Madras shelter launches $400,000 fund-raising effort

Three Rivers Humane Society, a small animal shelter in rural Jefferson County, announced an ambitious capital campaign Saturday aimed at funding construction of a permanent shelter facility. The shelter has set a $400,000 target for the campaign, dubbed “Raise the Woof!”

The Raise the Woof! campaign will fund construction of a permanent, heated and cooled 6,000-square foot shelter building on the Three Rivers Humane Society site, located just outside Madras on Southeast McTaggart Road.

Since obtaining the contract to operate Jefferson County Kennels, Three Rivers Humane Society (TRHS) has overseen the care of 718 animals and found homes for them all over the Northwest and Canada.

Despite the shelter’s success, and the ongoing efforts of countless volunteers, the shelter’s outdoor kennels remain woefully inadequate to protect its dogs from the cold Central Oregon winters, the organization said in its fundraising announcement.

In this winter season, Madras has seen temperatures drop to -23 on several occasions. Last summer, the high temperatures were often 100 degrees or higher.

On especially cold days, the shelter has been forced to seek out volunteers to temporarily “foster” dogs that otherwise would have remained in outdoor kennels, protected only by small dog houses with heated kennel mats.

“With only 10 indoor kennels in our current facility, the majority of our dogs are housed in outdoor kennels,” said TRHS Executive Director Steve Drynan, who runs the shelter along with his wife, Jerilee.

“We need to put a permanent roof over these dogs’ heads so they never have to worry about being terribly cold in the winter or over-heated in the summer again.

“We know this won’t happen overnight, but we are committed to this project being accomplished in a reasonable amount of time. We will construct a building we can afford to operate and maintain, while providing the quality care our dogs deserve.”

TRHS is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible. Monetary donations can be earmarked for the building campaign and made through their website, mail, or at Three Rivers Humane Society. Donations of labor, and/or building materials are appreciated as well.

About Three Rivers Humane Society

Three Rivers Humane Society was born from the idea that shelter dogs deserve the best care possible. We are excited and challenged to take a tiny shelter in a small, rural area in a new direction; where dogs are seen as individuals, community members are proud to be involved, adopters share their experience with others, and above all…where Love Finds a Home.

Learn more at their Website, http://threerivershs.org

or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CentralOregonAnimalFriends