COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • JULY 18, 2018
CGPD kennel gives dogs a second chance
•
5A
Pet tips
‘N’ tales
By Mary Ellen
“Angel Scribe”
The Peace Maker
C
CAITLYN MAY/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Currently, the lone occupant at the kennels is an unnamed female mixed breed taken in July 4 and still looking for her owner.
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
Th e dog kennel, operated
by the Cottage Grove Police
Department and housed at
public works, is mostly emp-
ty. And that’s a good thing. It
means that the stats the de-
partment reported are also
anecdotally true; since the
kennel’s founding in 2015,
pet/owner reunifi cation has
jumped from 62 percent to
well over 90 percent.
So, on Monday, July 16,
when all but one of the four
kennels was empty, it was
good news — except for the
dog in kennel number 2.
Offi cers don’t know her
name. She wasn’t wearing a
collar when she was picked
up July 4 in Bohemia Park
but it’s hard to believe she
doesn’t have a family.
Her blue-gray eyes jump
out from her white fur and
her tail has a band of brown
that appears more like a blur
as she wags it happily. She
doesn’t jump against the
kennel door but she wiggles
and worms against it, hop-
ing for a pet and though her
pant can be attributed to the
heat, it’s more like a smile.
“She’s sweet,” Captain
Conrad Gagner said, off er-
ing his hand to the lost dog.
He’s tracked down a family
that may be interested in
adopting her, but he hasn’t
heard back yet. Five years
ago, the dog would have
already been at First Ave-
nue Shelter in Eugene and
would have been part of the
$11,000 a month the depart-
ment spent on lodging and
transportation costs before
the kennel in Cottage Grove
was built.
In April of 2015, CGPD
executed a search warrant
on a marijuana grow opera-
tion and seized a generator.
It was commercial-grade
and expensive, according to
Gagner, but the department
made a trade. It gave the
generator to public works
and in exchange, public
works built the dog kennel.
“Before we got the kennel,
we would transport them to
Forest Valley,” Gagner said.
Th e shelter charged the de-
partment for lodging and,
if no owner was found af-
ter three days, the animals
would be shipped to First
6
-day
weather forecast
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
85° | 52°
86° | 52°
Sunny
Sunny
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
88° | 54°
92° | 57°
Sunny
Sunny
MONDAY
TUESDAY
93° | 57°
94° | 56°
Sunny
Sunny
Avenue Animal Shelter in
Eugene and the department
would get a bill for the vac-
cinations issued to the ani-
mals on intake.
“It’s saving us so much
money, having the kennel,”
Gagner said.
It’s also saving heartbreak.
Gagner doesn’t have his
own Facebook page but he’s
learned to use the CGPD’s
social media outlet, which
was created out of a need to
raise awareness for the ken-
nel. And it’s working.
“It’s gotten to the point
where if someone’s dog is
missing they’ll have people
tell them, did you check
with the police,” Gagner
said.
But it’s those dogs, the fi ve
or six percent, that aren’t
reunited with their families
that Gagner says, breaks his
heart.
“It’s heartbreaking when
people, out of ignorance, I
guess, don’t think, or don’t
know this exists, they don’t
know what to do,” he said.
“Th ey lose their dog and are
sad and sort of say, ‘that’s
too bad.’ Th ey don’t think to
call the police.”
Th e local Brewers Guild,
however, has called the
police and continuously
so since 2015. Th e group
raised funds to update
and weatherize the kennels
and built a storage shed on
the property. Dogs have
heating pads in the winter,
protection from the sun in
the summer and their own
houses. Th e group also gets
food donations, enough
to feed the dogs housed
throughout the year, though
some also come into the po-
lice department.
“It’s sort of sad because
people will bring in the food
aft er their dog passes,” Gag-
ner said.
He’s also seen dogs stay
in the kennel because their
families think they can’t af-
ford to get them out. How-
ever, the CPGD waives fees
for any family experiencing
fi nancial hardship and ac-
cording to Gagner, will not
deny a dog the chance to go
home based on a family’s in-
ability to pay.
“We can keep them indef-
initely,” Gagner said. “But,
I hate to see them in there
that long.”
CGPD posts informa-
tion about dogs they’ve im-
pounded on their Facebook
page and individuals can
call the non-emergency line
to inquire about their miss-
ing dogs at 541- 942-9145.
