Redmond shelter’s latest adoption: A new name

Central Oregon’s high-save animal shelter in Redmond announced this week a new name for its future: BrightSide Animal Center — a goal to both eliminate confusion and expand the region’s vision of its work.

Here’s the rest of their news release, issued Friday:

Since its founding in 1987, the Humane Society of Redmond has evolved over time with the Central Oregon community that it serves. While providing traditional care for dogs and cats that arrive as strays, BrightSide also works closely with families to provide support and find solutions in their relationships with their four-legged family members.

The new name – BrightSide Animal Center – embodies the notion of a resource center to families offering compassion, solutions and hope.

On the name change, and dropping the iconic “Humane Society” moniker, Shelter Manager Chris Bauersfeld said, “Research confirmed our belief around name confusion about the organization and its relationship to other shelters.”

“Fifty percent of people surveyed mistakenly believed the organization receives funding from Humane Society of the United States, and more than 1/3 of those surveyed believed we were affiliated with the (Bend-based) Humane Society of Central Oregon, in Bend. Neither of these are the case.”

BrightSide Animal Center is a 501c3 organization, privately funded by grants and donations, adoption revenues and complementary revenue producing activities like the BrightSide Thrift Store and the Bottles & Cans program.

The BrightSide name and new look was a result of a year-long process spearheaded by professionals from the Ad Federation of Central Oregon, as their selected public service campaign of 2012.

Professionals from Studio Absolute, Wordplay, Tricycle Creative, the marketing department, JoAnne Hand, April O’Meara and Southwick Specialty Advertising donated their time and considerable talent to help the organization through an in-depth process of discovery and then redefinition -– to arrive at the BrightSide Animal Center name and visual identity.

With strong support from community volunteers drawn to BrightSide’s high-save, individualized approach to animals and the families who come through the doors, the shelter operates at one of the lowest costs per animal in the state, with one of the highest save rates in the country – 98 percent in 2012.

Volunteers account for approximately $500,000 annually in shelter support services in areas such as foster care, dog walking, training and more.

The organization is hopeful that the new name will improve fundraising and visibility within the Central Oregon community, with a distinct mission and philosophy that citizens want to support financially.

The new BrightSide Animal Center website will “go live” in March 2013, Twitter at @brightsideac, and Facebook at www.facebook.com/brightsideanimals