Love is the universal language that seems to break through all barriers. So many stories like this are common to their residents. Will you be the one to build new memories with?
Will you be the ones to make their dreams come true? If you would like to adopt a pet, volunteer some time to make a difference, or donate to the Joan Austin Matching 1:1 Campaign, or simply want to learn more, please visit their website: www.newberganimals.com or call 503-554-9285 for more information.
Hours:
Tues.-Fri. 10 a.m.-12 p.m.,
Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (call for appt outside of hours)
1591 S. Sandoz Rd.
Newberg, OR 97132
503-554-9285
Mailing Address:
901 Brutscher St., Ste. D, PMB 107
Newberg, OR 97132
