When a stray dog or cat on the west side of Umatilla County needs a home, Pet Rescue takes on the job.

Because of a steady flow of animals brought in by local law enforcement and others, the Humane Society of Eastern Oregon Pet Rescue stays busy.

Owner Jackie Alleman said the Hermiston shelter was started around 1993 by her mother, Gay Von Schoiack. Alleman said there was no animal shelter in the area at that time and dogs and cats would run wild around Hermiston.

Alleman said she and her husband decided to purchase the shelter from her mother in 1995 and have been blessed by the support that has come from the Hermiston community over the years.

Food for the dogs and cats is regularly donated by the Walmart store and distribution center and is distributed to the shelter.  The shelter passes excess food to families in the area who may not be able to afford food for their pets.

In addition to pet amenities donated by Walmart and the public, Alleman said the monetary donations have been wonderful as well.

We were worried about the downturn of the economy and whether we would suffer because of it, she said. But we have been really blessed.

Though the shelter continues to receive an abundance of donations and support, it is in need of one thing: cat litter.

Shelter manager Beau Putnam said pet rescue generally houses about 10 to 20 cats at a time and they typically go through about three 40-pound bags of cat litter every couple of weeks. The shelter usually purchases the litter itself because it receives hardly any donations of the substance.

We could always use more litter, he said.

There are 30 kennels in all at the shelter, and each one can house three small dogs or two large dogs.

We never turn a dog away, he said. If we need to make additional space, we set up kennels outside.

The pet rescue holds contracts with Hermiston police, Umatilla and other local law enforcement, which act as the local animal control. They pick up and bring stray dogs and cats to the shelter, Putnam said.

Local individuals who dont have the means or ability to continue raising their pets also bring their animals to the shelter.

Putnam said when the facility is full, the animals consume about one large bag of dog food and one small bag of cat food per day. And the pet rescue is usually full.

The shelter typically is able to reconnect about 40 percent of the dogs they impound with their owners and are able to find a home for about 25 to 35 unclaimed dogs per month.

The Internet has been an amazing help for us, Alleman said. We post all of our potential adoptions on petfinder.com. People as far as California will come out to adopt a dog.

The cost to adopt a dog is about $150 and comes with a free veterinary examination. If the dog is spayed or neutered within 60 days of the adoption, the adoptee can receive a $50 refund.

Those interested in adopting a cat will also receive a refund if the cat is spayed or neutered within 60 days of the adoption. The cost to adopt a cat is $30 with a $25 refund after neutering.

Putnam said they havent had a problem with trying to find volunteers in serving the shelter, but does encourage people to apply.

We generally have at least one volunteer per day, he said. We also work with those needing to serve community service hours.

For more information, call 541-564-6222 or visit the shelter at 1844 N.W. Geer Road, Hermiston.