With your support, we can continue to equip our volunteers with the essential tools they need to safely respond to animal related emergencies. You also help us expand our program, and grow our mission to serve more members of the community and cast a larger safety net for the animals that fall through the cracks in our communities.
SUPPORT OCCRA BY SELECTING US AS YOUR FRED MEYER REWARDS CHARITY: details below!
To Use the Fred Meyer Community Rewards Program: Simply encourage your participants to visit https://www.fredmeyer.com. Once logged into their Fred Meyer account they can search for On Call Community Rescue For Animals either by name or BG627 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a rewards card.
These are some of the items we need:
Safety at the Heart: Raptor Gloves ($150.00 per pair)
Our volunteers are the heroes on the front lines, reaching out to save animals in perilous situations. Raptor Gloves provide the essential protection and grip needed to handle rescue operations, ensuring our volunteers can act swiftly and safely.
Sturdy Transport Essentials: Heavy Duty Moving Boxes & Plastic Containers
Every animal deserves a safe and comfortable journey to safety. Your contribution of $12.00 per heavy-duty moving box and $13.00 per plastic container will help us provide secure and reliable transport for our furry friends, ensuring their journey to safety is smooth and stress-free.
Clear Vision for Success: Face Shields ($15.00 per shield)
When it comes to the safety of our volunteers, visibility is key. Your generous donation will provide face shields, ensuring our team has the protection they need to face any situation and come to the aid of our animal companions.
Stand Out and Be Seen: Hi-Vis Gear and Uniforms (Approximately $200 per volunteer)
In emergencies, every second counts, and visibility can make all the difference. Your donation of approximately $200 per volunteer will equip our team with high-visibility gear and uniforms, helping them stand out and ensure the safety of both humans and animals.
Fuelling Our Mission: Gas for Transports
Our dedicated volunteers go above and beyond, spending several hundred dollars on gas per month out of their own pockets to transport animals to safety. Your support will ensure that every dollar saved on gas goes directly towards saving more lives.
Your donation, no matter the size, will make a significant impact and bring us closer to our goal of creating a safer and more compassionate community for both our two-legged and four-legged neighbors. Join us in making a difference today!
Donate now and help us continue to be the lifeline for animals in need. Together, we can make a world of difference, one rescue at a time. Thank you for your generosity and support! 🐾
Igniting Hope for Our Animal Friends: Wishlist Essentials
At On Call Community Rescue for Animals, our commitment to safeguarding the lives of our furry companions goes beyond ordinary efforts. We envision a world where no animal is left behind during emergencies, and we're dedicated to achieving this with the aid of cutting-edge equipment and resources. Our wishlist comprises vital tools and vehicles that will elevate our rescue missions to unparalleled heights, ensuring the safety and well-being of the animals we serve. Your generous contributions towards our infrared camera, horse stock trailer, new transit van, and professional eagle/raptor transport boxes will empower us to go the extra mile in saving lives. Join us on this extraordinary journey, and let's pave the way to a brighter, safer future for our cherished animal friends. 🐾
Unleash Compassion through Our Amazon Wishlist!
Ready to make a meaningful impact on the lives of animals in need? Our Amazon Wishlist is your gateway to contributing to the noble cause championed by On Call Community Rescue for Animals (OCCRA). Handpicked with love and precision, each item on our wishlist is an opportunity for you to directly support our mission of safeguarding and rescuing our furry companions during emergencies.
By visiting our Amazon Wishlist, you have the power to choose items that will enhance our rescue operations, improve the safety of our volunteers, and ensure the comfort and security of the animals we serve. Your thoughtful gesture can help us procure essential gear, safety equipment, and transport containers that are vital for our operations, ultimately saving lives and creating a brighter future for countless animals in distress.
Join us on this journey of compassion and take a step towards making a difference. Every click on our wishlist brings us one step closer to providing a lifeline to animals in need. Your generosity is a beacon of hope, and we invite you to explore our Amazon Wishlist and embrace the opportunity to be a hero for our beloved animal friends. 🐾🌿
JOIN OUR PATREON TO GET MORE BEHIND THE SCENES STORIES AND PHOTOS!
We started OCCRA 6 years ago via city micro grant. I (Virginia, OCCRA President), was working for the Bureau of Emergency Communications in Multnomah County—as a Senior 911 dispatcher, where we saw an ongoing gap in services for animals in emergencies, especially after hours.
The injured raccoon, the bird of prey with a broken wing by the road, the trapped stray kitten in a culvert. I wanted to create a volunteer based organization who could respond to these calls that fall through the cracks. Because I know humans, and they care and want to help! It just takes spreading the word.
The next 6 years was a lot of red tape, meetings with partner agencies, 1 step forward and 2 steps back. I took some time off while I focused on being the team lead for the Oregon Humane Society Technical Rescue team (where we respond to dogs off cliffs, confined space rescues, cats in trees, etc). The OHSTAR team goes above and. beyond to try and help in the calls where no one else can go, and they, together with OCCRA, try to meet needs in the community where they can, and when it’s appropriate and they can safely respond and have somewhere to take the animal!
A few years ago, I was advised by a non profit mentor to apply for the after hours animal control contract in the county. That this might be the step I need to help grow the organization and help provide a service that we wanted to provide. I left the umbrella of Friends of Portland Fire & Rescue 501(c)3 and moved OCCRA in to it’s own organization with the IRS so that we could have the larger platform we need to apply for the contract. On April 1st, 2022, we were awarded the 5 year contract!
It has been a very very busy 3 months. There is a team of 3 of us that are on call 15 hours a night, 7 days a week!
We also are starting to get more and more calls for wildlife and things that are outside of the county contract. These are calls we respond to on a good samaritan/unpaid basis. And these calls are why we need donations! They are coming in more frequently, and sometimes several per day/night.
Because of the overwhelming demand of the contract and OCCRA good sam calls, I decided to leave my career as a 911 dispatcher after 11 years. My last day was on July 2nd, 2022.
Earlier this year, OCCRA signed a Letter of Agreement with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Portland Audubon. This allows these larger agencies to reach out to OCCRA for assistance in capture and transport of some wildlife. Our volunteers are provided safety gear and basic safety handling and behavior awareness training for these callouts. We are onboarding new volunteers regularly to keep up with the higher demand of callouts, and hope to grow our team to continue to provide this needed service to the community and local agencies.
You can follow us on social media (links at the top of our webpage), as well as on Patreon for more behind the scenes stories.
Most of our after hours calls involve protective custody or police holds, etc, and we cannot share photos or details publicly, however we do share what we can! We have an amazon wishlist, and you can make us your charity of choice with fred meyer rewards! Thank you so much for being with us on this journey! And please reach out if you are interested in becoming one of our after hours contractors or volunteers.
Bless you and your giving hearts!
Look in their eyes, see the source, show them kindness.
Virginia