Staff and volunteers at OHS today celebrated the 11,000th adoption of 2014.
The lucky dog was Lucy, a four-month-old Jack Russell terrier mix who was adopted by the Bruns family of Vancouver, Wash. “This is what the holidays are all about,” said Sharon Harmon, OHS executive director. “It’s wonderful to see people opening their hearts to shelter pets.”
The large number of adoptions makes OHS one of the busiest shelters in the nation with one of the highest save rates. OHS adopts more animals from its shelter on NE Columbia Blvd. than any other single shelter facility on the west coast. Today’s adoption marks the fifth year in a row that OHS has reached the 11,000 mark for animal adoptions. The feat is especially remarkable because OHS never puts a time limit on how long a pet remains available for adoption.
Lucy (originally named Ornament until adopted) came to OHS from a shelter in California that was faced with too many pets and too few adopters. She is one of about 5,000 animals that OHS accepts each year from shelters in Oregon, Washington and California as part of the OHS Second Chance program.
Debbie Bruns said she was attracted to Lucy the moment she laid eyes on her. Debbie and Peter had met the dog for the first time yesterday, and came back today to complete the adoption. They previously owned a Jack Russell terrier who passed away.
OHS relies entirely on private donations to support its adoption, education and law enforcement programs. Make a tax-deductible donation online to help support pets.