Th e CGPD kennel also
adopts dogs out and does
not charge an adoption fee.
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arol, who lives in Israel, and I became email pals 22
years ago aft er she read my Angel Scribe writings
online. Th is year, Skype made it paws-ible for Car-
ol, her new dog, Boodi, and me to “meet.”
Last August, Carol left her French bulldog, Sunny, with a
paw-fessional dog sitter when she went on vacation. Unbe-
knownst to Carol, what happened to her beloved dog had
also happened to other canines in the sitter’s care. When
the sun was at its hottest, the sitter took dogs for a walk and
Sunny dropped dead from heat exhaustion.
“On my return, without my furry friend waiting for me,
I sunk into a deep depression,” admitted Carol. “I had Sun-
ny for eight years and was inconsolable. A month passed
and my friend, Ariel, was so worried that he said, ‘You need
another dog to lift your depression.’”
“He has the gift of seeing energies,” said Carol, “and add-
ed, ‘I want to make sure that you get the right dog for you.’”
And when they drove to an animal shelter, the fi rst dog
they saw “was not the right dog," said Carol. “Th en the staff
came out with this huge four-year-old, German Shepherd/
Husky mix.”
Ariel joyfully exclaimed, “Th is is the dog! He is intelli-
gent and your dog.”
Carol was shocked. Boodi had been in the shelter for six
months and no one wanted him. “I thought we came for a
small dog like Sunny. But this one was huge,” recalled Car-
ol. “But I trusted Ariel, so Boodi came home with me.”
And Ariel was right. “Th is wonderful rescue is the most
amazing dog I have ever had,” said Carol. “He is gentle,
calm, loves people and especially children; and he rescued
me from depression. Our hearts are so connected.”
Carol and Boodi live in Western Galilee, Northern Isra-
el, in Kfar Vradim, which means “Village of Roses.” Th ey
Carol's rescue dog, Boodi, keeps the peace in an Israel
dog park.
are 20 minutes from the Mediterranean Ocean and the sce-
nic area has a mixture of Arab, Druze and Jewish towns.
“When we go to the dog park, everyone loves Boodi. He
is famous there as a peacemaker. People comment on his
amazing natural instinct to stop confl icts,” said Carol.
When Boodi is not playing with his dog friends, he sits
near me until he sees other dogs playing too “ruff ” or bark-
ing aggressively at each other. He gets up, trots over to the
dogs and separates them by barking and pushing them
aside. Once things are calm, he comes back and sits down
beside me to supervise the dog park! If he sees another al-
tercation, he trots over and breaks it up.
“Aft er I adopted Boodi, when my 75-year-old friend,
who volunteers at the dog shelter, saw him with me she was
so happy,” said Carol. “‘I know your dog! I was hoping he
would fi nd a good home. He is so friendly. He is the best
dog,’ my friend said. And I agree!”
Carol feeds fi ve feral cats and one has adopted her. He
sits close to me on a patio chair. For some reason, Boodi ac-
cepts this feline and welcomes him but not the other four.
He chas-es the other ferals away; but this one cat, he treats
like family. I will keep you posted on how their friendship
develops here in Israel.
“Th is big loving dog fi lled the hole in my heart. He keeps
me healthy and active with three daily walks and I have met
wonderful people at the dog park because of him. We truly
res-cued each other,” said Carol.
TIPS:
Prevent what happened to your dog by learning from
Sunny’s death.
Remember: Walking dogs + Summer heat = Burned feet.
Two rules to prevent injuries to your dog's paws on hot
pavement.
1.) If the pavement is too hot for your bare feet, it will
burn your dog’s paws.
2.) Use the fi ve second rule. Hold the back of your hand
to the pavement and if your skin burns, then the pavement
will burn your dog.
WE LIVE IN THE SAME TOWN WE WORK IN
“WE MAKE SHIFT HAPPEN!”
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PayneWest.com/Cottage-Grove
DUSTIN TULLAR & RUSS OWENS
541-942-8022 • COTTAGE GROVE
Share your fun, amazing or crazing pet tips and tales at
angelscribe@msn.com or Follow Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/PetTipsandTales. Adopt loving pets online
at www.PetFinder.com. For spay or neutering, call the Humane
Society at 541-942-2789.