Pendleton's animal shelter cuts its dog adoption fees

PENDLETON -- Shelter dogs in Pendleton may find their forever homes a little sooner because of a pledge by local realtors Matt Vogler and Shasta Fisher.

The father-daughter duo pledged $5,000 to Pendleton Animal Welfare Shelter, cutting the adoption fee by $100 for 50 dogs in need of a home.

"I just think about using our business and profits to help bridge the gap from the kennel and cage to get the dogs home to a couch," Fisher said. "Dogs can change families and lives, so if we can be a part of the adoption fee to help people bypass that part, we are so happy to do that."

Vogler added that the three dogs his family adopted from PAWS "truly enriched our lives," which is part of what inspired the pair to make their pledge.

Typically, PAWS charges adoption fees of $160 for large dogs and $200 for small dogs. The fees cover the cost of spaying or neutering the dog, a microchip and vaccinations or other medical care they might need.

"Shelters are so overcrowded. Anything we can do to inspire people to adopt is the best thing to do," said Shaindel Beers, vice president of the PAWS board of directors. "It's hard because you want to be a no-kill shelter, but then that means you might have a dog for a year or longer."

Shelters nationwide have limited space, Beers said. Larger dogs, in particular, stay for longer periods of time. Beers added that she hopes other businesses or people who care about animals will take similar action to Vogler and Fisher, since it can lighten the stress on shelters.

"I think when (the adoption fee is) lowered, that inspires more people to just take the leap and decide that they're ready to adopt," Beers said.

Part of what Beers calls a shelter crisis is driven by housing challenges, including low availability of rentals and many rentals not allowing large dogs.

"I think there's a real shortage of available funding," Vogler said. "We're just thrilled to be able to do this, but I don't expect this to solve the dog problem (in shelters). We're just trying to help out where we can."

Vogler and Fisher, with Realty First, have donated to PAWS in the past, Beers said, helping cut costs on five dog adoptions, but not to this extent. Beers said she's grateful for their most recent pledge, as it will help 50 dogs passing through PAWS match with the 50 families in which they'll find comfort, peace and love.

For the pair, the goal is just to help. Their pledge will be given over the next three years, with flexibility dispersing it in response to how quickly dogs are being adopted.

"Dogs are like babies," Vogler said. "They're helpless, unless somebody helps them."