4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ AUGUST 31, 2016
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
RYAN CRONK , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
What it means to be a no-kill, limited-intake shelter
man came into the Oregon
Coast Humane Society
(OCHS) recently with three
kittens. The family pet had gotten
out and got pregnant. They had
taken care of the kittens until they
were weaned and now they needed
to get the kittens placed into other
homes. Our shelter manager
explained that we have a waiting list
for people to surrender their animals
and that he would have to wait until
there was room to take in his kit-
tens. The man was very angry at
receiving this bad news. People
believe that the shelter must accept
any animal brought to them, at any
time. This is not the case.
OCHS is a non-profit, limited
intake, no-kill shelter. What does
that mean?
A
No-kill shelter
This is the most important part of
our mission — no-kill. It is a rou-
tine practice in large urban, tax-run,
shelters to limit their population by
euthanizing the older, less desirable
animals to make room for the
newer, younger animals. OCHS will
never do this.
We do not euthanize animals that
are healthy. The Animal Welfare
Committee must be involved in any
decision to euthanize an animal. The
best interest of the animal will drive
this decision, not the convenience of
operating the shelter.
Limited-intake shelter
What does limited intake mean?
Our shelter is a small building and
we have crates and
and Marge!)
cages to house our
Foster families are
cats and dogs. Think
desperately needed.
B Y B ETTY A NN B LACHOWICZ
of this shelter as an
If there were more
B OARD M EMBER , O REGON C OAST H UMANE S OCIETY
apartment building for
foster homes, we
animals. When all the
would not have to
apartments are full, the
keep animals in need
The Florence community has a
shelter cannot accept more animals.
on waiting lists. Please contact the
very big heart. We have a large vol-
The shelter manager limits the
shelter at 541-997-4277, if you
number of animals we let live there. unteer base to help care for the kit-
would like to apply to become a
tens by cleaning food bowls, ken-
We put animals that need to get in
foster family.
nels and litter pans. They provide
on a waiting list. There is no place
The shelter provides food, crate,
post-surgery monitoring on
to put any more cats this month.
litter pan, collar, leash, harness and
spay/neuter day. They socialize and
Our capacity is about 100 cats. We
record forms for these foster pets.
currently have 100 cats, plus 60 kit- play with the cats and kittens. They
Medical care includes worming,
take our dogs for walks. They
tens. There are cats and kittens
vaccinations, flea treatments,
answer the phones at the shelter,
everywhere we can put them!
spay/neuter services, routine med-
provide landscaping help, help with
ical treatments and contacts for
Non-profit shelter
fundraising and work as cashiers at
emergency medical treatment. These
our downtown thrift store.
Oregon Coast Humane Society is
are all paid for by OCHS.
If you have some time to give, we
a non-profit, privately run animal
All animals in foster care are
would love to hear from you. Please reviewed by the shelter veterinarian
shelter. We do not get public tax
come to the shelter or visit our web- on a regular basis. During these vis-
revenue to operate the shelter. It
site, oregoncoasthumanesociety.org, its, the animals are evaluated for
costs a lot of money to feed 100
cats. All 60 of the kittens need to be to complete a volunteer application.
general improvement and growth.
We have volunteers who provide
vaccinated, spayed or neutered,
Foster care providers are required to
foster homes for kittens, special
microchipped and dewormed. The
keep records on the progress of their
needs animals and small dogs.
cost of caring for so many animals
foster animal and of procedures
These wonderful families help us
is staggering. There are 160 feline
done at home such as worming and
increase the capacity of our shelter
mouths to feed each day.
flea treatments.
by taking some of the 60 kittens
Our small, dedicated, hardwork-
The shelter works actively to find
into their homes for a couple of
ing shelter staff needs to be paid.
permanent, loving homes for these
Our operating costs include utilities, months. These lucky kittens are
foster pets.
insurance and building maintenance. cared for, litter-box trained, social-
There are other ways to help. Our
ized and played with, to prepare
We do not pay rent. Lane County
thrift store is a major source of
owns the land where the shelter was them for being the best pet their
funding for the shelter. Please
new family could hope for.
built and has given the humane
donate your lightly used household
We have one family who has fos- goods to our Bay Street Thrift Store.
society a 50-year, no-cost lease. We
tered more than 70 dogs and another Your tax deductible donations help
get our operation funding from
family who has cared for hundreds
donations, membership, fundraisers
us take care of all our animals. And
of kittens over the years. (Thank
and the revenue from our Thrift
if you are looking for the best bar-
you so much, Bob and Eddie and Ed gains in town, this is the place to
Stores.
GUEST VIEWPOINT
shop.
Spay and neuter your cat or dog.
This will help to reduce the number
of unwanted animals that have to
come to our shelter.
When you are looking for your
next pet, adopt a shelter dog or cat.
These animals are so grateful for
their forever homes. They make
great pets. All our dogs and cats
come to you microchipped, neutered
and up to date on their vaccines.
Please consider the Oregon Coast
Humane Society in your estate plan-
ning. If you cross the rainbow
bridge before your pet, we will care
for your pet and do our very best to
find them another loving home.
