THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020
THE CHRONICLE — 11
COMMUNITY c o n n e c t
inspire
GIFT
l o v i n g care
unconditional
attitude
NOW make a difference
CHARITY
generosity
kindness
GIVE
TIME ser vice
vision
get involved l o v e
purp o se
ALTRUISM
GINI DAVIS, COMMUNIT Y REPORTER
CONTACT HER AT GINI@CHRONICLE1909.COM
Care, with a dose of caution
TRUSTED
RESOURCES
Online sites where you can
learn more about COVID-19
and pets:
Creswell Veterinary
Hospital
Site: creswellvet.com
Oregon Veterinary
Medical Association
Site: oregonvma.org
Search terms: coronavirus,
pets
OVMA Coronavirus &
Pets FAQ
Site: oregonvma.org
Search terms: coronavirus,
FAQ (frequently asked questions)
CDC
Site: cdc.gov
Search terms: coronavirus,
animals
PET FOOD
ASSISTANCE
Donate animal food of any
type and help feed the hungry
animals in our community.
Saturday, May 9, at the
Cottage Grove Community
Center, 700 Gibb St.
The event is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
with contact-free dropoff.
The drive is sponsored by
Tucker’s Cupboard and the
Humane Society of Cottage
Grove.
tuckerscupboard.org
humanesocietycg.org
Greenhill Humane Society’s
year-round Community Pet Food
Bank accepts any brand dry and
canned dog and cat food – even
open bags and food that has
expired within the last six months.
Cat food is in high demand.
With a Humane Society of the
United States grant and large
pet food donations from Oregon
Humane Society, Greenhill has
also donated more than 7,000
pounds of pet food to Food for
Lane County and others.
“The need for pet food has
been huge since the pandemic
began,” said event and commu-
nity engagement manager Megan
Brezovar.
www.green-hill.org/donate
Pandemic can’t mask bond between vets and pets
BY GINI DAVIS
THE CHRONICLE
E
ven under stay-at-
home guidelines,
a n i m a l s’ u r g e n t
medical needs couldn’t be
postponed. So, before the
Oregon Health Authority
lifted the elective proce-
dures ban Monday – with
social distancing and PPE –
Creswell Veterinary Hospital
had switched to curbside care.
“If we get sick, we cannot be
here to take care of the pets,”
Dr. Sheri Schlorman said.
New protocols were put
in place: Clients called upon
arrival, staff took history
over the phone, pets were
retrieved from cars, and
pets’ coats were wiped with
a disinfectant-soaked towel.
Between patients, every-
thing touched – exam table,
pen, stethoscope, clipboard,
computer, mouse, slip leads
used to bring dogs in, etc. –
was wiped with disinfectant.
Guidelines continue to
evolve, Schlorman said. “We
are allowing one client into
one exam room at a time;
they must wear a mask, or
we do curbside with them,”
she said.
“We are allowing one
person at a time into the
reception area to pick up
medications or food or check
out; again, they must wear a
mask,” noting that her team
continues wearing masks.
Veterinary assistant and offi ce manager Kate Weir
and vet tech Lisa Gaugenmaier help care for a dog
at Creswell Veterinary Hospital.
DR. SHERI SCHLORMAN/PHOTO
The change is welcome –
for clients and staff: “A big
part of being a veterinarian is
the bond with both the client
and the pet, and I miss the
face-to-face interactions,”
Schlorman said.
Curbside care was also
“exhausting,” Schlorman
said. “We could either be on
AN EMERGENCY PLAN FOR PETS
Plan ahead and fi ll out an emergency
care plan for your pet.
To download “Best Friends Animal
Society’s Pet Preparedness Plan,” visit
the Humane Society of Cottage Grove
on Facebook and click the COVID-19
Pet Preparedness Plan link.
You can also go to support.best-
friends.org and download from that
website.
Pet food is what ‘nearly
every family is requesting’
PET OF THE WEEK
This cute bunny is Bronco! He was brought to
Greenhill after a sweet boy caught him hopping
around his neighborhood and tried to sneak him
into his room by hiding Bronco in his shirt. His
Mom found out and they brought Bronco to the
shelter as a stray. Bronco has turned out to be
a sweet and social bunny that is easy to handle.
