Shelter Building Statements

Frequently asked questions about the possible sale of the shelter building.

Buy the Building Matching Campaign!

3/3/2018

To our supporters,

We have exciting news to share! 

We have been engaged with the city of Newberg as it considers the sale of the Newberg Animal Shelter building. Given the uncertainty that has brought, it has become clear that the best path toward a stable future for the shelter is to buy the building ourselves.

This will require a significant fundraising campaign.  We are thrilled to announce that Newberg businessman and A-dec founder Ken Austin and his family, through a fund set up with the Oregon Community Foundation, will match every dollar raised!

“I grew up here, surrounded by animals,” Ken said. “Our family has shared a love of animals my entire life, and we’ve been proud to support the Newberg Animal Shelter’s mission and the vital role it plays in our community.”

In 2016, when the shelter needed a new HVAC system, the Austin family offered $15,000 in matching funds. With the money that was left over, we established the Joan Austin Angel Fund. Named for Ken’s late wife, it is a permanent fund with a priority toward medical care and emergency situations.

Crista Eberle, president of Newberg Animal Shelter Friends, adds “Ken and the Austin family have been continual supporters of the shelter, and a guiding light during this key transitional time for the shelter.  We are eternally grateful for their support.”

This month, the Newberg City Council is set to consider the next steps in this process. The city manager has said the equity NASF already has in the building — more than $600,000 worth — should be recognized.

Since the city announced it was considering a sale of the shelter, we’ve been overwhelmed by the community’s support. You’ve written letters and emails. You’ve attended council meetings. You’ve continued to volunteer and help where help was needed.  Together, we can secure the future of our community’s homeless pets.

We have an opportunity to take control of our future.  There’s a lot of work to do. That work starts now.

Thank you,

NASF Board of Directors

 

12/30/2017
An update to our supporters,

With the recent news of the possible animal shelter building sale, Newberg Animal Shelter Friends would like to take the opportunity to share what we do for our community.

When we were asked by the City of Newberg to operate the shelter in 2014, we started with a blank slate and built processes, procedures, a volunteer base, protocols, and staff in three years while continuing to improve the building. We did this gladly to provide care for the animals and do the right thing for our city and our donors. NASF and the city agreed upon a three-year lease with the terms set at $1.00 per year rent and the city agreed to pay utilities. These terms were in recognition of our agreement to operate the shelter at no charge by NASF to the city. The lease was fully vetted by all concerned parties and the terms were agreed to and approved by a unanimous vote of the city council.

Our adoptions have grown significantly from year to year. In 2015, we adopted out 186 dogs and cats; in 2016, we adopted out 385 dogs and cats; and in 2017, so far, 574 cats and dogs have been adopted. Every adopted pet is spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, treated for parasites and receives all necessary medical attention.
We have expanded our operational hours and the hours we are open to accept strays. We completed building improvements required to meet Senate Bill 6 and passed facility inspection by Yamhill County on March 30, 2017.
We work with FISH and YCAP by providing cat and dog food to those agencies so they can meet the needs of the entire family, including pets.
We have over 100 volunteers and a strong Foster Care network to care for animals that need extra attention. We have an Outreach team that goes out into the community to places like Petco with pets available for adoption and to spread the word about the shelter.
Last year we participated in a program offered by Oregon Humane Society for Shelter Consultation and Assessment to assure we are meeting the Standards of Care in Animal Shelters put together by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians.
We want our donors and supporters to know that our shelter is financially sound and fully capable of self-sufficiency. As such, we are open to discussing new terms beyond July 2018, when our current lease ends.

In the next few weeks we will be working with the city to understand the details on the next steps. Our highest priority is to continue to be good stewards for the animals and for our supporters.

We are overwhelmed and humbled by the amount of people who have reached out to offer their support and sincerely thank you all.
NASF Board of Directors
12/28/2017
To our supporters,
An article in the Newberg Graphic came out recently with news that the City of Newberg is considering the sale of the animal shelter building. We want to reassure our supporters that we are working diligently to confirm donor contributions are honored. Our 3 year lease agreement is up for renewal in July 2018 and we will be requesting the city to reconsider its proposal to sell the building and enter into good faith negotiations as stated in our lease. If a building sale should occur, we have requested the City give Newberg Animal Shelter Friends (NASF) first right of refusal to purchase the building.
With support from donors, NASF raised over $636,000 to construct and finish the shelter building. The cash figure does not include the thousands of hours of volunteer labor that also helped improve the building. We have been successfully operating the shelter since 2014 at the request of the City, with over 800 cats and dogs spayed/neutered. Adoptions have more than doubled from last year with 569 cats and dogs adopted so far this year. NASF’s commitment to the animals of our community has been demonstrated over 17 years of hard work, and we believe we are the right team to continue operating the shelter.
Many supporters have requested guidance on how they can help. You can express your support for the work we are doing, and the lives we are saving. The City should hear how our shelter has helped our community, and the positive experiences you have had at the shelter.
Thank you all for your continued support in our mission to provide a caring environment for homeless animals and find them nurturing homes.
NASF Board of Directors
Newberg City Council welcomes discussion and input from citizens. The Councilor’s don’t have regular office hours, but are more than happy to have their constituents contact them through email. Email addresses for each member are below:
Mayor Bob Andrews – bob.andrews@newbergoregon.gov – District At Large
Councilor Denise Bacon – denise.bacon@newbergoregon.gov – District 3
Councilor Mike Corey – mike.corey@newbergoregon.gov – District 5
Councilor Scott Essin – scott.essin@newbergoregon.gov – District 6
Councilor Stephen McKinney – stephen.mckinney@newbergoregon.gov – District 2
Councilor Patrick Johnson – patrick.johnson@newbergoregon.gov – District 4
Councilor Matt Murray – matt.murray@newbergoregon.gov – District 1
Contact Joe Hannan, City Manager at (503) 537-1201 or via email joe.hannan@newbergoregon.gov
City Recorder Sue Ryan at cityrecorder@newbergoregon.gov for any questions, concerns, or general matters or call the City Recorder’s office at (503) 537-1283.