Feline ready to celebrate?
Central Coast Humane Society marks 50 years of service
By Rebecca Stone
The Central Coast Humane Society (CCHS) will celebrate a half century of helping the homeless animals of Lincoln County with a gala at the Oregon Coast Aquarium this Saturday, Sept. 21.
The fund-raising event will feature speakers, appetizers, a cash bar and live and silent auctions with state Rep. David Gomberg as auctioneer. Aquarium exhibits will also be open to guests.
The event is aimed at replenishing more than $50,000 spent by CCHS for animal rescue and aid operations in the aftermath of the 2020 Echo Mountain Complex Fire. The wildfire impacted people and their pets. Additionally, hundreds of unhomed cats, having escaped the flames, remained in the burn areas without food, water and shelter.
The Echo Mountain and Panther Creek area is home to numerous colonies of feral, stray or otherwise unhomed cats. Longtime CCHS president Barbara Perry said the group has worked in these areas for many years, spaying and neutering to try to make a dent in cat overpopulation.
But when the fires tore through the community, residents, who had long looked out for these animals, were forced to flee with just the clothes on their backs. The human toll in home loss was devastating. But the cats, including pets, were left without their caretakers. And winter was coming.
Once CCHS could access ravaged areas, volunteers employed a massive trap, spay/neuter, and vaccination campaign.
“We were able to help over 200 outdoor cats,” said Perry, adding that many were relocated due to the ash and asbestos permeating the area. Some pets were reunited with caregivers who had been unable to find them during evacuation.
“What was most heartwarming was the number of people who stepped up to help,” said Perry. “People offered their barns from Cloverdale to Yachats and inland. One Otis resident made three acres available to relocate cats. A team of volunteers fed cats that remained in the burn area every day for almost two years until residents began to move back. We made and deployed housing and feeding shelters so the cats could get out of the weather.”
CCHS also financed 100-percent of the treatment of pets with fire-related injuries for those who had lost everything. The nonprofit organization even paid for the treatment of pets whose caregivers came into Lincoln County to flee fires in the Valley.
It was an expensive feat. And Perry said the nonprofit organization, which is not government-funded, has been trying to recoup the funds ever since, while continuing other services.
Spaying and neutering pet cats and dogs is the best measure to prevent overpopulation. But another of CCHS’ ongoing efforts is trap/neuter/return (TNR), proven to be the best approach to dealing with existing community cat colonies. But, said Lisa Spence-Bunnett, CCHS head of trapping operations and rescue coordinator, “Even with multiple experienced trappers, one trapping ‘day’ can require up to 50 hours.”
TNR can be fruitful. Spence-Bunnett describes trapping 116 cats in a recent month-and-a-half period.
“One unspayed female cat can result in thousands of kittens being born in just a few years,” she said. “Without more commitment to spaying and neutering pets, abandoned animals and too many kittens will continue to be the case. There are not enough homes for them all.”
While education about and committing to spaying and neutering is paramount, Spence-Bunnett acknowledges that vet appointments can be expensive.
“But CCHS helps by making pet spaying and neutering lower cost,” she said. “CCHS also covers costs and assists with trapping, transportation, and appointments for community cats.”
Other services offered by CCHS include a pet rehoming program, and a small emergency fund set aside for livestock.
CCHS doesn’t house animals but works in conjunction with the Lincoln County Animal Shelter and Friends of Lincoln County Animals (FOLCAS). Together, they form Animal Allies, which strives to provide a safety net for animals in Lincoln County.
Thanks to donors and funds from FOLCAS’ Pick of the Litter Thrift Store in Newport, CCHS has been able to help cover costs of spaying and neutering as well as helping pets with needed treatments and rabies vaccinations.
CCHS is currently working with Rep. Gomberg to address some issues on a statewide scale. The organization is looking at how other states and countries are handling some of the same issues plaguing Lincoln County.
“Most of all,” said Perry, “we want people to recognize animals are sentient beings and have feelings of love, fear, pain and happiness. As one vet said, ‘Animals have a beating heart.’"
If you go
WHAT: CCHS 50th Anniversary Gala
WHEN: 6-8 pm, Saturday, Sept. 21,
WHERE: Oregon Coast Aquarium, 2820 SE Ferry Slip Road, Newport
COST: $50
FMI: www.centralcoasthumanesociety.com