Bronco has soft red fur with big brown eyes.
He is a mixed breed rabbit and weighs a little
over 5 pounds. Bronco needs to be adopted to
an inside home and does not liked to be picked
up. Bronco is a very sweet, cute bunny that will
make a wonderful family so happy!
the phone or working with a
pet; everything took twice as
long to accomplish. I never
realized how much I talk
during an examination and
explaining medications as
I enter them in the medical
record,” as opposed to enter-
ing notes fi rst, followed by
conversation or “voicemail
tag” with clients.
One unanticipated posi-
tive: since they weren’t feel-
ing protective or picking
up on their family’s nerves,
“Many pets that are usually
nervous or even nippy during
their exam were much better
without their people with
them,” Schlorman said.
Caution is still in order
with the reopening.
“OHA guidelines state that
non-compliance can result
in the entire order being
rescinded, so we are going to
be doing our best to keep that
from happening and to keep
us all safe,” Schlorman said.
Staying informed is also
still important, as a handful
of documented cases exist
of domestic cats and dogs
getting sick from COVID-19;
but while pets may (rarely)
contract the virus from
humans, there is currently
no evidence of pet-to-human
transmission.
“I think there is good
information coming out now,
but we really are learning
about this virus every day,”
Schlorman said.
“Normally we see very few
animals that have communi-
cable diseases, whether it be
to us or to other pets, and we
have guidelines for testing
should any animals come
down with symptoms after
being exposed to a known
COVID-19 case, she said.
NAME:
BRONCO
Gender:
MALE
breed:
MIX
If you are interested in adopting some of our wonderful rabbits or just want to learn more about
bunnies as family pets, please call Greenhill for a free rabbit care packet today.
Greenhill Humane Society is conducting adoptions by appointment
seven days a week, 11 am – 5 pm at 88530 Green Hill Rd in Eugene.
For more information call (541) 689.1503 or visit www.green-hill.org.
Both the Creswell Food Pantry and Community
Sharing organizations are accepting dog and cat
food donations.
Creswell Food Pantry, 364 Cobalt Lane, distrib-
utes pet food during regular food distribution
times, 12:30 to 3 p.m. Thursdays. Quart-size
resealable bags also needed.
“A volunteer has been donating 100 pounds of
dog and cat food each week; she bags it in quart-
sized bags,” said pantry manager Susan Blachnik.
“We could use another 100 to 200 pounds per
week. Pet food has been an item that nearly every
family is requesting.”
More info: 541-246-9117.
Community Sharing, 1440 Birch Ave. in
Cottage Grove, operates a food pantry from 11:30
a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. More
info: 541-942-2176.
Cattery manager
Hannah Washington
bottle-feeds a tiny kitten
at Greenhill Humane
Society.
MEGAN BREZOVAR/PHOTO
Sheltering
pets in the
pandemic
BY GINI DAVIS
THE CHRONICLE
Amid the hardships of
COVID-19, there’s at least one
bright spot: animal adoptions
and foster volunteers have not
decreased, and intakes have
not increased at Greenhill
Humane Society of Eugene.
“We have had 100-plus
foster applicants, which
has been so great – espe-
cially since Kitten Season
has begun,” said event and
community engagement
manager Megan Brezovar.
“We have not experienced an
increase in animals coming
in, but we have experienced
many more phone calls and
inquiries about resources and
services.”
During the pandemic:
Adoptions, returns to
owners and surrenders by
appointment only: 541-689-
1503.
Strays accepted with
attempts made to fi nd their
family while on stray hold. “If
a fi nder is willing to hold onto
the animal, we will assist in
fi nding the owner,” Brezovar
noted. Take cats found in
Cottage Grove or Creswell to
Humane Society of Cottage
Grove; take dogs to Cottage
Grove Police Department (in
Creswell, check with City
Hall). Animals transferred to
Greenhill if owners not found.
Intake assesses shelter
inventory levels, with staff
prioritizing animals unsafe
in their current situation.
Cat and rabbit intake priori-
tizing sick, injured, bottle-ba-
bies, visibly pregnant or
in-danger animals.
Animals known to be
exposed to COVID-19 are
quarantined for two weeks,
SEE SHELTER – 21