Portland, OR. Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals (OFOSA) is running a photo contest to raise needed funds. Now through October 30th, donors can vote for the dog or cat they’d like to see win the title of President of the Furry States. Right now, in the lead for the title of President of the Furry States, with 225 votes, it’s Pippi Longears. (Seen above.) Pippi has an ambitious platform. The three-year-old dog promises to protect you from squirrels, keep your canine in line on morning walks, and create a warm spot in bed.
(OFOSA) came up with this novel idea because like most local nonprofits, it was forced to cancel in-person benefits because of COVID-19. Anne Haynes, Director of Development, explains the decision to host a presidential fundraising event. “It has been such a strange year and we have not been able to hold any of our in-person fundraising events, so I was thinking of what might be a fun, COVID-friendly way to raise funds in a positive way. That’s how our President of the Furry States was born.”
OFOSA is a foster-based animal rescue organization whose mission is to reduce the number of adoptable animals that are euthanized in overcrowded shelters, restore them to good health, and through adoption, provide them forever loving homes.
Chance is a 13-year-old rescue and is currently in second place.
Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals has faced challenges, like losing its in-store adoption locations with PetSmart and Petco due to COVID-19 restrictions and having to redefine the way to run business to keep everyone safe and still find homes for the animals.
Despite complications due to COVID-19 for OFOSA, the organization had 100 new foster sign-ups since people were staying home more than ever. By the end of September, they had already surpassed the intake numbers for the whole year of 2019.
Purrl the three-year-old and deaf cat is currently first in the feline party.
The organization has seen more serious medical cases this year and have been able to take most of those animals in. These animals are most likely to be euthanized because shelters are lacking the funds right now to repair broken limbs, fix bad teeth, and/or remove ruptured eyes.
In times of living with COVID-19, Haynes and the rest at OFOSA feels a huge benefit of their mission is that pets show their unconditional love for their owners and they know the word could use much more of that.
According to Haynes, “owning an animal has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety, improve heart health, keep your company, help you make friends, teach kids responsibility, and improve your immune system. With all of the changes we’ve had to go through this year with COVID and the stress of the ‘real people’ election, we wanted to remind people of the love of animals.”
Since the beginning, in 2002, the organization has rescued over 19, 200 cats and dogs.
From Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals website: Our team is comprised of 5 dedicated animal lovers, a volunteer Board of Directors who provides strategic guidance for OFOSA, and hundreds of volunteers who contribute their time and talent to virtually every aspect of our operation. Without these volunteers, we would not be able to fulfill our mission.
Portland, OR. With most people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, pet companionship has become more important to many. Whether you’re in need of a new furry friend or are seeking veterinary care for your pet, the nonprofit Pixie Project is continuing to offer services. The organization has maintained community outreach despite the difficulties of staying afloat during this unprecedented time. By focusing on one-on-one appointment-only interactions, staffers are able to bring potential pets directly to people’s homes to meet for the first time.
Jessica Berg, Development Director, says they’ve recently performed about 20 feline surgeries in only 2 days.
The Pixie Project, located at 510 N.E. MLK Blvd., is a small nonprofit animal adoption and rescue center. It differs from many other local centers by not only offering pet adoption with a focus on establishing life-long homes for animals but also by offering medical attention to pet-owners who cannot shoulder the financial burden required of surgery such as spaying and neutering or more serious health concerns for animals.
The Pixie Project offers a “sliding scale” payment practice for medical attention in order to ease the financial burden on struggling pet-owners.
Jessica Berg, the Pixie Project’s Development Director, says that adoption rates are still fairly high while donations have taken a hit. The steady adoption rates should be no surprise considering the need for companionship during the stay-at-home orders. Most of the organization’s funding comes from coordinated fundraising events which have all but stopped during this time of social distancing.
Pixie Project supporters say there’s nothing more valuable during these isolating times than a happy and healthy companion.
From: Pixie Project
If you’d like to find out more about the Pixie Project, donate to a good cause, or if you’re in need of pet care services, check out the Pixie Project website here or its donation page here.
Portland, OR. “Inspiration Oregon” is a (very) short film contest sponsored by Oregon Film to encourage local filmmakers to be creative during the COVID 19 odyssey. Check out an example on the Oregon Film Vimeo site. It’s just about one minute long.
If you’d like to smile, click here to check out our favorite; this submission for #InspirationOregon is called “Freddie’s Silver Linings. It was made by filmmaker, Isabel Klein. It’s about a little dog named, Freddie. (He’s our dog and is currently living his best life!) Isabel won and honorable mention for her efforts and a $250 prize.
