Oregon Humane has raised $922,000 toward a mobile veterinary clinic that would operate from its Salem campus starting next summer.
The project jumped from long-term wish list to active fundraising after Craig and Cherie Cline provided a lead donation to purchase the truck, as first reported by Salem Reporter. The organization's $1.2 million goal covers the clinic and its first year of operations. The fundraising total was current as of Sept. 29, according to an Oregon Humane statement.
"How this kind of got fast tracked is we had a very generous donor, very passionate about spay and neuter, and especially the accessibility of spay (and) neuter, and made the offer to buy us this piece of equipment, this rig," Dr. Steve Kochis, Oregon Humane's chief medical officer, told Salem Reporter.
The dollar amount of the Clines' gift has not been disclosed.
The truck will house one full surgical suite, an exam table and 30 kennels, according to spokeswoman Laura Klink. Staff will offer spay and neuter procedures along with vaccines, microchips, exams and parasite prevention. Oregon Humane leaders expect the clinic to treat about 5,000 pets a year.
The clinic will be based at Oregon Humane's Salem campus on Southeast Turner Road and serve communities within about an hour's drive. It will also travel to other locations through partnerships with local agencies, operating four days a week.
A reduced-cost spay and neuter option at $70, available at the Salem campus for people with lower incomes or on government assistance, will carry over to the mobile clinic, according to DJ Palmer, who oversees Oregon Humane's Salem operations.
Palmer told Salem Reporter that pet owners in the area are already driving to Portland or Corvallis to find affordable services. He described a recent case in which a Salem woman faced eviction because her dog was giving birth. Oregon Humane is working with the woman and her caseworker to get the dog spayed so she can keep her pet and her housing.
Housing programs, including domestic violence shelters and rehabilitation facilities, can often require pets to be spayed or neutered before owners enter, Kochis said.
The pandemic-era pause on spay and neuter procedures created a backlog that local clinics and shelters have struggled to address. Oregon Humane has received close to 4,000 kittens at its Salem and Portland campuses so far in 2026, according to an organizational statement.
Oregon Humane receives no government funding and relies on donations to operate. Kochis said the mobile clinic will continue as long as donors support it.
The organization still needs about $278,000 to reach its goal. Donation information is available at oregonhumane.org.
