NEWBERG, Ore. — Walking into Pawsitively Saved Rescue is a little quieter these days. Not necessarily because there is a shortage of adoptable animals in the area. The rescue, which previously housed 40 dogs, is down to five at the facility and is not taking in new dogs at the moment because it does not know where it will be in the near future.
Pawsitively Saved Rescue is preparing to vacate its facility at 2771 E. 9th St., Suite D, in Newberg after the landlord gave notice that it is terminating the rescue’s lease at the end of 2026, according to volunteer and board secretary Roann Delgreco. The rescue is working with an attorney to request more time, but Delgreco said it is moving as if the request will not be granted.
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Kinton Land and Bison LLC owns the building, according to county records. Newsberg emailed the building’s owner and manager requesting comment and confirmation. Neither had responded as of publication.
Details of the lease, the termination notice and the door come from Delgreco and the rescue’s fundraising page.
“This place just means so much to me,” Delgreco said. “It’s just it’s a special place — it’s my passion, and I love it.”
The rescue began as a dog daycare and boarding facility at the same location, first operating as Pawsitively Playful Doggie Daycare, founded by Merissa Greene Atwood and Richard Atwood, according to state business records. The daycare operated until 2022, when the business model shifted to an animal rescue. COVID-19 hurt the daycare and boarding business, Delgreco said, before the operation switched to entirely rescue work.
In 2024, Delgreco said, Richard Atwood stepped back from the nonprofit for personal reasons and turned operations over to Ashley Goodman, who had been a kennel assistant and now runs the rescue as director. When the landlord was notified of the leadership change, the landlord asked the rescue to clean up an outdoor area and address odors around the building.
The primary issue involves a large hangar-style door at the rear of the building that has had significant mechanical issues for years, according to the rescue’s GoFundMe page. The page says the company that services the door has continued to maintain it, but the door is 20 years old and parts to repair will be difficult and expensive to source. If it fails, the page says, it cannot be repaired with standard parts, and the recommended solution would be replacement, which could cost at least $60,000.
When the rescue was presented with a new lease, the page says, it wanted a clear distinction between maintaining and repairing existing equipment and being responsible for replacing an entire door. The page says the rescue was told the landlord would not replace the door and that the rescue would need to accept that responsibility or vacate the property.
“As a non profit rescue, we cannot justify investing $60,000 into replacing a door on a building we do not own when those funds could instead provide veterinary care, food, medications and daily support for the dogs in our care,” Delgreco wrote on the page.
The GoFundMe was set up to help pay for relocating the rescue, not to replace the door.
“We’ve come to the decision that it’s just not tenable on either side at this point,” Delgreco said.
The rescue does not have a new location lined up after its lease ends, Delgreco said. Finding a suitable space has been a challenge. As a nonprofit, the rescue needs an affordable, spacious location where the noise and smell of dogs will not be a problem. Many of the places the rescue could move to also require a conditional use permit to operate a kennel, a process Delgreco said can take up to three months, and possibly longer.
While the rescue looks for a long-term solution, it is seeking somewhere to bridge the gap. That could be anything from a building in town to a garage, warehouse, or other outbuilding on someone’s property.
Outside of that, the rescue — which normally would have volunteers helping clean, care for the animals, or fundraise — has simplified its ask from the community: money.
“Since we aren’t able to take on new dogs right now, and it’s going to impact our bottom line here, we’re not going to be able to pay the employees,” Delgreco said. “I think, unfortunately, money is the biggest thing right now.”
The rescue launched a GoFundMe on Oct. 31 and had raised $1,575 of its $12,000 goal as of Monday, Nov. 9. It also put out a call for fosters on social media in early November, which would help while the nonprofit transitions from one facility to the next.
Learn more at pawsitivelysaved.org.