Contact your lawyer to ensure there
is a donation to the shelter in your
will and add a statement that it is
your desire that OCHS take care of
your pet. Better yet, plan ahead and
designate a friend or family member
to be the custodian for your pet, so
that your pet does not need to spend
time in the shelter.
Become a member of our local
humane society. Your tax-
deductible, membership dollars will
all stay in our community and help
these animals in need. Membership
costs $30 per year. Please contact
the shelter or visit our website
www.oregoncoasthumanesociety.org
to become a member or to make a
donation to the Oregon Coast
Humane Society.
All your gifts are greatly appreci-
ated by our dogs and cats. Please
help us, help them.
LETTERS
Potter’s Auto is the best
I’ve brought my cars to Paul Potter’s
Automotive Services for about 15 years. I have
bought cars from Paul as well. Old cars — I’m
pretty old myself, so I’m fond of those oldies-
but-goodies. Potter’s has the best crew to keep
the old cars running.
I bought a sweet Chrysler New Yorker from
Potter’s a few months back. Old cars usually
have problems, of course, but this “Sweet
Betsy” soon developed an ignition-electrical
problem, like a nasty flu that wanted to slip
down into pneumonia.
I’d come to love that car. She is a deep
maroon, with a Landau top, made in 1990. She
is in near-pristine condition and looks and
drives like a Caddy. She gets happy glances
when folks see her. Finest model Chrysler ever
made.
I’m more than just a longtime customer to
Paul — we’re longtime friends. And we don’t
throw away a fine machine that someone cared
for all these many years. Paul shared the costs
and time searching for the source of Betsy’s
mysterious illness.
In the meantime, Paul sold Potter’s
Automotive to AJ and Megan Shervin. They
hail from Jackson Hole, Wyo.
AJ grew up in the auto repair business.
Florence is quite lucky because he comes with a
brand-new generation of automotive knowl-
edge. He also provides our community the same
family spirit Paul offered Florence all these
years.
My Betsy is back on the road again. She’s
starting up sharp and breathing right and almost
as good as new. And, just like Paul always did,
AJ gave me a sweet discount just to give me a
friendly hello. Thanks Paul and AJ, from a very
happy customer.
Francis Archer
Florence
USPS# 497-660
A responsibility to safety
Kevin Kraft’s recent Letter to the Editor (“So-
Called Rights,” Aug. 17) is the perfect example
of the paranoia I referred to in my Letter to the
Editor of Aug. 10. My point was that, at the time
of the break-in, True Value Hardware in Florence
was not equipped to safely and securely sell AK-
47s, Glock handguns, or other assault weapons.
Simply put, I said that gun sellers and, by
extension gun owners, have a responsibility
which too many of them are wont to ignore. I did
not suggest repealing the Second Amendment or
changing it in any way; although the Supreme
Court has ruled that the right to bear arms is not
unlimited and doesn’t prohibit regulation of
firearms.
Unfortunately, many gun owners are so
obsessed with protecting their interpretation of
L ETTERS P OLICY
Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor con-
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Write to: Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com.
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Postmaster, send address changes to: Siuslaw News, P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439; phone 541-997-3441; fax
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John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ryan Cronk
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
their rights that they leap to conclusions, make
assumptions, ignore statistics and spurn any
attempt at informed, civil discourse.
While it was not the point of my letter, I can-
not let go unchallenged Kraft’s claims that
tougher gun laws are not the solution.
He cites Chicago as proof of his claim. With a
little research he would learn that approximately
60 percent of illegal guns recovered in Chicago
are from out of state.
Nearly a quarter of those are from neighboring
Indiana, where gun laws are very lax, e.g., gun
owners can sell their weapons without back-
ground checks or any paperwork recording the
sale; lawmakers repealed a prohibition on manu-
factured sawed-off shotguns; adults can keep
guns in their vehicles in school parking lots.
Another 22 percent came from parts of Cook
County outside the city limits where gun dealers
and gun shows are legal. In other words, if
Chicago didn’t have tough guns laws, gun vio-
lence statistics would be even higher.
Bottom line — common-sense gun laws don’t
infringe on Second Amendment rights any more
than a legal drinking age of 18 infringes on the
21st Amendment.
I, for one, do not understand why a rational,
thinking person would not support universal
background checks, an assault weapons ban, and
limiting firearm magazine capacity to 10 car-
tridges if it saved the life of even one single inno-
cent child.
Dolly Brock
Florence
Pres. Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD Comments: 202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
Gov. Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, OR 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line 503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email:
Sen.ArnieRoblan@state.or.us
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753/FAX: 202-228-3997
541-465-6750
State Rep. Caddy McKeown
(Dist. 9)
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email:
rep.caddymckeown@state.or.us
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (4th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416/ 800-944-9603
541-269-2609/ 541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
State Sen. Arnie Roblan (Dist. 5)
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
West Lane County Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
FAX: 541-682-4616
Email:
Jay.Bozievich@co.lane.or.us