Marvin, who was adopted through Hope 4 Paws, enjoys a peaceful rest.

Whether it be a cat alone at a barn or a lost dog reunited with owners after months away from home, Hope 4 Paws continues to help the furry friends in Grant County.

Susan Church, a volunteer at Hope 4 Paws that focuses the feline efforts, said someone last year found an orange and white kitten in their barn and looked for its mother to no avail. The little orange kitten named Marvin was alone and hungry.

“When a kitten is starving, their face becomes a narrow, little pointed face, which is what he had,” Church said.

The people who found the cat brought him to the vet clinic where they called him Starvin’ Marvin due to his malnourished state.

The vet called Hope 4 Paws, and Church fostered the tiny kitten. She soon began bottle feeding Marvin until he was ready to eat wet food mixed with KMR, a milk replacement powder.

“Marvin was a very fussy eater, and he wouldn’t eat that,” Church said. “I had to continue bottle feeding him a little longer.”

Marvin had an upper respiratory infection as well, which Church said is a common affliction in feral cats. She said it’s a virus that affects a cat’s eyes, breathing, ears and nose. Fortunately, Marvin liked the supplements he took to overcome the virus, according to Church.

Church said when she first got Marvin, he was a tiny, needy kitten, but he started interacting with her other pets and became a normal house cat as he got older.

“He was never feral-feral because he was tiny when I got him, and he didn’t know being wild,” Church said.

After several months, Marvin was adopted in March 2020 by a friend of Church, Kati Dunn.

“He’s got a really cute personality, and he’s really playful,” Dunn said. “Once he’s tired from playing, because he doesn’t want to bother with affection when he’s playing, he’s very affectionate and sweet.”

Dunn said, when it was time to get Marvin, Church recommended she get a friend for him when she is away at work. Dunn walked away with two cats that day: Marvin and his best friend Bithers, a grey tabby.

“Starvin Marvin was kind of depressing name, so I felt I should call him Marvin after Marvin Gaye and keep the soul singer theme and name the other cat Bithers after Bill Withers,” Dunn said.

When Dunn gets home from work, she is greeted by an abundance of affection from both cats. She said they have a great bond and provide lots of laughs.

“Hope 4 Paws does incredible work,” Dunn said. “I’ve heard of a lot of stories of kittens with rough beginnings, much like Marvin. Hope 4 Paws puts them together with owners who love them, and I think that’s such a valuable service in this community.”

The organization also works with canines.

Last summer, a lost border collie named Bailey wandered out into the mountains and appeared in the John Day Valley, according to Hope 4 Paws Director Scotta Callister.

Hope 4 Paws volunteer Shawn Duncan said Bailey was lost for about two and a half months in the valley before being captured by good Samaritans. Duncan said Bailey would not let anybody catch her because she was scared.

When Bailey was hurt and lying on a guardrail just outside of John Day heading toward Prairie City, a kind person noticed her and checked to see if she was alive, according to Duncan. Bailey, with a serious gunshot wound to one leg, noticed the person trying to check on her and tried to run away.

The good Samaritan followed Bailey until she stopped walking away.

“(Bailey) was extremely skittish, too frightened to be caught,” Callister said. “As sightings began to be reported, volunteers searched for her, and a good Samaritan was able to pick her up outside of town and take her to the vet, where she was placed under Hope 4 Paws’ care.”

Callister said the wounded leg was amputated due to the serious injury. The dog’s family was reached, thanks to the help of social media posts.

Duncan said the family from Scio told her, when the family went out horseback riding, they lost Bailey.

“They had since lost hope of finding their dog alive and had been unaware of the frantic rescue efforts that unfolded,” Callister said. “The single mom and her 13-year-old son were elated to learn their Bailey was still alive.”

Scotta said, thanks to the donations of generous people, the cost of the amputation was covered, and Bailey and her family were tearfully reunited.

“Everybody pulled through, and I even had somebody get ahold of me and said they would cover the cost of the whole amputation, but by that time we already raised enough money,” Duncan said. “The owner has a son, and that was his dog. They sent us a video of them reuniting, and it was a tear-jerker.”

Duncan said these stories happen often. She said she wished people would pick up the phone and call Hope 4 Paws when they need assistance. Even if a person is trying to let a dog or cat go, Duncan said the organization can help so the animal is not abandoned.

“We all need help at some point, and we are gladly willing to do that,” Duncan said. “Whether it’s re-homing, food, spay and neuter, whatever — we will help.”

Email hope4pawsgc@gmail.com to get in contact with Hope 4 Paws.

“In 2021, we’re looking forward to getting out in the community more, as conditions allow, and continuing to help address the needs of pets and pet owners in Grant County,” Callister said.

Last year, Hope 4 Paws was able to carry out several special projects in addition to rescues and feral cat work, according to Director Scotta Callister.

Last June, the organization did a pet food giveaway day in partnership with the Oregon Humane Society, Silent Wave Horse Rescue and Pioneer Feed and Farm Supply. OHS donated a pallet of food, which they supplemented with purchases from donated funds. They also provided free pet ID tags that day.

Last July, Hope 4 Paws held a free spay/neuter clinic at the John Day River Veterinary Center. Callister said they covered the costs for 24 cats and 20 dogs. This is in addition to spay/neuter vouchers that provide a $20 discount for cats and a $40 discount for dogs, available all year at the John Day River Veterinary Center. The vouchers last year assisted the owners of 98 cats and 70 dogs.

“So, no question, 2020 was an unexpectedly challenging year, but our programs have survived and succeeded beyond what we might have anticipated just 11 months ago,” Callister said. “We appreciate our partners and supporters — Maybelle Clark McDonald Foundation, Gorge Community Foundation, Grant County Court, John Day River Veterinary Center and many individuals — for helping keep our all-volunteer organization going strong.” 

So far this year, the organization funded another free spay/neuter clinic that covered the costs for 30 cats and 26 dogs at John Day River Veterinary Center. Another discount clinic is planned for dogs July 27 and cats July 29. Space is limited. Call 541-932-4428 for an appointment.

Feral cat colony control also continues with recovery and posting of stray/abandoned pets.

Callister said the feral cat work is very labor-intensive and requires a lot of volunteers to trap and transport cats and work with landowners, so the amount they can do is dependent on both donations and volunteer strength.

Hope 4 Paws is planning a pet microchip clinic this year after it was postponed last year due to COVID-19. Callister said that microchips will help lost and stray pets be identified quicker and returned to their homes sooner. This would result in less stress on the animal, fewer boarding costs and less strain on volunteer community resources.