Oregon Loves Its Pets License Plates

The license plate on any car celebrates the diversity of the state it represents. By itself, Oregon touts plates that feature Smokey Bear, the Portland Trail Blazers, wineries and Crater Lake, among others. Why not cats and dogs with the educational emphasis on spaying and neutering? The Willamette Animal Guild (WAG) spay/neuter project is aiming to get that message out with the Oregon Loves Its Pets license plates. Vouchers for the plates went on sale near Thanksgiving of 2019. To date, Katie Gray of WAG says 350 vouchers have been sold. The goal is to sell 3,000. The art on the plate, Gray says, was done by Eugene graphic artist Lee Ordonez, who donated his time. Gray started this project for WAG in 2015 (“It’s more of a marathon than a sprint,” she says) and notes that if 3,000 vouchers are sold, Oregon’s Department of Motor Vehicles will begin production of the plates. WAG will use the proceeds to establish a “Spay It Forward Oregon” fund in which grants will be made available to other Oregon organizations supporting low-cost spay and neuter services.

Pre-sale vouchers for WAG’s “Oregon Loves Its Pets” spay/neuter license plates are at WagWag.org. $40.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!