The outdated facility is NOT good enough. Oregonians need to do MORE to care for, protect, spay and neuter dogs and cats. Contact current and those running for county commissioner and let them know how you feel about this.
~Theresa Griffin Kennedy
“Leaders proposed building a new facility
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — For years, Multnomah County Animal Services has struggled with overcrowding, outdated facilities and staffing shortages, which makes it tough to meet standards and properly care for animals.
Now, the department is pitching a brand new facility to county commissioners. The plan calls to nearly double their size — from 18,000-square feet to 35,000-square feet — enhancing medical care, animal housing and community access. The cost: Between $53 million and $65 million. Approximately $3.5 million remains from a previous capital project fund, which was established from Edgefield North Resolution.
Animal services could transform the current shelter in Troutdale or build a new facility on the county-owned Vance properties near Gresham.
Multnomah County Animal Services audit finds some progress, room for improvement
“When you tour (the current facility) you can see how it would be hard for staff and volunteers to provide the standard of care you’d expect,” Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards said.
Commissioner Sharon Meieran is open to the proposal but her real concern, she said, is the glaring neglect of animal care.
“This situation is 8 years, at least, past unacceptable,” Meieran said Tuesday.
A 2018 follow-up audit demanded 15 urgent changes to fix the shelter’s issues. Yet, as of August 2024, they still need to implement nearly half of them — including daily animal care programs and better policies for adoptions.
Multnomah County Animal Shelter faces backlash for changed euthanasia policy
According to Meieran, even with a larger budget and more investment for the shelter, it’s still turned away animals and skipped basic spaying-and-neutering.
“The animals frankly don’t care what we say about them,” she said. “They care about what we do for them.”
Meieran said she plans to meet with shelter volunteers on Wednesday.
As for the next steps, Multnomah County Animal Services said it’s working to get a leadership team in place for the project along with securing funding approval by the end of March 2025. A financing committee is set to explore additional funding strategies and options to fully support the new facility’s construction.”
~Theresa Griffin Kennedy
"Multnomah County Animal Shelter '8 years past unacceptable.'