BrightSide Banner Winter 2020

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Chicken arrived pretty shy and likely not very socialized. She is young and doing better each day with familiar faces. She likes other cats and is very playful. Her ideal home will be with somebody familiar with skittish cats. Once she bonds with you, you’ll have a buddy for life! .

Denali, 8, is a German Shepherd who is very friendly and gentle with people, usually laid-back and calm.

She loves to walk and explore but she is not overly energetic. She needs a home without cats and will likely be best as an only dog in the home. An owner familiar with German Shepherds is a plus!

BrightSide Banner THE

KITTEN SEASON

ISSUE NO. 07 WINTER

BrightSide prepares to care for 250 or more babies

2020

KITTEN WISH LIST Wet and dry kitten food – We want Science Diet or Royal Canin Mother & Babycat Ultra Soft Mousse (both are sold at Petco) Baby blankets, small Photo: Emrah Ayvali, Pexels

Litter – non-clumping and fragrance-free Miracle nipples Stainless steel pet bowls with rubber gasket on the bottom Rescue disinfectant cleaner

Do you have a little extra space at home, a bit of free time, and some love to share? Want to make the world a better place in one easy step? If so, consider becoming a foster parent for homeless pets. It means bringing in a cat, dog, guinea pig or rabbit with the goal of nurturing the animals for a while until they are ready to be adopted into a permanent home.

With the arrival of kitten/puppy season in early spring, BrightSide is flooded with kittens and puppies that cannot be put up for adoption until they are eight weeks old. These underage puppies and kittens, and older CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Small litter boxes (kitten size) Snuggle Safe microwave warming disks KMR powder formula Sling carriers Gift certificates to Wal-Mart & any pet/office supply stores, as well as cash donations, are always appreciated!

Foster season CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

this summer We will be having another kitten / puppy fostering orientation session on Saturday, Feb. 15 at the shelter at 11 a.m. If you are interested, please call the shelter at 541-923-0882 ahead of time.

Foster volunteer Nicol Fisher, left, gets training from coordinator Carol Staropoli. Photo: Jerry Boysen.

dogs and cats that aren’t well socialized, or recovering from illness or injury, are the ones who benefit most from this TLC. Your love transports these animals from “hopeless to home.”

3 this 3 winter

fun things to do

Picture a 1.5-pound orange ball of fluff that looks like a piece of debris sitting in the middle of a busy city street with fast-moving vehicles. That was Thrifty, who post-rescue had surgery to repair a severe injury. He then went to foster care until he was ready for adoption. Yes, he was adopted immediately.

Envision what you think might be a tiny black bat that fits into the palm of your hand. Instead, you discover it to be a half-pound kitten, a stray needing to be bottle-fed around the clock. And she has a sister about the same size needing the same care. This was Dorothy, who despite some touch-and-go health challenges, was adopted with her foster brother.

Consider Clyde, who entered this world in a storage shed, sharing it with his sister and his very young momma. Momma could not continue nursing, so Clyde and his sister entered a foster home while momma stayed at BrightSide under the care of the veterinarian. His foster family was the “village” that raised this “child.” Even the family dog nurtured him, as did the family cat. Clyde is still in foster but will be ready to go to a home soon.

Navis, a pregnant dog, entered BrightSide as a stray. A family offered to take her to their home, fully aware that she would soon give birth. Navis had five very healthy puppies and was able to stay at this foster home until the puppies were ready for adoption. All five puppies were adopted, as was Navis. Yep, it was her foster family that adopted her.

Each foster situation is unique and will more than likely be one of the most rewarding volunteer experiences you will ever have. You will be amazed at how much you learn and how gratifying it is to see the kittens and puppies grow and develop under your care.

To become a foster volunteer, call me at 541-923-0882 or email volunteer@brightsideanimals.org.

-- Carol Staropoli, volunteer coordinator

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

Spay-ghetti Tickets are on sale now for BrightSide’s 12th annual Spay-ghetti dinner March 14 that helps fund spay/neuter and other programs.

This year will be better than ever! Space is limited so get your tickets today at the shelter, the thrift store, at http://brightsideanimals.org/event/2020spayghetti-fundraiser-dinner/ or on Facebook at facebook.com/events/3028444173834941/ Kitten Shower We are expecting to take in 250 or more kittens this spring and we need lots of supplies (see Wish List on Page 1). Join us Saturday, April 18, 1-3 p.m. at the shelter for the shower.

Bow Wow Bingo It’s not just a summer thing! Food, drink, and fun happens every Thursday, 6:30 – 8 p.m., at Seventh Street Brewhouse, Redmond.

Buzz learned to trust - and found a family to love Buzz was surrendered to BrightSide by his owner in April 2017. When he arrived at the shelter, he was beyond fearful.

Sadly, he reportedly did not come from the best of homes and it showed in his general distrust of shelter staff and volunteers. BrightSide was ready to give Buzz the time he needed. It is no exaggeration to say that it took months for Buzz to begin to trust a select few people.

By early 2019, Buzz could roam the halls to socialize and everyone began to see his loveable personality. He loved kitty snacks, rolling on the floor, and “talking” to you. We were so happy Buzz finally trusted us and came out of his shell. But we knew that his transition into a home might be just as slow, so we desperately hoped the right people would come along for him. And lucky for Buzz, and us, they did!

