Prineville, Ore. – What began as a call for help with just under a dozen cats in the tiny community of Paulina quickly turned into one of the larger rescue operations the Humane Society of the Ochocos (HSO) has faced in recent years.
A local woman, preparing to move out of state, reached out to several Central Oregon rescues earlier this month, concerned that no one would be left to feed her a bunch of cats. Because Paulina lies within Crook County, HSO stepped forward to coordinate the response.
Initially, volunteers estimated that there were around 30 animals, up from an original 10 that were reported. But after days of trapping, the number of cats rescued has quickly surpassed 100 — a staggering figure that highlights how quickly an unmanaged colony can multiply.
The rescue relied on experienced volunteer trappers, who worked over several days to safely capture the cats. Most of the adult cats have so far been spayed or neutered and offered as “barn cats” to farms and ranches in need of rodent control. The kittens, meanwhile, are being taken in by HSO for veterinary care and need foster homes and eventual adoption.
Although the barn cats will be placed without an adoption fee, the shelter still bears the costs of spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and medical treatment. A small grant helped cover initial expenses, but with the colony far larger than anticipated, HSO is now seeking community support through donations and adoptions.
HSO volunteers say this case underscores how quickly cat populations can spiral out of control when animals are not fixed. A colony of just a few unaltered cats can grow into the hundreds within a matter of years.
The shelter typically employs a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) approach for community cat colonies — fixing the cats and returning them to their established territory with a caretaker who provides food. But in this case, with the caretaker moving away, relocation was the only option.
“We need homes for these cats. We’re doing pretty good. I think we’ve got homes for a lot of them, but we have kittens, and if anybody can foster some of these kittens until they’re ready to be fixed, spayed and neutered, and then they those guys can go to regular homes,” said HSO volunteer Rosi Gray. “Feeding is fine as long as the colony is kept under control with spay and neuter.”
Like many animal welfare groups across Oregon, HSO is already struggling with high numbers of surrendered animals and limited space. A colony of this size has put additional strain on staff and volunteers.
“Over the last three to five years, it seems there’s been a vet shortage. Even getting an appointment has been a struggle,” explained HSO Vice-President Rebecca Ott. “A lot of our local vets and rescues are trying to get together and collaborate.”
Gray went on to emphasize that the size of the colony is not unusual, as it can happen within just a couple of years with a few cats.
“All rescue groups are in dire conditions at this time,” explained Gray. “A colony this large is just too much for our shelter to handle without community support.”
HSO is currently looking for rural homes willing to take in barn cats, as well as donations to help offset veterinary expenses. Community members who want to help can contact the Humane Society of the Ochocos directly through its website or office.
The timing of the Paulina rescue comes as shelters nationwide take part in “Clear the Shelters”, a month-long adoption campaign led by NBCUniversal and Telemundo stations each August. The initiative, now in its tenth year, encourages adoptions and donations to help reduce overcrowding in shelters across the country — a challenge that local groups like HSO are feeling firsthand.
Ott went on to explain that the public can help by adopting if they are able, as well as ensuring they spay and neuter their animals.
“In our current situation, adopting, if you have room for a cat or a dog or a puppy… we will work with you to see what could be the best fit, spay and neuter. Ott said. “We’re going to try to get something together with low-cost spay neuter.”
You can visit HSO’s website at https://www.thehso.org
Mr. Alderman is an investigative journalist specializing in government transparency, non-profit accountability, consumer protection, and is a subject mater expert on Oregon’s public records and meetings laws. As a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer, he brings a disciplined investigative approach to his reporting that has frequently exposed ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and transparency failures by public officials and agencies.
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