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Wednesday, March 7, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Scholarship
deadline is
approaching
It’s time to submit schol-
arship applications for all
Sisters students.
Sisters Graduate Resource
Organization (GRO) scholar-
ship applications for graduat-
ing seniors are due Tuesday,
March 20, at 5 p.m. This year
the students will have plenty
of scholarships to consider as
they look toward furthering
their education. In addition to
many scholarships provided
by our generous community
over the years, Sisters GRO
has added an additional 16
scholarships to consider. The
new scholarships include:
• Laird Superfood Health,
Mind, Body Wellness
• Hardtails Business
Entrepreneurship
• Ruth Golden Ingham
• Bi-Mart
• Jeremy Moyer Memorial
Wrestler
• Shirley J. von Kalinowski
• Taylor Family
• Bob Chandler Memorial
• Diane Jacobsen Memorial
• Metabolic Maintenance
Health and Wellness
• Sisters Meat and
Smokehouse
• Sisters Science Club
STEM
• Sisters Science Club
Women in Science
• Sisters Science Club
Technology, Trade and
Vocational Training
• Sisters Environment/
Sustainability Careers
• Col. John O. Miller
Aviation Scholarship
• Ponderosa Forge
Scholarship
It is also time for students
in all the Sisters schools to
take advantage of a schol-
arship donation from The
Roundhouse Foundation.
These scholarship funds for
enrichment activities are
available to all students from
elementary to high school. Go
to http://shs.ssd6.org/sisters
gro/roundhouseenrichment/
to access the application.
Application forms are also
available at all the schools.
Come See
What All Th e
Excitement’s
About!
Vegan and gluten-free
options always available.
Open 7 days a week
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
403 E. Hood Ave. | 541.549.2699
FERAL CATS: Spay
and neutering is
available for cats
Continued from page 3
young.
“The days went by and I
would show up and work for
a few hours. I brought treats
for the cats that I would leave
in the back of my truck with
my tailgate down. And some
of the cats would climb in
and eat the treats as I was
working,” Lanphear said.
Lanphear came to the
realization that the elderly
lady wasn’t the only one
going to lose her home; these
cats were also losing theirs.
“I just couldn’t look the
other way,” Lanphear said.
“So, I brought them home.
Those cats’ lives were threat-
ened since their food source
was being taken away.”
Lanphear gave them all a
ride to his home in his truck
full of treats, but he didn’t
want them all inside, so he
gave them another option.
“I went back to the thrift
shop and bought a big old
tent trailer,” he said. “I took
it home and parked it where
I thought would be a good
place for them. I covered
it with heavy tarp and put a
layer of insulation on it. And
since they took part in build-
ing it by being curious and
hanging around, they had no
trouble adapting to it.”
Lanphear had the patience
needed for the feral cats
to understand he wasn’t a
threat.
“Two of the kitties were
friendly and looked like
twins, so I named them Rex
and Misty and allowed them
into my home,” Lanphear
said. “After being around
them for a while I believe
they knew I was trying to
help them,” Lanphear said.
“But I began wondering how
I was going to get the cats
spayed or neutered. I realized
I needed help.
“The next time I went
to the local thrift store in
Sisters one of the volunteers
mentioned to contact Elaine
Gilbert, a volunteer for the
Community Cat Program.”
The Community Cat
Program has been providing
free spay/neuter and vac-
cinations for outdoor and
stray cats throughout Central
Oregon for over 10 years
When Gilbert arrived, she
began the process of Trap-
Neuter-Return (TNR).
“We trapped over a two-
day period and managed to
trap all of the cats,” Gilbert
told The Nugget. “But on the
day of their surgeries, after
their examination by the vet
at Bend Spay Neuter Project
(BSNP), it was determined
that both Rex and his sister,
Misty, had upper respiratory
infections. Upper respira-
tory infections are very com-
mon in community feral cats,
particularly in a large colony
such as this group of cats.”
They were both spayed,
neutered and vaccinated and
sent home with Gilbert for a
10-day course of antibiotics.
Misty thrived and improved
quickly, but sadly, Rex took
a turn for the worst, and had
to be euthanized several
days later as he struggled to
breathe.
Dayton is a wonderful
man with a huge heart. If
Dayton had not rescued
these 20 cats, they most
likely would not have
survived much longer.
— Elaine Gilbert
“Dayton is a wonder-
ful man with a huge heart,”
Gilbert said. “If Dayton had
not rescued these 20 cats,
they most likely would not
have survived much longer.
They are now fixed, vac-
cinated, and all sport a very
fashionable left ‘ear tip.’
This ear tip shows that this
is a fixed community feral
cat. Dayton loves these cats
and takes great care of them.
The cats, in turn, provide
companionship in their own
PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER MCNAMEE
In honor of Rex, the semi-feral cat who passed away due to an upper
respiratory infection.
way, and keep the mouse
and other rodent population
in control. Feral community
cats thrive outdoors as long
as they are fixed, vaccinated,
have access to food and
fresh, unfrozen water at all
times, and shelter from the
elements.”
Community cats face
many challenges. They must
endure weather extremes
such as cold and snow, heat
and rain. Community cats
face starvation, infection
and attacks by other animals.
Unfortunately, almost half
of the kittens born outdoors
die from disease, exposure,
or parasites before their first
year. But, community cats
who live in a managed colony
– a colony with a dedicated
caretaker, like Lanphear, who
provides regular feedings and
proper shelter – can live a
quite content life.
“Before she left, Elaine
gave me a few resources, so
I could have help providing
food for my 20 cats.”
Lanphear called Furry
Friends Foundation and
received the help he needed.
Furry Friends helps fami-
lies keep their pets in their
homes by operating a pet-
food bank and providing
spay/neuter sponsorships and
assistance with emergency
medical needs to families in
financial hardship.
Seven months have
passed since the cats were
spayed and neutered and
Lanphear knows what he’s
doing is right.
Helping animals
in need is its own reward.
— Dayton Lanphear
“Helping animals in need
is its own reward,” said
Lanphear.
BSNP provides assis-
tance with trapping the
feral community cats in
Sisters Country as part of
the Community Cat TNR
program.
Please contact BSNP at
541-617-1010 for informa-
tion and assistance.
