As part of an ongoing effort to raise awareness, connect pets with new

families and generate funds for the Wallowa County Humane Society, pet

lovers are invited to bring in their furry companions for holiday

photos.

The annual “Santa Paws” event will take place at the Joseph Holiday Bazaar, Dec. 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Joseph Community Center, with all proceeds from photo sales going to support the local Humane Society, which is unaffiliated with the national Humane Society.

The price per photo is $10.

Operating in the county since the 1980s, the all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization’s services include providing foster homes, spay/neuter discount coupons, supplies for people temporarily unable to afford adequate care for their pet(s), advice and advertising for re-homing situations, and loaner traps/assistance to catch feral animals for surgery and relocation.

“We’ve been around for a long time, but there are still people who don’t know we exist, probably because there is no physical shelter here,” said organization president Carol Vencill. “We want people to know that this support is available; we want to encourage people to use our services.”

Scores of animals – primarily cats – are handled by the group annually. Animals receive foster care, surgeries, new homes and when absolutely necessary, humane euthanasia. The group works with local veterinarians and uses a mobile trailer and outreach events to try to educate more people and be more visible to the community.

“There are several individuals who are very dedicated, making personal sacrifices and going above and beyond the call of duty in working on the overpopulation issue with cats in the county,” said Red Barn veterinarian Dr. Karl Zwanziger, who regularly refers people to the Humane Society.

According to Vencill, the Wallowa County Humane Society’s primary goal is to eliminate unnecessary animal suffering. Volunteers work to rehabilitate animals and coordinate adoptions while simultaneously educating people so that in the long term a feral population will no longer be an issue.

Common myths the group works to debunk are that it’s important for animals to have “just one” litter before getting fixed and that cats and dogs can function successfully as wild animals if left to their own devices.

In addition to tending to live short, low-quality lives, feral cats have a detrimental impact on songbirds, snakes and other wild populations as well as attacking and spreading disease to domestic pets in their efforts to stake out territory and survive. Winter months tend to be particularly difficult.

“Many people still dump unwanted animals near farms and forests in the belief that it is somehow ‘kinder,’ but that is so untrue,” said one volunteer. “Many of these animals die, or come to us in pitiful condition – scared, sick and desperate.”

Volunteers believe the economic downturn is one reason there has been an uptick in the number of animals abandoned in recent years. In an effort to mitigate costs and encourage people to help prevent new litters of unwanted animals, the group has decided to double the spay/neuter coupon to $10 off the veterinary service starting in 2012.

Vencill notes that they are now having veterinarians notch the left ear of untamed cats that have been spayed/neutered and are being kept as barn cats so that people can identify them at a distance.

The Humane Society works to meet people’s needs in creative ways. For example, they are willing to address the desire many parents have for their children to witness animals being born by setting up that experience for them in a home offering foster care to abandoned pets. They also house pets of victims of domestic violence who need to leave home but are afraid to leave their pets behind.

Volunteers are also willing to offer advice and referrals when behavior or training issues are causing problems, helping people find ways to build stronger relationships with their animals instead of giving them up.

“We have great volunteers. Some put in hours every day,” said Vencill. “Without these people, there would be no Humane Society in Wallowa County.”

Vencill urges people who wish to help the organization to spread the word to consider offering even small bits of time when possible.

“The organization relies on grants, generous donations and fundraisers for ongoing operation,” Vencill said. “But our volunteers are at the heart of it all.”

For more information, contact Vencill at 541-432-1630 or Mary Pillar at 541-426-4170. Coupons, available pet lists, volunteer opportunities and contact information are also available on their website: www.wallowacountyhumanesociety.org.

Many notices on the site may be of interest to all pet owners, such as ODFW’s warning that fur-trapping season begins Dec. 1 and runs through March 15, which may put some pets in harm’s way. Their notice offers information about how to avoid traps and extricate pets in the event they are caught.