Foster parents take in, warm up Madras shelter dogs
Nearly a dozen dogs that were braving the cold weather at a Madras shelter are in warm homes for now, thanks to a Bend non-profit and others who stepped up to help with foster homes.
Kate Scheideman of Madras became a new “mom,” just for the weekend.
“She’s super adorable, she’s affectionate. She’s been watching TV with me and laying on my lap,” Scheideman said Monday.
Scheideman is taking care of Sprinkles, a 6-month-old cattle dog-pit bull mix abandoned and taken in by the Three Rivers Humane Society in Madras.
“Word got out that they were seeking foster parents for the weekend. I took one, my friend took one and it just kind of spread,” Scheideman said.
Sprinkles is one of dozens of dogs that has been living outside, braving the elements at the shelter.
“On average, about 35 dogs have to be outside. We only have 10 indoor kennels,” said Jerilee Drynan, operations director at Three Rivers.
When temperatures start dipping below zero at night, the pups are at the will of the weather.
“We were very worried, especially since last year, there was so much snow that it came down onto the tarps, which is all the protection we have for the dogs,” Drynan said.
In an urgent plea to get the furry friends inside for the weekend, the shelter took to social media, asking for your help.
“We saw a need on our Facebook page from Three Rivers, and we know that they are overworked and understaffed and have lots of dogs that they are trying to help,” said Megan Wellinghoff, director of the Bend Spay and Neuter Project.
Wellinghoff called in some help from the community — and in a matter of hours, people just like Scheideman had signed up to be foster parents for the weekend.
“Our community is such an amazing group of people that are willing to help dogs in need,” Wellinghoff said.
Now these dogs are in need of much more than just a roof for a weekend — they need a permanent place to call home.
“Hopefully they’ll all find their forever homes and they won’t need fosters,” Scheideman said.
Here’s a news release Sunday with more details from the Bend Spay and Neuter Project:
On Saturday Bend Spay and Neuter Project reached out to an overworked and understaffed Three Rivers Humane Society (formerly Jefferson County Kennels) in Madras, with an offer to help get all of the dogs currently living in outdoor kennels into temporary homes.
Volunteers and staff from Three Rivers Humane have been working tirelessly to clear snow from the outdoor kennels and fighting to keep water bowls from freezing since the weather turned last week.
With temperatures dropping below zero on Saturday night, both organizations agreed it was a priority to get the eleven dogs living outside into safe, warm homes for the night and a plan was hatched.
A call to action on Facebook prompted almost 100 shares and offers to house the 11 dogs from over 30 local Central Oregon residents. There were also many offers to help transport dogs to and from Madras, despite the treacherous road conditions.
Residents and businesses from Madras helped out as well, with Cascade East Veterinary Clinic housing three of the dogs, and Madras Animal Hospital housing four.
Bend Spay and Neuter Project staff then made the snowy, cold trip to pick up an additional seven dogs from Madras, and bring them to Bend to be placed in foster homes.
Both organizations are proud to report that because of our compassionate and caring communities, all of the dogs living at Three Rivers Humane Society spent the night indoors Saturday night, and will all be indoors on Sunday and Monday night as well.
Many of the dogs, including 9-year-old Roscoe and 8-year-olds Drew and Sparrow, will hopefully find their forever homes during their time in foster care.
As temperatures warm through the week, the need for an indoor shelter for all of the homeless dogs waiting for their forever family at Three Rivers Humane Society lingers.
Currently, the shelter is only able to provide housing for dogs, not cats, and has only 10 indoor kennels. The remaining 20-30 dogs living at the shelter at any given time are housed in outdoor kennels, with limited shelter from the elements.
Bend Spay and Neuter Project, along with Three Rivers Humane, would like to take this opportunity to issue an urgent plea to our community: Help us build a shelter for the forgotten animals in Jefferson County.
A new building would allow Three Rivers to provide a safe, warm shelter for homeless pets from Jefferson County and nearby Warm Springs.
The estimated cost for a rudimentary shelter facility with running water and electricity is between $30-$50,000; a fully outfitted new shelter facility would cost upwards of $250,000-$300,000.
Three Rivers is currently seeking grant opportunities to assist in the cost of building a new facility. If you can help by donating labor, money, materials, or fostering dogs, please contact the shelter directly at 541-475-6889.
Three Rivers Humane Society is committed to promoting healthy, safe and lifelong relationships between people and their pets through sustainable programs of education, adoption and spay/neutering.
Bend Spay and Neuter Project is dedicated to providing affordable, preventative veterinary care to cats and dogs at risk of suffering in Central Oregon in order to create a more humane community for us all.
Both organizations rely on donations to continue the lifesaving work they do for animals in our community.
