The BrightSide Banner - Summer 2018

I I've been at BrightSide for a while now and no one knows why. I am super sweet, excel in training, and can help keep you active!

-- BELLA

I am an easy-going & quiet senior kitty that loves pets and naps. I won’t ask for much: Just a quiet place to rest and a warm lap. Come meet me! I'll be waiting for you.

--DEXTER .

Newsletter of the BrightSide Animal Center, Redmond, OR

BrightSide Banner eee ER THE

Lawrence & his legacy: The Anima l Relief Fund

Inspired by the gifts we received from donors hoping to save Lawrence, the ARF will help other animals who, like him, arrive at BrightSide unloved, and needing medical attention beyond our means.

When Lawrence first arrived as a stray at Brightside, it was difficult to make sense of who he was deep down. He could barely walk and was rightfully nervous about his new environment. Our first thought was that he had been recently hit by a car and was suffering from the injuries but it became apparent that his inability to move his legs normally was more likely a long-term disability that had been plaguing him for years. Whether it stemmed from an old accident or a neurological disorder was not something we could ever discern but it was clear that poor Lawrence had been suffering for quite some time. However, his true personality began to show after he had been here for a few days and had found shelter, food and comfort with the Brightside staff. Being an avid Doberman owner and lover, I found Lawrence to be true to what makes this breed so great. He was extremely affectionate, loyal, goofy and he loved his people. Despite his short time with us, Lawrence bonded quickly with the staff and volunteers and was always looking for someone to CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

ISSUE NO. 01 SUMMER 2018

SAVE THE DATE! Black Dog Yappy Hour July 19, 5-8 pm, benefits Animal Relief Fund Crater Lake Distillery Tasting Room on Bond St in Bend (1024 NW Bond St Suite 102, Bend, OR 97701). Fundraiser for our Animal Relief Fund to help the community with emergency medical bills, and to help our shelter animals who come in and need diagnostic, imaging, or other specialized treatments that we don’t have the resources to provide. Tickets are $50. Includes catering by Bleu Bites, specialty cocktails by Crater Lake, silent auction, and a wine pull. Seats are very limited! Tickets can be purchased on our website.

Thrift store street fair This summer the Thrift Store, at 838 NW 5th Street in Redmond, is having a street fair every other Wednesday. Our goods will be available outside in our lot at deep discounts. We'll be grilling hot dogs -- you can buy them with chips and a drink for just $2 -- as well as offering ice cream cones for the same price. You may see adoptable dogs brought over from the shelter to mingle with the shoppers. And kids from the "Empowering Youth Bicycle Program" will also be there in June to work on and sell bikes out front of the store. We may also include local handmade craft vendors. The street fair starts at 11 a.m. on June 13 and 27; July 11 and 25; and Aug. 8 and 22. Mark your calendars!

With it being estate sale season now, we are getting some very nice donations of antiques. Some are quite valuable, but of course they're on sale at thrift store prices. Two exciting additions available now are lots of furniture from the remodeling of the Fairview Inn in Bend and a donation of 40 King-size mattresses

by Eagle Crest. So come on out!

-- Kari Stuber, Thrift Store manager

TIGA: Reunited with her owner after 2 years!

“Tiga” arrived at BrightSide as an owner surrender in February of 2016. She was adopted a couple months later but sadly returned to the shelter in May of 2016. She has been with us since then. That was until May of 2018 when a miracle occurred.

5

things to do

this summer

1 2 3 4 5

Adopt a cat!

June is adopt-a-cat month, so take advantage of the special rates on adoption fees and bring home a new furry companion.

Remember a well-loved pet We mark World Pet Memorial Week with a ceremony on Friday, June 15, 5:30 – 6 p.m. at the shelter. Come by the shelter and tie a ribbon on the tree to memorialize your pet.

A woman came into the shelter to look at dogs. She happened to spot Tiga lounging in a bed in our lobby.

After a few minutes of interacting with her, she said “I think this is my cat.”

She adopted Tiga, who is really Tessa, years prior but unfortunately had to re-home her. She told us she constantly worried about Tessa and always hoped she was doing well.

She showed us old photos and it sure did look like our “Tiga”. We descibred her unique personality and could all agree it seemed pretty likely. Finally we were able to confirm that the person who surrendered her was the person she was re-homed to…it really was her!

DOG GON RUN

TIGA, NOW AGAIN TESSA Tessa was adopted by her original adopter that afternoon after two years at BrightSide. It was a happy day for all!

-- Emily Rucker, Kennel manager

To find out more ways on how you can help BrightSide, please contact the front desk at 541-923-0882 or visit www.brightsideanimals.org

Join the Dog Gone Run 10K, 5K or 1-mile walk .Fun for all ages & abilities Sat. June 16, 9 a.m., Sam Johnson Park, Redmond. Bring your pooch!

Prizes, raffles, pancake feed, great T-shirts and goodie bags and a bandana for your dog. Sign up at brightsideanimals.org/events/dog-gone-run Black Dog Yappy Hour A special event to benefit pets who need special medical treatment, it will be July 19, 5-8 p.m., at Crater Lake Distillery Tasting Room in downtown Bend. See story on Page 1.

DOGust Birthday Aug. 1, 2-4 p.m., we celebrate as the birthday of all the pets we receive whose real birthdays we don't know. Help them celebrate at the shelter. Cake for the humans!

continued from page 1

MANDY'S TRAINING TIPS:

LAWRENCE lean on, living up to the term "Velcro dog" commonly used to describe Dobermans.

Lawrence was happy as could be, as long as someone was petting him.

After sharing Lawrence's story with the community, we received support and donations to help Lawrence.

