In 1986, a group of animal loving volunteers, lead by Janetta Overholser and Helga Sonsken, organized the Animal Lovers Care Unit (ALCU).  They trapped, spayed, and neutered many cats, as donations allowed, to level off a huge population of strays.  They also found homes for many of the kittens.

As the community of Cottage Grove grew, so did the number of cats.  A few years later, this group of volunteers, believed that the time was at hand to establish a Humane Society and build a fully operational place to house dogs and cats.

In 1992, the ALCU, became the Humane Society of Cottage Grove (HSCG) and continued as a non-profit animal welfare group serving Cottage Grove and South Lane County. It was during this time, that two HSCG volunteers attended the Humane Society of the United States annual conference.  After learning what a challenge animal shelters in small towns faced, they came back convinced that the shelter model would not be the best investment of resources, volunteers and donations.

A new strategy emerged, focusing on pet care education, forming partnerships with local veterinarians, working with the nearest large shelter, Greenhill Humane Society, and offering financial assistance to pet owners to help with the cost of spaying and neutering pets.

Janetta put over 12000 miles a year on a van donated by the Woodard Foundation, transporting cats to and from Greenhill Humane Society to be altered and returned to their feral colonies, returning owned cats to their homes and surrendering abandoned pets to Greenhill Humane Society.

Through generous donations and endowments, HSCG was able to purchase a building and open a thrift store, the This and That, to help fund its animal welfare programs.  A portion of the building was leased to a local business, providing additional income to help maintain the building. In 2022, HSCG remodeled and enlarged the thrift shop.  In November of 2025, the leased portion of the building was vacated.  HSCG launched another remodeling project to provide a large Cattery and Office to better serve our Second Chance Cats adoption program and pet owners seeking help with the cost of spay/neuter and veterinary care. The cats and kittens that have been safely vetted roam free in the large cattery allowing for fun socialization opportunities with community members looking to adopt.

The This and That thrift shop is the primary financial engine that supports all the HSCG animal welfare programs. HSCG also holds annual fundraisers and obtains grants to expand our pet focused programs. HSCG is a 501(c)3 non-profit managed by a board of directors.  The organization is 100% volunteer.  Our volunteer team staffs our thrift shop, run the HSCG office, work on fundraising, and do all the cat care for our Second Chance Cat adoption program.