Umpqua Valley Humane Society
About Us
Saving Lives, one litter at a time. Located in Roseburg, OR and serving all of Douglas County. The Umpqua Valley Humane Society was Founded in 1953.
We are the first animal welfare organization in Douglas County. There was no shelter facility for the county at the time and the members, using their own money, built the animal shelter over the years.
Since the beginning we followed the guidelines set forth by the State of Oregon making our meetings and financial records available to the public at every meeting. Our newsletter, postage, telephone and advertising are donated by members. The Humane Society is dependent on donors in our community. We receive no government money and no grant money.
Umpqua Valley Humane Society assists with the cost of spaying and neutering of dogs, cats and pocket pets for everyone who calls that meet our criteria. The criteria being those animals be fully vaccinated, before having a major abdominal surgery. Surgery lowers the resistance to disease, parvo and distemper are at epidemic numbers in Douglas County. We assist with emergency medical care for everyone who calls. The criteria being if an animal has not been altered at the time of the call, it will be altered at our expense before going home. It is not common practice for a veterinarian clinic to care for a pet without money up front, so this service is crucial.
We assist with adoptions. When people call looking for a dog we properly vet them and pair them with a friend looking for their forever home. All dogs we assist must be free of charge. We don't help people sell dogs. We require all animals be spayed or neutered at our expense before going to their new home.
All calls from people looking for a cat are referred to the SPCA. Over the years we have supported numerous working dogs in our community including Search and Rescue, Police K-9 programs, Funeral Home Comfort dogs and many dogs in local nursing facilities and hospitals.
We believe deeply in bettering the lives of Douglas County Animals a tradition started by our Founder Cheryl Donahoo and continued by our current members. Whether through time, services or financial means, we would appreciate your support.
Time, is not on their side.
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For 37 years, Cheryl Donahoo served as President of the Umpqua Valley Humane Society (UVHS), working to provide aid and resources to pets, their owners and animals in need. Now, the era of her leadership in the organization has come to a close.
On Jan. 2, Donahoo died. She was 78 years old.
“Cheryl enjoyed a peaceful life with her husband Dr. Stanley Donahoo until his passing in 2024. She passed away with her beloved dog Lexi by her side. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her,” reads Donahoo’s obituary.
Beyond the UVHS, she was a founding member of the Saving Grace Pet Adoption Center, known today as Saving Grace Humane Society.
“We would not be where we are, and where we are in the county, without everything she helped with and did,” Saving Grace Executive Director Jennifer Barta said.
In her absence, Lee Bartholomew, who served as a Douglas County Animal Control Deputy for 33 years, has been chosen as Interim President of the UVHS.
The Umpqua Valley Humane Society and Donahoo’s leadership the UVHS is a volunteer-led organization, based in Winchester, dedicated to helping animals and pet owners in need. According to Bartholomew, that includes not only helping animals to find homes, but also paying for veterinary bills for those who can’t afford them.
The UVHS has also paid for law enforcement education for animal cruelty cases and equipment for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, such as microchip readers to identify lost pets.
Bartholomew said Donahoo was one of the hardest workers in the organization, frequently helping to board animals herself when homes couldn’t be found. He said, on average she and other volunteers would take in around 20 pets a year.
“She handled, I’d say, 75 percent of the chores or the daily grind, answering phones and making decisions on helping people and helping try to place animals...She didn’t ask for a lot of help. She just did it, and she did it very well for 37 years,” Bartholomew said.
Bartholomew said he plans to be active in raising awareness of the UVHS, all while maintaining Donahoo’s vision for it.
“I plan on just doing right by Cheryl’s vision of what we do. I’m going to maintain doing it in the style that Cheryl had.”
Donahoo’s last wishes didn’t include a funeral or flowers. Instead, she requested for people to use their resources by donating to the UVHS, helping to support the organization she stewarded throughout her life.
“She was a very thoughtful, giving woman. She went out of her way to help people in need and help animals in need in our county,” UVHS Vice President Katie Brei-MacDonald said.
In Memory of Cheryl Donahoo
Cheryl Donahoo
Story Published by the News Review
