Furry Friends needs donation facility

When the Sisters community drops off redeemable bottles and cans on the side porch at The Nugget, they are incrementally contributing to the health, well-being, and happiness of many Sisters families. Furry Friends Foundation (FFF) helps families in need keep their beloved pets in their home by providing pet food, supporting emergency veterinary services, and sponsoring spay and neuter services.

The redeemables collection brings in about $8,000 a year.

“It’s our biggest funding source,” said FFF founder and director, Kiki Dolson.

All of those cans and bottles require sorting — according to Dolson, about 22,000 per quarter — which are picked up by Oregon Beverage Recycling.

The person who has picked up, sorted, and stored the materials for pick-up for the past seven years is stepping away from the task — and FFF needs a new place to do the work.

“We are in desperate need of a facility for sorting bottles and cans,” Dolson said. “And volunteers to help.”

Dolson said the organization is seeking “Any kind of outbuilding, barn, shop. We would use it 12 months out of the year… It would be nice to be able to sort inside because it’s cold in the winter. It doesn’t have to be a heated space.”

Furry Friends is also in need of ongoing donations in order to maintain services year-round. Demand for services continues to grow, and is particularly valuable to seniors on fixed incomes. Furry Friends was recently able to help a local resident save her beloved dog through crowdfunding for major emergency surgery.

Dolson said the organization is currently tapped-out when it comes to funds for such assistance.

“I would say right now our ability to aid people with emergency veterinary financial care — we’re just about out of money for that for the rest of the year,” she said.

People donate generously during the Furry Friends holiday food drive, but donations tend to fall off over the course of the year, while the need remains acute.

Donations of redeemable cans and bottles for Furry Friends Foundation can still be left in the blue bins on the side porch at The Nugget, 442 E. Main Ave.