Heart BEAT

Kitties Need Loving Homes

WAITSBURG - In the Waitsburg Hardware and Mercantile store on Main Street, there's something furry lurking behind the shelves.

John and Marilyn Stellwagen have owned and operated Black Dog Rescue out of their store for six years now and there are plenty of animals to be adopted - cats particularly.

"This has been a busy year," Marilyn said.

This year, the rescue program has facilitated the adoption of about 150 animals, including dogs, cats and ferrets. Typically, the program finds homes for about 100 animals.

Right now, there are 19 cats in the program that need good, warm homes to move into. A few cats are waiting in foster homes provided by loving community members, and the rest are in cages at the store. There are white kittens and about four very fluffy baby kittens sleeping in their cage enjoying the heat from a space heater or biting their brother' and sisters' tails and ears .

Marilyn said there are so many cats right now because of the animal's breeding cycle. Momma cats are just finishing their second breeding cycle for the year, meaning it's a great time to go looking for a kitten.

In addition to kittens, there's a few older cats including two fluffy black and white ones with spotty faces, all-black ones and even a kitty who looks like a tiger.

The Stellwagens keep three cats as hardware store cats, and they can be seen lounging on fluffy beds on the counter or exploring. They have two dogs as well, but none of these special animals are adoptable.

And the generosity does not end with the Stellwagens. Marilyn said five families in the community foster animals for them and local school children volunteer for the program by helping clean cages and giving the animals food and water.

Every animal adopted costs $50 and comes spayed or neutered and healthy. Marilyn said the animals always come through their doors ill and in need of care.

" They're always sick when they come in," she said.

The animals go to Kennedy Veterinary Services in Milton-Freewater, Ore., and when the animals need more medical treatment they go to Mill Creek, Marilyn said.

The money from the adoptions helps pay for the program and there is a jar on the counter at the store that "the local guys throw change in the jar," she said. "It costs thousands of dollars."

For the Stellwagens, the thousands of dollars is worth it. Before the program was started, she said there was nowhere in town to take stray animals. When animals were a nuisance, they were trapped and removed from the area, she said. With their program, they know more animals have a chance at a better life.

According to the United States' Humane Society Web site, there are about 6 to 8 million dogs and cats in shelters each year. About 3 to 4 million of them are euthanized. This number has significantly dropped since the 1970s, when 12 to 20 million animals were euthanized each year.

The Humane Society said the reduction in the number is not only because there are less animals in shelters, but because our country is getting better at handling animal overpopulation. By getting pets spayed and neutered, we can make sure all of our animals have happy homes, Marilyn said.

And although Black Dog Rescue has been in place for six years, the need and the amount of cats and dogs is never the same.

"It changes all the time," she said. "We moved three cats last week and brought three more in."

There are no dogs available for adoption right now, but Marilyn said they will for sure have more black dogs one day as that is the most common gene trait. Because of this, most dogs in shelters are black and the rescue program is aptly named.

"It started as kind of a joke," Marilyn said.

So head on down to the hardware store if you have a great, loving home that needs a cat or kitten. Marilyn said they are very particular about who they adopt to, and the screening process is tough, but worth it.

For more information, call 509-337-6671.