Editorials, Opinion At its heart, the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society is an organization that does an incredible amount of good work in the Camas and Washougal communities.
The no-kill shelter located in the Port of Camas-Washougal Industrial Park is a nonprofit group funded mainly through donations. The city of Washougal also contracts with the dog shelter to provide space for dogs brought in by animal control.
Its cat shelter houses dozens of felines, and even more are in foster care until they can be adopted. Next door, the dog shelter provides a temporary home for canines brought in by animal control; other dogs receive care in foster homes as well.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of this organization. They help feed and care for the animals, make sure they get exercise and interaction with people, and assure that their cages, kennels and living spaces are clean and tidy. Many of the volunteers have been helping out for years.
But as with many non-profit organizations, this one has had its share of struggles and controversies over the years. The recent firing of the part-time paid shelter manager by the board of directors, and subsequent negative response to this action by some of the volunteers, is just one example.
