Oregon

A Grey Muzzle grant is helping Fences for Fido improve the welfare of senior dogs who have only known life on a chain. Funds will be used to construct safe fences, provide insulated dog houses and shade structures, and ensure that senior Fidos get much-needed veterinary care. They will unchain senior dogs like Dina. A good Samaritan reached out to Fences for Fido when they learned that Dina was living outside on a chain 24/7 without appropriate shelter to protect her from the cold. Dina's elderly caregiver simply could not afford it. Fences for Fido stepped in, ensuring Dina had a warm dog house and a secure fence that allowed her to move freely.

Fences for Fido protects dogs from dangerous and inhumane lives at the end of a chain. They build fenced yards that allow dogs to move comfortably; provide warm and protective insulated dog houses; ensure spay, neuter, urgent, emergency and wellness veterinary care; educate with culturally competent empathy; and offer a dog food pantry to fill hungry bellies--all at no cost to needy recipient families. With the help of over 1,000 volunteers, Fences for Fido has unchained 2,870 dogs to date throughout Oregon and Washington.

Poor dental hygiene is one of the most prevalent and expensive medical problems that prevents adoption of senior pets. Dentals often involve double-digit extractions, but bring new youthful energy to dogs who had been living with painful infected teeth for years. The Grey Muzzle grant will allow Saving Grace to purchase new dental equipment and train a veterinary assistant in its use. Saving Grace expects to accommodate 30 dentals per year, helping these dogs get adopted faster and building capacity to accept more senior dogs with dental needs from other shelters. More than 300 senior dogs will receive proper diagnosis cleaning and extractions over the expected 10-year lifespan of the equipment.

The Grey Muzzle Organization grant will allow the Humane Society of Central Oregon (HSCO) to provide diagnostic and medical care for hospice dogs living in foster homes. Funding will also be used to provide screening and medical care for senior dogs who are up for adoption, ensuring their new families have a clear understanding of their health needs. This grant helps dogs like Squidward who arrived at the Humane Society of Central Oregon as a stray with no known history. While at HSCO, he was diagnosed with dental disease, painful hips, and a small growth that needed removal. After receiving the care he needed, a local veterinarian saw him and fell in love. Squidward (now Charlie) is enjoying his forever home with his two human and feline siblings!

The Humane Society of Central Oregon is one of Oregon’s largest nonprofit animal shelters, caring for thousands of animals each year. The Humane Society of Central Oregon serves people and pets from across the state through its programs, which include pet adoption, animal fostering and humane education. These programs and services are designed to promote animal welfare, address the reasons animals end up in shelters, find forever, adoptive homes for homeless animals, and help keep pets in their homes with the people who love them.

Through a grant from the Grey Muzzle Organization, Oregon Humane Society (OHS) will be able to offer waived adoption fees on all senior dogs to adopters 60 years and older on Senior Tuesdays. Because of The Grey Muzzle Organization’s support, they will be able to admit more senior dogs into their shelter with the goal of finding them loving homes and families.

Founded in 1868 by noted humanitarian Thomas Lamb Eliot, Oregon Humane Society (OHS) is the third-oldest humane society in the nation and the oldest in the Pacific Northwest. Each year, OHS finds homes for more than 11,000 pets – more than any other single-facility shelter on the West Coast. OHS never puts a time on how long animals remain at the shelter. A pet stays available for adoption for as long as needed to find a loving home. OHS Humane Officers rescue neglected and abused animals, investigating approximately 1,000 cases annually.