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Paws in the Park. Jim Kinghorn

May 18 is a day for pets in Silverton

The streets of Silverton will be awash in pets on Saturday, May 18, as the Kiwanis Club puts on the annual Pet Parade. The event, which started in 1932, starts at 10 a.m. on Coolidge at Apple Street, turns right on Main Street, left on First Street and concludes at the new City Hall. The event is free and registration […]

Cassy Proffitt, owner of PNW Pooch in Mount Angel, posing with a customer. Submitted Photo

Dog grooming 101 – Mount Angel practitioner shares insights

By Melissa Wagoner Having dogs regularly groomed isn’t about looks – though that is a benefit. Rather, regular baths can contribute to skin health, keeping nails trimmed ensures a comfortable gait and consistent grooming reduces the likelihood that yeast infections, dander, ear infections and dental disease will become an issue. “Groomers often notice and identify things that the client has […]

The catio lifestyle. Judy Gabriel

Outdoor-indoor – Catios wanted for first Silverton tour set for Sept. 30

By Melissa Wagoner When Judy Gabriel first heard the term “catio” used to describe an outdoor, enclosed patio created just for cats she was not impressed.  “I thought that was nuts,” she said. But then winter set in and she began to wonder if her own kittens – Bubba and Buddy, whom she had adopted the spring before – might […]

All welcome – Paws in the Park expands fun for pets and their humans

By Naiya Brown Put it on your calendar: Saturday, May 20, is THE day for pets in Silverton. The city, longtime home of the annual Silverton Pet Parade inspired by Bobbie the Wonder Dog, is adding the inaugural Paws in the Park event, which is meant to work in conjunction with the parade. Paws in the Park, sponsored by the […]

Nine lives – County suffers cat shelter shortage

By Melissa Wagoner When Kristen Storer received a message from the Oregon Humane Society (OHS) informing her that the organization would no longer be accepting stray cats from Marion County after Nov. 15, 2022, she was alarmed.  “I feel like no one knows about this and it will affect everybody,” Storer, a former veterinary technician and cat foster care volunteer […]

Burned out: Headquarters gone, work remains

By Stephen Floyd It took just three days for supporters of Silverton Cat Rescue to exceed a $40,000 fundraising goal after the facility suddenly burned down the evening of Jan. 7. As of the afternoon of Jan. 10, a GoFundMe page set up by resident Katelyn McGill had generated $40,750 for rescue owner/operator Vivian Palm, whose adjacent home also was […]

Good paws – Mercy Mobile Kitchen open for business at Benedictine Brewery

By Melissa Wagoner Something new is brewing at the Benedictine Brewery in Mount Angel – it’s Italian food, courtesy of Chef Ty Burgé, owner of the Mercy Mobile Kitchen food cart. “There’s something for everybody,” Burgé said of the menu – a mixture of paninis, pastas and flatbreads that he designed with the brewery’s patrons in mind.  “I figured this […]

What you need to know about cats

In response to “Penny’s Journey” [Our Town Feb. 1 edition] this is a perfect time to talk about responsible pet ownership. When you take on a pet, it’s for the lifetime of that animal. Adopting a Cat/Kitten: When considering adoption, you are committing to the life of that cat. Cats can live to be 20 years old. If you rent, […]

Penny’s journey – After nine years (nine lives?) cat returned home

By Melissa Wagoner Bobbie the Wonder Dog may have met his match in the form of Penny, Pratum Elementary School’s Christmas cat. “[Y]ou just can’t make this stuff up,” Pratum Elementary School teacher Lisa Freauff said of the story, which began during the Christmas break of 2021 when she heard a cat “yelling” from the empty school’s supply room. “That’s really the […]

Comforting cats

By Melissa Wagoner When Donna Hues learned that her short story, “Guard Cat,” was among the top 300 contenders for a spot in the popular book series, Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Clever, Curious, Caring Cat, she was more than a little surprised. “They get 1,000-plus stories,” Hues said of the fierce competition. She’s normally a historical fiction novelist. “I thought well, if […]

Cotton’s rescue: Silverton neighborhood livened up with animal antics

By Melissa Wagoner When 22-year-old Nicole Serrano moved to Silverton with her parents and brother she never could have imagined the immediate notoriety she would receive thanks to the family’s group of miscreant pets.  “The first day we were here all the dogs escaped,” Serrano  said – whose four dogs took advantage of the temporary lack of fencing around the […]

Something Fun: Pet Parade update – 2021 event a definite maybe

By Melissa Wagoner “The Pet Parade is scheduled for May 15 at 10 a.m., as normal,” Randal Thomas – a member of the Kiwanis Club of Silverton and chairman of the parade – said, adding it will go on as long as Marion County is not in Oregon’s Extreme Risk level for  COVID-19 on that date.  Canceled in 2020 for […]