Donna Costley says that back when she decided to start a bird rescue operation in 2012, she didn’t even like birds. “I hated birds. My mom had parakeets,” Costley recalls. However, one of her sons, Jon, got into birds first and brought his mother along, under his wing, so to speak. And since then, Second […]
Central Oregon Pets
Posted inCentral Oregon Pets
Unleashing Happiness with Off-Leash Dog Hikes
The story of Ponderosa Paws
Travis Fuller didn’t set out to build a booming dog-walking business in Bend. But thanks to a stoic old sled dog named Mutt — and a little trial and error — he ended up creating something special. Since 2016, Ponderosa Paws has grown into a go-to for off-leash dog hikes, thanks to Fuller’s deep connection […]
Posted inCentral Oregon Pets
Central Oregon Pets Fall 2025
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” —Anatole France, French poet. A study released in September found that 51% of Oregon pet owners say their dog will come when called. That means just about half, which includes my dogs, basically run the show. The percent drops to 13% for […]
Posted inLocal News
Gentling Neglected Horses Back to Health & Happiness
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 Rats
A local owner shows off her small pets with big personalities
When you walk into Shaena Ivey’s spotless home north of Bend, you see a giant bird cage against the wall. It’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 Expands
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 inSpecial Issues & Guides
2025 Pet Photo Contest
Meet Central Oregon’s Cutest Pets
We love our pets and it’s clear y’all do too! This year, our Central Oregon Pets Photo Contest had over 450 photos submitted and then almost 2,000 votes in 15 categories. Thank you to everyone who submitted photos of your pets and to everyone who took the time to vote for this year’s winners. We […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Central Oregon Pets 2025
It’s not just humans who live the good life in Central Oregon! The pets of the region like to have a good time, too.
A quick glance at this page and you can clearly see that the staff of Central Oregon Pets (aka the Source Weekly and our wonderful contributors) are parents to a pet or few. Our furry and usually* four-legged friends mean the world to us, and we know that feeling extends to so many in our […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Confessions of a Cat Junkie
When describing the two rambunctious, one-year-old cats that we recently adopted, I’ll borrow the best of Faces album title: “Good Boys… When They’re Asleep”
The two brother cats, formerly known as “Fluffy” and “Mousecatcher 2000,” are now named Mack and Mo. We brought them home in early February. They had been residing in one of the exam rooms at our veterinarian’s practice, relocated from a horse ranch in the Los Angeles area (before the fires). They were the last […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Best Practices for Handling Off-Leash Dogs in Central Oregon
How do you deal with encounters with off-leash dogs in areas where they aren’t supposed to be?
As a dog parent, there’s no better feeling than watching your dog run free, doing dog things and living their best life. These small freedoms are incredibly important to our dogs’ physical and mental well-being. We’re so privileged to live here in Central Oregon, where ample opportunities to give our dogs this freedom abound. However, […]
