Alan Frisbie spent nearly three years transporting sick dogs and cats from Salem to Interstate 5.
As a volunteer at the Oregon Humane Society's Salem campus, he is tasked with transporting animals that need X-rays or dental treatment to the nonprofit's main campus in Portland.
“I try to make the ride as gentle and stress-free as possible,” he said.
But Ferris' back seats will soon have far fewer furry passengers.
The Humane Society of Oregon broke ground Thursday on a clinic expansion in its Salem building on Southeast Turner Road, which will add digital radiology and a new exam room to the shelter's veterinary care.
Once the expansion begins around June, dozens of pets will no longer have to travel to Portland for medical care each year.
In veterinary medicine, X-rays are often used to diagnose animals where we can't always tell what's wrong.
“We don't know if the puppy ate the rock or if something else happened,” said Sharon Harmon, CEO of the Oregon Humane Society.
Becca Luray, a veterinarian at Salem Shelter, said X-rays are usually needed to treat pets with injuries or unexplained abdominal pain where the extent of the problem isn't clear.
Once the expansion begins, you won't have to wait a day or two to schedule your animal's transport and have it evaluated in Portland.
“It’s great to be able to immediately visualize what they need,” she said. The extra trip means her stay at the shelter will be four to five days longer before the animal is eventually adopted.
The $725,000 expansion renovated two rooms in Salem that once housed administrative staff.
Harmon said the room was vacant because the Oregon Humane Society merged with the Salem-based Willamette Humane Society in 2022, consolidating administrative staff for efficiency. She said the space could now be used to better care for sick animals. .
The expansion of the clinic will allow Salem Shelter to perform more spay/neuter surgeries.
The Salem clinic has two full-time veterinarians, one part-time veterinarian, and a “small army” of four veterinarians and veterinary assistants, said Dr. Steve Kocsis, chief medical officer for the Humane Society. Ta.
Expanding the clinic will not require additional staff, but will allow us to provide better and more efficient care, including dental imaging.
“X-rays can tell you a lot about your dental health,” he says.
Donors contributed about $550,000 toward the cost of the project. Most of the donors are from Salem, Harmon said.
The Humane Society is continuing to raise money for renovations.
“We really appreciate the community,” Harmon said.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is editor-in-chief of the Salem Reporter. She joined Salem in 2018 when She Reporter was founded and covers the city's news, education, nonprofits and everything in between. She has been a journalist for her 10 years in Oregon and Washington. Outside of her job, she is a skater and official for Salem's Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be seen with her nose buried in her books.
