Clear the Shelters: Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Animal Rescue Ranch has friendly farm animals looking for forever homes
Kelsey Merison
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — For the entire month of August, KTVZ and our local shelter and business partners once again teamed up to clear the shelters and find loving homes for pets.
This week, we’re highlighting the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Animal Rescue Ranch.
“This ranch exists because we still live in a rural county, and so anytime that we either seize animals from a neglect case or if animal owners voluntarily surrender their animals, they will oftentimes end up here,” said Jason Carr, DCSO’s Public Information Officer.
Farm and ranch animals are up for adoption at the ranch.
“We have everything from horses and goats to chickens, turkeys, different fowls,” Carr said.
Oftentimes, these animals had a rough start to life—but are looking to find their forever homes.
“Some of the animals are available for adoption right now. Others are not yet because there are pending cases, and until those cases are resolved through the District Attorney’s office, those animals won’t be available,” Carr said. “So all the animals that are on the ranch, there’s pending cases and other issues, and they’re not currently up for adoption, but that will likely change down the road.”
DCSO works closely with the Humane Society of Central Oregon and BrightSide Animal Center, which are both currently full of adoptable dogs and cats.
“Our biggest need right now, both at the Humane Society of Central Oregon and BrightSide in Redmond, is really related to our animal neglect cases that have occurred in the past couple of weeks. That has really elevated the number of animals, especially dogs, that are at both shelters. We’re just hoping that people keep their eye out for both adoption opportunities there,” Carr said. “One of the cases out at BrightSide, those are mostly puppies that are being fostered right now until they’re old enough to be adopted out…If you just continue to look at their websites and find out what’s available, that’s probably our biggest need right now with these large animal neglect cases, is helping those shelters get those animals adopted out. Because when you’re talking about 20 to 30 dogs at one time, that’s a lot.”
Right now, two horses are available for adoption at the ranch but more animals will be ready soon.
“What the general public can do is go to the sheriff’s office website and click on ‘Animal Control’, and then we will have information on all the animals that are currently for adoption,” said Carr.
If you would like to learn more about the animals available for adoption right now at the animal ranch, click here.
Click here to view more of KTVZ’s ‘Clear the Shelters’ stories.