viewpoint
BY CARY LIEBERMAN
Greenhill Transition
Changes in Lane County and
Eugene animal control
n July 1st, Greenhill Humane Society
began providing sheltering and
adoption activities at the former
Lane County Animal Services facility.
Greenhill now operates two facilities in
Eugene — one on Green Hill Road and
one on West 1st Avenue. Also on July 1,
the city of Eugene took responsibility for
animal enforcement and dog licensing
inside the Eugene city limits.
O
What does this mean for pet
owners? If you live outside the Eugene city
limits, or in unincorporated Eugene, you will
probably experience no changes. Lane County
Animal Services still provides animal enforcement and
licensing to unincorporated Lane County. The phone number to contact
Lane County’s Animal Control Offi cer remains the same (682-3645).
Springfi eld has not changed its animal control services, nor have any
of the other cities within the county. Do g licensing for these areas also
remains the same.
For Eugene residents, there are two city of Eugene Animal Welfare
Offi cers providing service seven days a week. The Eugene Animal
Services direct line for reporting lost and found pets, dogs at large and
animal abuse, as well as obtaining additional information, is 687-4060.
The city of Eugene is now issuing its own dog licenses. However, Lane
County licenses issued to Eugene dogs prior to July 1 will remain valid
for the term of the license. When the Lane County dog license expires,
owners will need to purchase a city of Eugene license. City of Eugene
licenses can be purchased in person at the 1st Avenue Shelter or on-line
at http://wkly.ws/1bs
If you have lost a pet anywhere in Lane County, including the city of
Eugene, check the 1st Avenue Shelter. The phone number for the shelter is
844-1777. Animals in the shelter are viewable on-line at www.green-hill.org
What does this mean for stray, abandoned, abused and neglected
pets? Stray and impounded animals will continue to be cared for at the
1st Avenue Shelter, and repeat visitors may recognize some familiar
faces — Greenhill now employs several of the former LCAS employees.
Greenhill is committed to providing a high level of care, both for the stray,
abandoned, abused and neglected pets at the 1st Avenue Shelter, as well
as the owned and transferred pets at the shelter on Green Hill Road.
Animals are never euthanized because of space limitations. Greenhill
euthanizes only in situations involving animals that cannot be safely
handled — either because of aggression or contagious disease, or where
the animal is suffering and a reasonable level of treatment would not
be effective at improving quality of life. Greenhill employs a shelter
veterinarian and trained animal care staff who evaluate and provide
treatment and care for each animal.
Additionally, Greenhill’s Animal Care Committee, which includes staff
and professional veterinary volunteers, meets monthly to discuss animal
care practices in an effort to ensure that the organization is always
striving to improve the level of care provided to homeless pets.
How do I volunteer or donate to help homeless, stray, abandoned,
abused, and neglected animals? Donations and volunteers are needed
now, more than ever, for the activities at both shelters. For information
about volunteering at the shelters, call 844-1777 or 689-1503, or visit
www.green-hill.org and click on “Volunteer.”
Donations can be made by phone, on-line at www.green-hill.org/
donate, or by mail sent to 1st Avenue Shelter, 3970 W. 1st Ave. Eugene
97402 or Greenhill Humane Society, 88530 Green Hill Road, Eugene
97402. Checks can be made to Greenhill Humane Society or 1st Avenue
Shelter. Donors can dedicate their gifts specifi cally to the activity of
sheltering stray, abused and neglected animals, to the Mend-a-Friend
fund, which is used for providing life-saving medical treatments, or to
the general fund that supports on-going operations at both shelters.
Where do I go to adopt a new pet? Although the primary goal
at the 1st Avenue Shelter is reuniting stray animals with their owners,
both shelters have animals awaiting adoption into new loving homes. All
animals available in both shelters can be viewed at www.green-hill.org.
Cary Lieberman is executive director of Greenhill Humane Society. If you have questions about animal welfare
services in your neighborhood, call 844-1777 or 689-1503 for more information.
4
JULY 26, 2012
EUGENE WEEKLY
letters
TO THE EDITOR
STERILE VISION FOR 4J
I am deeply grateful for Mark Gillem’s
recent analysis [cover story 7/19] of the
fl aws in the proposed 4J Facilities Master
Plan. He did not say it, but I will: The
emperor has no clothes. Bigger is not better.
Newer is not better. More expensive is not
better. At one time, the South Eugene region
contained Dunn, Fox Hollow, Laurel Hill,
Whiteaker, Parker and Condon Schools in
addition to Harris, Edison and Edgewood.
Within the memory of many residents is
also the Glenwood neighborhood school.
The proposed Master Plan would
reduce what once were nine schools into
two. After almost 40 years of rejecting
simplistic solutions in favor of a nuanced,
complex and diverse combination of
homegrown neighborhood, alternative and
charter schools, I cannot imagine that the
voters of Eugene or the patrons of 4J will
embrace this sterile vision of our city’s
future. Speaking for myself, as a parent,
taxpayer, educator and homeowner, I will
vote “no” for the fi rst time in my life on
the upcoming bond levy that proposes
closing and combining more schools in our
community. I feel certain that I will not be
alone in that choice.
Mary Bauer
Eugene
PUBLIC SAFETY BLACKMAIL
Springfi eld and Lane County love
to use the fear of jail closures to promote
property tax increases. Why not have a
graduated property tax like the income tax,
only skewed toward an equal burden not in
favor of downtown developers, the timber
moguls, etc.? A sales tax inherently puts the
burden on the poor because it takes a larger
percentage of their net worth than the rich.
Vince Loving
Eugene
STARTING A CONVERSATION
Eugene has a proud history of great
schools with community support. The
district is in the early stages of developing
a comprehensive facilities plan that will
help continue this history. [See cover story
“Which Way, 4J?” last week.]
Most of Eugene’s school buildings are 50
years old or older and some are in marginal
condition. The district has maintained
these buildings well, but many of these
buildings were not optimally designed or
constructed. Most were also built at a time
when educational, energy effi ciency, and
technological expectations were dramatically
different than they are today.
In developing a plan, the district’s
educational vision includes school
buildings that support learning, appealing
programs in all four regions of the district,
and effi cient use of resources. Maintenance
of strong neighborhood schools and
consistency with educational best practices
will also be guiding principles.
The facilities study prepared for 4J
builds upon the facility plan developed
in 2002 that had wide community input
and provides an analysis of the condition
of our buildings and a possible district
confi guration. This initial proposal
is intended as a starting place for the
community discussion, not the ending
place. Any discussion will need to include
careful analysis of whether to remodel or
rebuild schools.
The School Board will hold its fi rst
work session about the facilities plan Sept.
12. The board’s initial discussion will
require the board to decide what plan to
forward for input.
My hope is that community conversation
will result in a plan that the community
supports and serves all our children well.
Jennifer Geller
Chair, 4J School Board
Eugene
EARTH WITHOUT US
Re: “Death to Oysters” [Letters, 7/19]:
I am all in for global warning and don’t
deny it in the least. I believe we should
keep up on overfi shing, industrialization,
clear cutting and burning copious amounts
of fossil fuels and coal to put a large
cloud over the world. The quicker we kill
ourselves off, the better. Then we could
allow the Earth to live and thrive as it once
has in its true state: human-less.
Chris Maher
Eugene
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