Lost and Found Pet Network sends aid

What started out July 22 as a request to LCWLFPN by local dog trainer Kay Frazier asking if a bearded collie, featured on KREM TV as Spokanimal’s Pick of the Litter was still needing a home, has turned into so much more.

What is meant to help one, oft times helps many. This has been evident so often for LCWLFPN in its first year as a pending non-profit, that it has been added to the motto.

Events unfolded quickly last week in Davenport, once it was determined that Andy, a 10-month-old bearded collie featured last week as Spokanimal’s Pick of the Litter, had found his forever home.

While scrolling down Spokanimal’s facebook page in search of Andy the Collie, LCWLFPN discovered Gail Mackie’s post appealing for donations of animal food for the Okanagon Fire Distribution Center. Gail had been to the Carlton Complex Fire area July 21 and found there was NO dog and cat food at the distribution center. Along with her appeal, she posted a picture of Spokanimal’s van, which was half full of food and supplies, with the plan to return to the region to make delivery on July 27.

A query was made by LCWLFPN stating they had half a sack of puppy chow to donate. Then the cogs started clicking at LCWLFPN with the thought that we in Lincoln County can do better than that. A reply from Gail Mackie revealed Spokanimal’s van was passing through Davenport Sunday. LCWLFPN replied, stating they would get the ball rolling in Lincoln County with a drop point for donations for pick-up.

By Wednesday morning, Davenport Building Supply had offered to be the drop point, also offering a 5% discount on animal feed and supply purchases to be donated. Sheriff Wade Magers created a 24/7 drop location in the Sheriff’s lobby. Members of the Davenport FFA Chapter created posters and distributed them around town and to all county chapters for further distribution. By Wednesday evening, over 1,000 pounds of dog and cat food had already been donated!

As a community service, Davenport FFA Chapter members went on to contact the FFA on the district and state level. Their poster template has been distributed as a PDF so each chapter can modify it for their region, and an FFA Challenge has begun for the animals of the Carlton Complex Fire. Dakota Chapman is receiving offers from other FFA Chapters to team with the Davenport Chapter and calls from western Washington chapters are being advised to call DBS and make credit card purchases over the phone of food and supplies to alleviate the transport issues from that distance. They were told we’ll figure out how to get it up to the Okanagon, and we will with community support.

Lincoln County’s donations quickly exceeded Spokanimal’s van capacity. Initially LCWLFPN teamed with Maddie, Gonzaga University’s bulldog actress and model. Maddie’s donations amounted to almost 1,000 pounds, so she took them directly to Spokanimal rather than to Davenport’s drop point.

Davenport area citizen Zane Henrickson contributed three tons of badly needed hay, thanks to Kay Frazier’s initial posting of the fire victim’s needs. Clayton area Back Country Horsemen Barb Taylor and Judy Clark borrowed a trailer from Kettle Falls residents Cal and Sue Edwards. Davenport FFA members Dakota Chapman, Emma Piper, Gina Halme, Ian Hunton and Isaiah Bowdish, along with DBS owner Doug Allen, staff member Nikki Chapman and family offloaded it onto the trailer for delivery to Pateros. (Update: Small bales very appreciated, as the horses are being kept up narrow canyons and valleys only accessible by pickup. They are going back to town and getting a pickup load at a time)

Gail Mackie has requested Lincoln County’s donations go to the Pateros Distribution Center. Contact Benny Polvos at 509-733-1186. He is usually on the forklifts and very busy. Drop-off address is 344 W. Beach St., Building A, Pateros. Coordinate donations with Nikki at DBS (509-725-7131) as there is a protocol in place with the distribution centers and Lincoln County donations are being coordinated with her.

Donations may be made at Davenport Building Supply or the Sheriff’s lobby until further notice.

Updates on Facebook:

Lincoln County WA Lost and Found Pet Network: “http://www.facebook.com/lclfpn”www.facebook.com/lclfpn

Davenport Building Supply: “https://www.facebook.com/pages/Davenport-Building-Supply/”https://www.facebook.com/pages/Davenport-Building-Supply/

Sheriff Magers has posted a link to LCWLFPN on his website: co.lincoln.wa.us/Sheriff.