The BrightSide Banner Spring 2020

I MUSTACHE seeks a retirement home!

She’s a very sweet, people-loving senior who would love to be somebody's companion. She would do best with an owner who does not have to leave her alone often.

She has lived with a cat but prefers to be the only dog. .

SOPHIE the Siamese is very shy. This lovely lady is transitioning from her former home life to life in the shelter and it has been quite a shock for this reserved girl. With patience, Sophie does respond to pets and will even purr after a while.

Newsletter of the BrightSide Animal Center, Redmond, OR

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Coping with COVID-19 How BrightSide is managing

Thanks to many foster families, we are keeping costs down and spirits up.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BrightSide unfortunately had to cease many normal operations and close to the public on March 20. Notwithstanding, within a couple of weeks of the closure, we supplemented out adoption program with an expanded foster program that enabled us to place in homes nearly all our animals throughout the course of the closure. We made these placements by appointment only.

BrightSide is profoundly appreciative of the many people who stepped forward to adopt and foster our animals. Their generosity and caring enabled BrightSide to adopt and foster about 70 animals, approximately equally split between adoptions and fosters. Of the animals placed into foster care, we expect at least 25 will be adopted, or already have been adopted, by their foster families.

We have lots of great stories about “foster failures,” foster families that decided to adopt their fostered animal. Chickadee, above, and Dee Dee (on next page) are just two of these lucky pets. We want to tell you about them!

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ISSUE NO. 07 SPRING 2020

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE THRIFT STORE AND SHELTER? Both were closed until May 15, when Stage 1 of reopening began in Deschutes County. The shelter opened for adoptions by appointment, and the thrift store reopened with masks, social distancing and restrictions on the number of shoppers. Now the thrift store is again accepting donations, but hours are limited. Please call (541) 504-0101 before bringing goods to donate.

At the shelter, the building is again open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; masks are required. If you are interested in adopting, please view available pets on our web site first. Then fill out an application, available at http://brightsideanimals.org/dogs-cats-foradoption/adoption-application, before coming to the shelter. E-mail your application to volunteer@brightsideanimals.org with the name of the animal you want to adopt in the subject line, or bring the application with you when you come to the shelter.

Foster fail cat: Chickadee

Chickadee arrived at BrightSide as a stray in July 2019. After seeing Chickadee in an Instagram post, Erin and her family wanted to foster her. It didn’t take long for Chickadee to become a permanent member of the family. Here is what Erin had to say: “Our family had been trying to find ways to help animals throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We met Chickadee that afternoon. Our daughter fell instantly in love. We knew that whatever cat we brought into our home had to get along with our young, active dog and love to be snuggled on by our kids. Chickadee had been in the shelter for a long time and we weren't sure how she would react to our environment. It has been fun to watch her come out of her shell. She quickly became the queen. She saunters through the house and her exceptionally loud meows can be heard from every room. She allows the dog to sniff her - but quickly puts him in his place.

My husband has quickly fallen in love with her. Thank you to BrightSide for helping us make this connection.”

Foster fail dog: DEE DEE FINDS HER KNIGHT! Dee Dee was surrendered to BrightSide in February. Alas, Dee Dee was one of our last dogs needing placement in the early weeks of the closure. She was overlooked a lot and most interested families just weren’t the right fit for her. She waited patiently for her knight in shining armor…and that’s just what she got! Dee Dee was originally fostered by John but is now happy to be joining him permanently. Dee Dee is his dream girl and these two make the perfect pair!

Again, a huge shout out to everyone who stepped up to adopt and/or foster during this time. For those foster families that were only able to temporarily foster, you still provided your animal a much-needed break from the shelter environment. This provided us with valuable information about your animal’s time in a home environment, which in turn will assist us to find her the right forever home. Thank you from all of us at BrightSide!

Building for the Future: EXPANDING RECYCLING BrightSide wishes to acknowledge and thank its community for the enormous outpouring of support to BrightSide's Bottles and Cans redemption program. Your many contributions of beverage containers over these last months of COVID allowed BrightSide to maintain its financial balance.

BrightSide Animal Center 1355 NE Hemlock Ave. Redmond, OR 97756 Mailing address: PO Box 1404 Redmond, OR 97756 541-923-0882 brightsideanimals.org

To keep this momentum going, BrightSide purchased four new sturdy receptacles that will soon replace the aging receptacles currently in place. Our team of devoted volunteers will continue to process your contributions so that BrightSide can continue to provide the care and support to our animals for as long as it takes them to get their "forever" homes.

Please support BrightSide by donating your bottles and cans! To find a convenient drop-off location near you, please visit https://brightsideanimals.org/services/can-andbottle-recycling/.

The new trailers at the thrift store don’t look like much now, but when painted they will be spiffy and provide better security than our other trailers.