Jul. 21—LA GRANDE — With dozens of new puppies and kittens needing care, the Blue Mountain Humane Association is turning to a classically reliable fundraising tactic — tunes and brews.
The La Grande-based shelter aims to raise much-needed funds at their "Pints for Paws" fundraiser Saturday, July 23. The benefit concert will be held at HQ, 112 Depot St., La Grande, and will feature live music from local band Dr. J and the Easy Riders. A range of local beer, wine and cider selections will also be available during the festivities.
BMHA is working hard to make strides in its third year of new management but is still feeling the pandemic's strain. All profits from the evening — including spare change from HQ's tip jars — will go directly to the shelter.
"We're very much struggling financially," said Maria Carmichael, the board's vice president.
COVID-19 halted the shelter's volunteer system and tamped down on its fundraising efforts, leaving the new board scrambling to pick up the slack from negligent previous management.
Carmichael said the money raised July 23 will go toward caring for a slew of new animals that BMHA recently rescued. Two weeks ago, the shelter received 11 border collie mix puppies ranging in age from four months to one year. She estimated that the cost for spaying, neutering, vaccinating and housing the puppies will cost up to $4,000.
Funds from the event will also go toward what Carmichael coined as the "huge backlog of maintenance" that the new management has wanted to address since BMHA changed hands in 2020. The animal shelter board hopes to repair, repaint and soundproof the kennels, as well as renovate parts of the facility that are open to the public.
The changes will be added to the long list of ongoing improvements BMHA has undergone over the last two years. When the new board first took over, members and volunteers hauled off more than 10,000 pounds of scrap metal, vehicles and about 20 pickup loads of garbage from the property.
Carmichael emphasized that this is hopefully the first of many opportunities for the La Grande community to support the shelter. The board is planning to hold a dog-friendly "Doggy Dash" fun run in September, revamping a fundraiser that the shelter held in previous years.
Tickets for "Pints for Paws" are $15 and can be purchased at La Grande Stereo & Music, the BMHA shelter or, if still available, at the door on Saturday. Tickets are limited, so BMHA recommends purchasing them in advance.
"This is the first event we've held since everything was shut down because of COVID," Carmichael said. "We're hoping for a lot of attendance."
For more information on the fundraiser, visit the Blue Mountain Humane Association's Facebook page. If you would like to support BMHA or adopt from the shelter, visit www. bmhumane.org.
Shannon Golden is a reporter for The Observer. Contact her at 541-624-6015 sgolden@lagrandeobserver.com.
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