Posted inCentral Oregon Pets

Pet Evacuation Team Scrambles to Save Lives

The all-volunteer nonprofit ensures safe evacuations and care of animals during emergencies

June 17, 2025, is a day Mick Phillips wonโ€™t soon forget. The 51-year-old resident of Crooked River Ranch owns A2Z Security and was working for a client in Bend when he got an evacuation notification on his phone due to the Alder Springs fire that broke out on Crooked River National Grasslands. โ€œIt went from […]

Posted inCentral Oregon Pets

The Star of the Show

Miniature donkey Cimarron Kid attracts attention wherever he goes.

A miniature donkey from Montana has become a celebrity in Central Oregon. Cimarron Kid was relocated to Crook County in 2000, from Bart and Marion Bartonโ€™s donkey farm, Bartonโ€™s Brayinโ€™ Assets. He found his Oregon home with their daughter, Kim Griffin, who also owns a variety of animals including a mustang, chickens and goats. The […]

Posted inCentral Oregon Pets

The Happy Little Hero

“Smooch the Super Pooch” by Ed Jackiewicz shares the sweet story of a small, deaf dogโ€™s superpower of spreading joy.

As Roger Caras, an animal rights activist, once wrote in “A Celebration of Dogs,” “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” This sentiment certainly captures how Ed Jackiewicz felt about his pup, Smooch. When Ed’s daughter first expressed her desire for a dog, her mother was skeptical. After being turned […]

Posted inCentral Oregon Pets

Take Your Pet to Work Day โ€” Everyday!

It’s not uncommon for a four-legged friend to greet customers in businesses

With more than 40 restaurants that welcome dogs, nine off-leash dog parks, miles upon miles of dog-friendly trails, and even dog-specific food carts and menus around town, itโ€™s no wonder Bend is known as โ€œDog Town, USA.โ€ The city of Bend has more than 12,000 licensed dogs, many of them on the go daily and […]

Posted inCentral Oregon Pets

Herd Mentality

Highly intelligent herding dogs require action and room to roam

Every other Saturday, at various pet stores in Bend and Redmond, the nonprofit Herding Dog Rescue of Central Oregon hosts adoption events, inviting the public to come meet the herding dogs available for fostering or adoption. At a recent event at Local Paws in Redmond, HDRCO President Jessi Harrison was joined by dog trainer Ali […]

Posted inLocal News

Gentling Neglected Horses Back to Health & Happinessย 

Local equine rescues take in sick, abused, often unadoptable horses

Each week, 3 Sisters Equine Refuge receives five to six requests to surrender from horse owners around the state who can no longer care for their horses. According to Board President Amber Holm, they often have to turn them down. Volunteers are currently caring for 30 rescue horses, many of which are high needs. Some […]

Posted inCentral Oregon Pets

Life With Fancy Ratsย ย 

A local owner shows off her small pets with big personalities

When you walk into Shaena Iveyโ€™s spotless home north of Bend, you see a giant bird cage against the wall. Itโ€™s the kind that might hold a cockatoo or parrot, but instead it holds three fancy rats who spend every waking minute racing from floor to floor, climbing up wire walls, zipping through plastic tunnels, […]

Posted inCentral Oregon Pets

A Program Keeping Pets with Low-Income Owners Expandsย ย 

Pet Pals serves most of Central Oregon with the help of donations and volunteers

A new partnership between the Council on Aging and the Humane Society of Central Oregon is helping to expand a program that supports low-income adults and their pets. Pet Pals began when the Council on Aging saw Meals on Wheels clients struggling to afford pet food and vet care. It launched in 2021 with 30 […]

Posted inCentral Oregon Pets

Taking Dog Training to the Next Level

A young dog trainer from Prineville earned a prestigious award at State Fair for dog training and getting her dog certified as a therapy dog

It is often said that the bond between a human and dog is unlike any other. Khasidy Lefthand, or Khas, as she prefers, is a freshman at Crook County High School. She has experienced this bond firsthand and has taken it to the next level with her canine friends. Lefthand has been in 4-H for […]

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