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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
