May 2024
Dear Friends,
We hope you will join us on June 8th for our “Home Is Where My Dog Is” fundraising event and celebration at Dos Mariposas Vineyards & Lavender Farm. In the meantime, I want to take this opportunity to update you on some of our challenges and successes and let you know why the dogs and cats in our community urgently need your help.
Challenges:
Our community is facing an increasing crisis of pets needing homes and help. For animals living in poverty, a great majority have never seen a veterinarian and remain unaltered. This results in overpopulation, pain, suffering, and potential death. Here in our community, the county shelter is unable to keep up with the number of stray dogs coming in, recently sent out a notice they may euthanize for space, and has stopped taking in owner surrenders and cats almost entirely. What seems to be missing from so many of the conversations in the news and social media lately is how to prevent pets from winding up at the doorsteps of shelters and rescues in the first place.
Successes:
This is where Rogue Valley Street Dogs comes in and how you can make a significant impact on the well-being of underserved animals in our community.
Our Mission is to fund and facilitate spay-neuter and essential support services to improve the lives of pets living in poverty. We are a community service public charity that works tirelessly to make a difference in the community by providing access to these services. Our efforts are making a real impact on animal suffering and overpopulation.
We Are the Only Resource for low cost spay/neuter for dogs in Jackson County. Rogue Valley Street Dogs is currently operating in its third year as a stand-alone 501c3. In 2022, we spayed and neutered 128 dogs and cats; in 2023 we more than doubled that number with a total of 320 animals. We are on track to help fix over 500 animals this year!
In addition, we have transferred 52 puppies from 11 different litters to rescues who were able to ensure that the puppies were spayed and neutered and find them all wonderful homes. RVSD also spayed and neutered the parents of these puppies.
Through our regular outreach events, we provide education about and sign animals up for spay/neuter, administer basic vaccines and preventive care, and distribute food and gear such as collars, harnesses, leashes, and winter coats. In the first three months of this year, we have helped 362 guardians with 242 dogs and 103 cats at our outreach events and have given 1,887 lbs. of food to hungry animals.
In 2024, we have also forged an exciting new partnership with a national organization, The Street Dog Coalition, that provides free veterinary care and related services to pets of people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness through pop up mobile clinics. I serve as Co-Lead of The Street Dog Coalition’s Rogue Valley Team, and RVSD volunteers comprise most of the staffing for the clinics. We have had two successful monthly clinics so far and are thrilled to be part of this wonderful program. See https://thestreetdogcoalition.org for more information.
How You Can Help:
The demand for our services and the funds needed have increased dramatically due to both the higher numbers of pets in the demographic we serve and rising veterinary costs. You will be directly helping the animals when you donate. Please join us and be a voice for the animals, reduce overpopulation and suffering, and make a meaningful difference in our community. Come to our event, donate, sign up for our mailing list or to volunteer, and help us help the most vulnerable pets in our community.
We appreciate your interest in our organization, and we look forward to spending a delightful evening with you on June 8th.
Sincerely,
Laurie Cuddy
President,
Rogue Valley Street Dogs
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