Waitsburg Goes to the Dogs (and Cats)
Waitsburg Hardware is the center of a wonderful community-wide effort to rescue stray dogs and cats and find them new homes.
By Ken Graham

When Marilyn and John Stellwagen bought the Waitsburg Hardware store in 2005, they discovered about two dozen stray cats living in the alley behind the store. "I asked the neighbors whose cats they were and they said they were strays," says Marilyn. "I knew I had to do something."

With help from some Waitsburg friends, 22 cats were rounded up and either spayed or neutered. "We found new homes for some of the cats," says Marilyn, "and the more feral ones were returned to the alley." Marilyn says that, since cats are territorial, more un-neutered cats would move into the area if some of the neutered ones weren't returned.

At about this time, Marilyn became aware that dogs found abandoned in the Waitsburg area were being transported to Walla Walla where they were often destroyed. "I felt that we needed a ‘kinder and gentler' pet rescue program in Waitsburg," she says, "so we sort of created one here at the store by default."

A few cages in the Stellwagen's store hold some of the animals waiting for adoption. Others are held by foster families in the area. "Many generous people in and around Waitsburg are helping by fostering animals," says Marilyn. "But we can always use more."

Since 2005, "Black Dog Rescue", as it's called, has placed 192 dogs and cats in new homes in Waitsburg and the surrounding areas, including Prescott and Dayton. "The way the people in Waitsburg have rallied around this is so wonderful," says Marilyn. She says that the ratio of dogs and cats placed has been about 50-50. "We've had farmers come to us, who we never thought would care about saving animals, and they ask if they can take a dog, or put a couple of cats in the barn," she says. "Or they just offer money."

Marilyn asks that people adopting pets donate at least $50 to help defray the cost of spaying and neutering. "We always encourage donations, even from people who can't adopt an animal," says Marilyn. "We keep a ‘spay/neuter fund jar' on the counter in the store, and we're not bashful about letting people know it's there."

"We don't let any animals go out without being neutered," Marilyn says. The group has contracted with Dr. Patrick Kennedy, a veterinarian in Milton-Freewater, to provide spaying and neutering services. "Dr. Kennedy has offered us a generous discount, and we're very grateful for his help." The name ‘Black Dog Rescue' came up because Dr. Kennedy needed the group to have a name in order to offer the discount. "The first dog we adopted out was a black lab, and black dogs are the hardest to find homes for, so it seemed a natural name," Marilyn says.

Marilyn gives much of the credit for the success of the rescue operation to the group she calls her "posse". "These women are dedicated to this cause and it couldn't happen without them." They are: Jan Cronkhite, Peggy Jones, Janet Lawrence, Janet Bentley, Deb Whitmore, Lillian Judd, Janetta Monfort and Sharon Smith.

Marilyn says that both county and city officials have been very cooperative with their efforts to rescue stray animals. "Waitsburg's ‘dog catcher', Jeff Hofer, has been wonderful to work with," she says.

Marilyn tells lots of stories of dogs that have been dumped in the wheat fields outside Waitsburg, and the efforts of her "posse" to round them up and provide transportation to the vet and to foster homes. Her favorite story is of Rocky the cat, who is a fixture in Waitsburg Hardware these days.

"Rocky was just a few weeks old and had a terrible eye infection when we found him," Marilyn says. "He was dehydrated and near death." To help save Rocky, the Fire department donated out-of-date saline, the Waitsburg Clinic offered tubing for rehydration efforts, and many people in Waitsburg volunteered to treat him around the clock and helped pay for his numerous vet visits. Rocky's now blind in one eye and is losing his sight in the other. "But he's not a bit shy," says Marilyn. "He has lots of friends in Waitsburg, and we all have a special place in our hearts for him."

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