Once more, Powell has demonstrated it is a generous community.

The beneficiaries of this latest outpouring of goodness? The abandoned dogs and cats who are cared for at the city’s Moyer Animal Shelter. The mid-April Paws and Pals fundraiser to benefit the shelter was a heartwarming success.

Quite simply, it is a case of crisis averted.

The untold story lies in the sudden, and unexplained, termination of a supply line of pet food and products from a corporate donor that had flowed for years. Each week a pickup truck load of pet food and supplies had arrived at the shelter. Maybe a damaged or torn bag or sack, but the contents unaffected.

From the shelter standpoint, it was easy to get used to. 

“They supplied us completely. We never had to worry. As far as food, we never had to buy ever,” said Elfriede Milburn, who has mothered the shelter and its occupants for decades as its volunteer overseer.

Then nothing. No reasons given by corporate higher-ups. The faucet was simply shut off.

Sleepless nights followed, Elfriede can attest. But she and her lieutenants also sprang into action. Pets and Pals was the answer. The taco dinner event at the Eagles Lodge produced about $2,500 in revenue from ticket buyers, donations and a benefit silent auction.

“The silent auction was a real success. We sold everything,” Elfriede enthused.

With the outpouring of community support, the shelter now has a garage full of canned pet food and supplies in addition to a healthy balance in the bank. To add to the success story, the numbers in the shelter have shrunk to two dogs and seven cats, as many sheltered animals have found new homes with owners in the valley.

And to top it all off, Elfriede Milburn is sleeping peacefully again.