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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, February 21, 2018
JoCo Animal Shelter is a no kill facility
Anita R. Savio
IVN Contributing Writer
Josephine County residents
love their pets, and the Josephine
County (JoCo) Animal Shelter’s
commitment to saving adoptable
pets reflects that love. Residents’
approval of two successive property
tax levies to better fund the shelter,
first a three year levy, and most
recently a five year levy, has helped
to make that possible.
“We do not euthanize any
animals that are healthy and social,”
said Animal Shelter coordinator
Laura Milnes. “We do not have
any time limits on our animals. We
do not euthanize any animals just
because we’re full; we find creative
ways to find space. We do treat
animals that are injured or sick,
as long as it is within the shelter’s
means.”
Milnes added that the shelter
does euthanize animals that are
terminally ill, suffering or whose
treatment is too prohibitive or puts
their quality of life into question.
The shelter also euthanizes animals
that are too dangerous to be re-
homed.
The JoCo shelter is an open
admissions shelter, as are most
county-run and municipal shelters.
“We are chartered to take in
animals who are found without
owners, no matter the circumstances,
whether they are young, old, big,
small, friendly, aggressive, cute,
ugly, healthy, sick or injured,”
Milnes said.
In 2017, the shelter took in
719 dogs, of which only 53 had
to be euthanized and 1083 cats, of
which only 171 were euthanized.
Other animals taken in by the shelter
included goats, rabbits and pigs.
In addition to accepting
animals who are surrendered by their
owners, Milnes explained that the
shelter takes animals who are on bite
quarantine and rabies quarantine or
who are part of an ongoing animal
control investigation. If someone is
arrested for a DUI and there’s a dog
in the car, it comes to the shelter.
Milnes also referred to the role
of nonprofit support organization
Shelter Friends, which handles off-
site adoption events, fostering and
transfers to other agencies when
space is full at the JoCo shelter.
“We’re very fortunate to have
the support of Shelter Friends, a
nonprofit that provides volunteer
support in numerous ways, as
well as fundraising for above-and-
beyond medical cases. There’s no
way we could do it alone. But with
the support of Shelter Friends, they
make a lot of this possible,” she said.
Milnes is proud of a number of
new programs and accomplishments
in recent years.
Two new programs save
previously unadoptable animals:
• Heartworm Heroes,
sponsored by Shelter Friends,
provides foster homes for dogs
recovering from a heartworm
diagnosis.
• The Barn Buddies program
provides a second chance for not-so-
sociable cats, while letting them help
control rodent and pest populations.
The cats are not just for barns,
but also for garages, feed rooms,
wineries, shops, supply rooms,
cellars or anywhere that rodents may
be. All cats are fixed, given current
vaccinations, de-wormed and treated
for fleas and ticks before adoption.
The two levies have paid for
a number of improvements at the
shelter, physical and otherwise. In
December 2016 the shelter opened
up its new cat adoption building.
“We’re able to house more
cats. It’s brighter, it’s cleaner, it’s
more easily sanitized. We have new
kennels where the cats are much
more comfortable. When the cats
are more comfortable they’re more
adoptable.”
The shelter has also added
more outdoor play yards for dogs,
including specialized yards for
“jumpers, diggers and escapers.”
In addition to fixing all animals
before they’re adopted, the shelter
began micro chipping them in 2017.
Cats testing positive for feline
leukemia are now transferred to
more specialized facilities where
they can receive appropriate
treatment.
The shelter has beefed up its
staffing to 5 ½ full-time equivalents.
At the same time, the animal
control officers (ACOs) have been
transferred to the sheriff’s office,
where they have better access to
training, equipment and backup from
armed officers. An ACO supervisor
has been hired. The ACO budget,
however, still comes from shelter
levy funds. No sheriff’s office
monies are touched.
Currently, residents must
call the shelter for animal control
issues, but eventually there will be
a separate animal control number
operated out of the sheriff’s
department.
JoCo’s shelter is a division of
the county’s health department, and
that department has a new director,
Michael Weber.
Of her new boss, Milnes said:
“I’m really excited to be working
under him. He shares in my vision
for the future of the shelter. We’re
looking at the master plan for the
shelter, which we are hoping to
include some kind of clinic facility.”
When asked what is the most
rewarding part about her job, Milnes
responded: “Being able to make
policy and practice adjustments
that result in real change, not only
to increase adoptions and decrease
euthanasia, but also to provide the
animals here with better care while
they’re in our care.”
For more information about
shelter programs, adoptable animals
and fees, including adoption and
surrender fees, Milnes encourages
residents to check out the shelter’s
great new website,www.jocoshelter.
com. Or they can call 541-474-5458,
Monday through Saturday.
Love your dog? Don’t fool around with Parvovirus
feces (stool), environments or even people.
The AVMF explains how the virus is resistant
to heat, cold, humidity and drying and even
trace amounts of feces from an infected dog
can survive in the environment for long
periods of time - which means a healthy dog
can pick it up virtually anywhere.
“Some people are choosing not to
get help from the clinic and try to treat this
at home,” said Malinda Boie, veterinary
technician at Dr. Joe’s Pet Hospital. “But Parvo
is very easily transmitted on everything and
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anything. Just walking through your house, if
you’re contaminated, then you walk through
town or the store - your readily spreading it.”
Boie explained how the virus can also
contaminate kennel surfaces, food and water
bowls, collars and leashes, and the hands,
shoes and clothing of people who handle
infected dogs.
SEE PARVO ON A-12
♥
R
♥ G R
L
E A T F O O D ♥
C
It’s one of those fast-acting viruses that
can change everything in a matter of hours.
Experts at the American Veterinary Medical
Foundation (AVMF) say most deaths from
parvovirus (parvo) occur within 48 to 72 hours
following the onset of clinical signs.
Parvo affects dogs’ gastrointestinal tracts
and symptoms indicating your dog might be
dealing with parvo can include: lethargy; loss
of appetite; abdominal pain and bloating; fever
or low body temperature; vomiting; and severe
(often bloody) diarrhea.
So far in 2018, about 10 cases of parvo
have been diagnosed at Dr. Joe’s Pet Hospital
in Cave Junction, and according to Dr. Nina
Hoelzle, the disease is fatal about 50 percent of
the time - with higher fatality rates potentially
occurring in certain breeds, including pit bulls
and Rottweiler’s.
Parvo is easily spread by direct dog-to-
dog contact and contact with contaminated
SI
Annette McGee Rasch
IVN Senior Contributing Writer
IV
E M
U
S PORTSMAN TAVER N
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