“When I went to Brightside in early 2019, I definitely was not looking for an overweight senior cat,” said adopter Ashley Nice. “After a long talk with my husband, we decided we would adopt Buzz later that year if he wasn’t adopted yet. He was very standoffish, but we saw something special in him.

Buzz with his adopters & Santa this past Christmas.

“In June 2019, we were finally able to bring him home. We felt much supported by the staff during our adoption process and everyone seemed genuinely happy to see him get his own family.

“He melted. He rolled over on his back and just purred and lapped up the love.

After that, everything was easy. He fit right in with our other cats and started to love us.

“But Buzz didn’t eat for the first five days.

We tried so many different foods to try to tempt him, but he just hid in his cat house and hissed. After the 5th day, Buzz slowly emerged from his house while I was in the room. He cautiously made his way over to me and sat just out of reach, watching. When he came closer, I slowly reached out to pet him.

“Buzz has truly become a member of our family. We love how opinionated he is (especially at dinner time) but also so sweet and loving. He knows when you’ve had a bad day and tries to make you feel better. My husband and I are so thankful to everyone at BrightSide for not giving up on our Buzz.”

-- Emily Rucker, kennel manager

Are you over 70? Consider donating your RMD this year If you turned 70 ½ in 2019, you must take your first Required Minimum Distribution from your Individual Retirement Account

by April 1, 2020. Thereafter, you must take your RMD by Dec. 31 each year. (Beginning in 2020, you can wait until age 72.)

RMD distributions are income, taxed at your ordinary-income rate. This means your tax bill likely will become higher because your income is higher.

This extra income also can be enough to push you into a higher tax bracket and can affect your benefits if you are on Social Security.

To avoid that extra tax, consider donating all or part of your RMD

to BrightSide. To avoid the tax, your RMD distribution must flow directly from the institution that holds your funds to BrightSide Animal Center, rather than to you. If you withdraw the money and then write a check to BrightSide, you will still owe the taxes on the RMD -- even though you donated the money instead of keeping it. So it is important to make arrangements with your financial institution to have them issue a check to BrightSide directly. You can donate RMDs to BrightSide even if you take the standard deduction on your income tax.

The higher your retirement savings, the more attractive this tax-saving strategy can be.

To calculate your RMD, visit https://www.irs.gov/pub/irstege/uniform_rmd_wksht.pdf.

If you want to donate your RMD, your financial institution will need BrightSide’s mailing address and its federal tax identification number (EIN). Both are found on Page 4 of this newsletter. The animals at BrightSide thank you for considering this way to donate!

Volunteer spotlight:

Meet Joan Morrison, front desk

Q. How long have you been volunteering at BrightSide?

A. This is my fourth year of volunteering. Now it’s the front desk…

who really cared about our community in Redmond.

I was a Central Oregon Master Gardener volunteer for 15 years. I use the knowledge I gained in Master Gardeners here at BrightSide – it’s all about teamwork, whether you’re making gardens or saving animals. We can’t accomplish anything if we don’t work together.

Q. What drew you to be a volunteer at BrightSide?

A. Long ago, I was on the Board for about a year. I didn’t have any interaction with the animals back then, though that was a wish for a later time.

Q. What do you like about volunteering at BrightSide?

A. I love it, it’s my escape. I love meeting the people who come in and being able to help answer their questions and direct them to the right staff person. I just try to be helpful, little things here and there. I love that every day is different, so it never gets boring. I love working with such a great group of people. I also enjoy seeing lots of people I know – former students, gardeners, and friends.

Q. You mentioned teaching and gardening. Tell us about your life before volunteering at BrightSide.

A. I was a teacher for 30 years, from 1962-92, and spent 26 years at Redmond High School. The final years were spent teaching personal finance. I loved teaching students practical things, like how to make a budget and prioritize spending, and watching the students learn and grow.

Then I was a Realtor in Redmond for 10 years. I loved real estate and met lots of interesting people who

Q. Tell us about the dog grooming project.

A. Early in my volunteer service at BrightSide, I was walking dogs. This little dog came in and she was so sweet, but sad and filthy. I knew she really needed a bath, but I found there was not really a good place to do it. I started talking to Pat (Bowling, the shelter manager) and the staff about it. Haley Zook of the kennel staff is also a groomer and has been helping with equipment choices. Josh Challacombe, a volunteer, is building a room area for it.

We hope to have it up and running by spring.

Please bring us your returnable bottles and cans!

Here are the drop-off locations around the region

Bend

Terrebonne

Bend Pet Express, 420 Windy Knolls Dr.

Laurie’s Gentle Grooming, 8392 U.S. Highway 97 Tumalo

BrightSide Animal Center 1355 NE Hemlock Ave. Redmond, OR 97756 Mailing address: PO Box 1404 Redmond, OR 97756 541-923-0882 EIN: 93--0976110 brightsideanimals.org

Redmond BrightSide’s Thrift Store, 838 NW Fifth St., next to Grocery Outlet

Tumalo Animal Hospital, 19850 5th St.

Sisters

Eagle Crest Recycling Center, 7220 Falcon Crest Dr.

Sisters School District Administration Building, 525 E. Cascade Ave.