We set up a diagnostic visit with a local vet, determined to give him the best chance of treatment and a home in fospice care. Sadly, Lawrence’s condition deteriorated quickly over the course of a few days and he was no longer able to stand on his own. After determining with the vet that Lawrence was in too much pain to continue letting him suffer, we made the difficult decision to euthanize him. And so I laid with him, his head in my lap, as he drifted off to sleep. My hope is that he knew he was loved deeply and felt safe and comforted in his final moments.

Lawrence is a perfect example of why we do what we do. He came to us suffering, in pain and with no apparent family that cared for him. Yet, despite his hardships, all he showed us was love and loyalty. And so we commemorate Lawrence with a fund in his honor.

Initiated by the donations that were given for his treatment, the Animal Relief Fund, or ARF, will help BrightSide give care to other animals like Lawrence that come to BrightSide unloved and needing medical attention beyond our means. Despite their tragic pasts, they still give their unconditional love and trust to humans. These dogs prove that if the kindest souls were rewarded with the longest lives, dogs would outlive us all.

-- Mandy Muller, BrightSide dog trainer

Introducing a new dog into your family No matter the age of the dog, if you are bringing home a new fur family member, the process and training will be essentially the same, says BrightSide's trainer Mandy.

Sydney & Jake recently brought home Bri, one of the rescued Korean dogs. See story about these dogs, below.

Restrict their freedom: If you cannot watch your dog/puppy, it should be in safe location where it cannot get into trouble. Ideally, a crate. This will keep them from having potty accidents in the house or being destructive with household items. It will also teach them to be calm and sleep when no one is around to play.

Put him on a schedule!

Food, water and potty breaks should all be monitored. Take him out for potty in the same location so that he learns to go there routinely.

Introduce siblings. If you

Start basic obedience training. Use her daily food to teach her new commands or to reinforce behaviors she already knows. Hand-feeding her will also help to create a bond between you and show her that you are the provider of their resources.

at first. Feed and play with

have another dog in the home, it is going to be a big adjustment for both. Give them space from each other them separately. Start by taking them on leashed walks together in neutral territory. The initial goal is for them to exist with each other; don’t expect them to be best friends right away.

LIVES WE SAVED:

Korean meat dogs happy & healthy Fritz and Biskit are littermates that journeyed to BrightSide from South Korea in 2016 after being rescued from the dog meat trade by the Humane Society of the United States. We check in on their new lives in Central Oregon.

"Fritz (left) is a happy little dog who comes to work with me every day," his owner says. "He's made SO much progress over the last 2 years! I am so thankful for my little dog and love showing off his progress."

"Biskit (right, with sister Ruby the cat) is amazing and I love her to pieces! She has been a wonderful addition to our family.

"I am so proud of her as she has grown so much in her confidence. She brings a huge amount of joy to our lives," her owner

says. "We love her very much!"

-- Emily Rucker, Kennel manager

volunteer spotlight: Sue Owen In August of 2015, I discovered BrightSide. I called to arrange a spay for my dog and was pleased with her care and with my contact with this organization. I decided to volunteer.

After the required volunteer training, I became a dog-walker.

I found myself full of delight as I took a dog out of a cage and strolled out into the high desert with the mountains looming in the background. Dogs and mountains ‌ As I walked, I felt deeply that dog-walking was a special honor.

But my health required that I have knee surgery. During that time, I missed greatly the camaraderie and shared passion for the well-being of the dogs and cats in our care. The people at BrightSide were people I liked! I found that our values were similar.

Hearts here were full of compassion, and people at BrightSide were actively giving of themselves for the good of vulnerable animals. This was a community for which I was Dog-walker or office worker: IT'S ABOUT JOY! grateful to belong.

I now volunteer in the office. I miss the dog-walking, but there is also joy in actually seeing the people who adopt the dogs and cats. There is a sense of familiarity with the cats that roam in and out of our space. Here I see the complexities that underlie a working shelter. It is much more than just finding homes for dogs and cats. It is about Sue legalities, people who need food for their pets, people who need comfort Owen as they surrender their pets or who come because they have lost their pets. There are people who find comfort in petting cats and people who find satisfaction in cleaning cages. There are people who give up Saturdays to take dogs to adoption events. The staff and the volunteers are all connected by their love for animals. As a volunteer, I am part of that connection. It feels important, purposeful. BrightSide truly is a joy-filled place! – Sue Owen

Building for the Future: OUR CAPITAL NEEDS Did you know that BrightSide's "new" shelter building now is more than 15 years old? Our operation has grown a lot since the shelter was built. Plus the wear and tear of taking in thousands of animals has taken its toll. We need to make some expensive improvements that our annual operating budget cannot stretch to accommodate. Can you help? If so please contact Jerry Boysen (jerry.boysen@gmail.com) or Gail Kimbell (arkimbell@gmail.com), our board members who head our capital campaign.

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

Our biggest needs: 1. Replace outdoor kennels, adding concrete pad to prevent digging out: $90,000. This has become a safety issue for both dogs and dog walkers. We have raised $10,000 so far. Can you help us with the rest?

2. Cross-fence play yard: $25,000. We have a huge play yard that is underutilized because only 1 dog or group of similar dogs can use it at a time. We can rehabilitate dogs in need of training more quickly if we can use this space efficiently. We would divide it into several areas, add shade trees and irrigation for the trees.

3. Commercial laundry area: $100,000. Did you know BrightSide does more than 20 loads of laundry PER DAY? Washers & dryers, often from the thrift store, break down frequently and our ventilation is inadequate. We need commercial machines, which require a small addition with new concrete pad, new plumbing and new ventilation.

4. Interior and exterior painting: $20,000.

Thank you for your support!