Here is a link to the Vimeo Showcase that contains all of 125 submissions on the Oregon Film Vimeo site. The “#InspirationOregon (very) short film contest was created by Oregon Film and will have 10 winners. Winners will be determined by the highest “views and likes” on the Oregon Film Vimeo website. Viewing and voting will continue through Wednesday, April 8th at 5 pm. There’s a large variety of themes for the films, including nature, daily life during the virus and social distancing.
The contest was created to support local filmmakers. There are 10 cash prizes of $500 each based on the number of views on the Oregon Film contest website. Oregon Film told participants, “Thank you, again, for sharing your talent, insight, and inspirations with all of us. The creative community is a great medicine for these times.”
Oregon Film reposted this image from NYC COVID-19 Musician Resources and Support on its Facebook.
There’s a possibility the contest may happen again so keep Oregon Film on your radar.
The Governor’s Office of Film & Television has been helping productions find, secure, and utilize our magnificent locations since 1968. Our mission is to promote the development of the film, video, and multimedia industry in Oregon.
The Oregon Made Creative Foundation:
The Oregon Made Creative Foundation supports storytellers, filmmakers, and artists to attain sustainable careers in the arts, especially the digital arts. Additionally, the Foundation strives to draw together, under its #OregonMade banner – support, momentum and assistance for Oregon communities, whether they be urban, suburban, or rural and to help build and strengthen the connections among them.
Portland, OR. The Oregon Humane Society (OHS) honored heroic people and pets at the annual Diamond Collar Awards luncheon. The luncheon took place on February 20th at the Multnomah Athletic Club. Pets and people were recognized for their compassion, dedication, and resiliency. Organizers say the inspiring stories represent OHS’s mission of fostering an environment of respect, responsibility, and compassion for all animals. Pictured above is Kevvie the dog and Brian August. Kevvie was abandoned in the woods and suffering from gunshot wounds. OHS caretakers say this resilient dog took months to heal and trust again. Her gentle and forgiving nature allowed her to find her forever home with her new family.
Pictured above is Nancy Tonkin-Zoucha and friends
OHS Diamond Collar – Matt Zaffino and Sharon Harmon
“I am always so inspired by the OHS Diamond Collar Award honorees,” said Sharon Harmon, OHS President, and CEO. “Each of the recipients reminds us of the compassion and kindness in our community.” Harmon hosted the awards with KGW Chief Meteorologist Matt Zaffino.
OHS Diamond Collar – Ilene the kitten and Alanna Lundin
OHS Diamond Collar – George Piter and Squeak
Below are videos featuring the Diamond Collar Heroes:
George Piter: For 13 years, George and his trained therapy cats have dedicated time to visit Salem Hospital and brighten the days of patients and anyone else who may need it.
Ilene the kitten: A tiny but mighty kitten was born without eyes and discarded in the trash in Central California. After being transferred to the Oregon Humane Society for a special surgery, she went on to inspire a family and show the world that anyone can overcome their obstacles with love and determination.
Joyce Briggs de la Fuente: Thousands of cats and kittens were entering Oregon shelters every year. Under Joyce’s leadership, she brought together animal welfare leaders, innovative planning, extensive research and data that launched the Spay and Save Program which provides an easy and affordable option to prevent unwanted litters of kittens. With this new program, Portland is now the safest place for homeless felines.
Kevvie the dog: After being abandoned in the woods and suffering from gunshot wounds, this resilient dog took months to heal and trust again. Her gentle and forgiving nature allowed her to find her forever home with her new family.
More about the Oregon Humane Society:
OHS is the largest humane society in the Northwest and adopts more animals from its Portland shelter than any other single-facility shelter on the West Coast. OHS puts no time limits on how long animals remain at the shelter—a pet stays available for adoption for as long as needed to find a loving home. If a pet in the care of OHS needs medical attention, the OHS veterinary hospital provides the pet with the same level of care you would want your own pet to receive.
Founded in 1868 by noted humanitarian Thomas Lamb Eliot, OHS is the fourth-oldest humane society in the nation. Eliot initially established OHS to stop the neglect and abuse of draft animals. The mission expanded to include companion animals and, until 1933, orphaned children.
OHS finds homes for more than 11,000 pets each year. The OHS medical team provides free and low-cost spay and neuter surgeries for thousands of pets owned by low-income families OHS educators reach more than 12,000 youths and about 2,000 adults annually through humane education programs. The OHS Second Chance program brings more than 8,000 pets annually to OHS from other shelters around the region. In the state capitol, OHS is the driving force behind efforts to improve laws that protect animals and punish offenders.
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