2022 Annual Report

As MCAS releases its 2022 Annual Asilomar report, we want to provide animal statistics for our agency in a comparable format to our Monthly Reports, including background information about the intakes and outcomes for animals in our care, their circumstances, and other Animal Services programs.

Animal Intake

In Calendar Year 2022 (CY 2022), MCAS accepted stray dogs, sick or injured adult cats and kittens from the public. Officers also picked up stray or lost animals. Owner-surrendered animals were accepted on a case by case basis, depending on urgent circumstances. Other intakes commonly represent animals impounded by Animal Services officers.

In our community, MCAS serves as a safety net for found animals, cases of potentially dangerous dogs which would not be safe to place back into the community, and also dogs with behaviors and levels of socialization that may have been unmanageable for previous caretakers. MCAS also limits intake for cats to sick, injured, or otherwise vulnerable and at-risk cats. These realities mean that even when the general population of animals served in a year decreases, the intake numbers of these specialized categories of animals remain largely consistent.

Fostered Animals

In CY 2022, the majority of animals in foster care were kittens, adult cats, dogs, puppies, and rabbits. Thank you to our dedicated foster volunteers for your care of shelter animals around-the-clock.

Animal Outcomes

The live-release-rate is the percentage of animals with live outcomes at the end of their shelter stay, including returning animals to their families, adoptions, transfers to shelter partners and rescues, or -- in the case of a limited number of cats or wildlife – being returned to the location where they were found.

MCAS maintains a high live-release rate from year to year thanks in part to the support of the community adopting animals, the collaboration of partners in the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland (ASAP), regional animal rescues, the work of MCAS staff and volunteers to care for the animals, and an emphasis on contacting owners of found animals.

2022 Live-Release Rates

In CY 2022, the live-release rate for dogs was 91.5%, and for puppies it was 96.8%. 

For cats, the live-release rate was 84.4% for adult cats, and 90% for kittens. Cat intake is officially limited to cases where the cat is sick or injured, or in immediate danger due to cruelty, neglect, and similar circumstances, and kittens over six weeks old. There is decreased intake volume for cats, and an increased percentage of veterinary-recommended euthanasia for adult cats due to these intake conditions.

The overall live-release rate for animals was 88%. This figure is unadjusted, and includes wildlife, many of which are injured and brought to the shelter by Animal Services Field Officers for transfer to Portland Audubon, or humane euthanasia.

The live release for all domestic animals (all animals except wildlife) was 89.6%.

578 animals (11%) were humanely euthanized, including cases of injured wildlife, injured or severely sick cats, and other domestic animals at the recommendation of a veterinarian, or for behavioral issues which would make an animal unsafe to place back into the community. 

51 animals had unassisted deaths while in care. The majority of these animals were neonatal kittens who failed to thrive while being bottle-fed, who have naturally high mortality rates if they are brought to the shelter without a mother to care for them.

 

Transfer Partners

Fifty-five (55) organizations transferred 1,325 animals from MCAS over the course of CY 2022. Thank you to our community partners for their life-saving services.

• Oregon Humane Society
• Cat Adoption Team
• Harmony New Beginnings Animal Rescue
• Rabbit Advocates
• Audubon Society
• Stumptown Strays
• Northwest Animal Companions
• Family Dogs New Life Shelter
• Humane Society Of Southwest Washington
• Pacific Pug Rescue
• Hiss & Hers Herp Hobbies
• Rose City Rabbit Rescue
• Hopes Haven
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Homeward Bound Pets
• Animal Aid
• Willamette Valley Ferret Shelter
• Out to Pasture Sanctuary
• FurFriends Rescue Inc
• Woof Project
• Displaced Pets Rescue
• One Tail At a Time
• Hope's Haven
• Golden Bond Rescue
• Animal Rescue & Care Fund
• Australian Shepherds Forever
• Angels For Sara Sanctuary
• Street Dog Hero
• Salem Dogs Rescue
• Pacific Northwest Bulldog Rescue
• Compass Point Rescue
• Cat's Meow Rescue
• Western Aussie Rescue
• West Columbia Gorge Humane Society
• University Of Wisconsin
• The Heart of Rescue
• Sound Equine Options
• Seattle Purebred dog Rescue
• Pixie Project
• Pei People Shar Pei Rescue
• Oregon Ferret Shelter
• One Last Good Home
• Nike Animal Rescue Foundation
• My Way Home
• Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary
• Lancaster Four Dog Rescue
• Jack Russell Rescue
• House Of Dreams
• Hoagie's House
• Heartland Humane Society
• Greyhound Rescue Foundation
• Deaf Dogs of Oregon
• Columbia Humane Society
• Bull Terrier Rescue Inc
• American Bullmastiff Rescue Services

Volunteers

The majority of volunteer hours in CY 2022 were recorded by foster volunteers. Dog volunteers assisted with potty-walks, cat volunteers increased activity, transport volunteers and office volunteers also assisted with administrative tasks, including a team posting found animal profiles to social media.

Online Resources

Many services provided by MCAS are accessible online, at multcopets.org. Members of the public can search for adoptable or lost / found pets, license their pets, and learn about other resources and news. MCAS website pages are translated into four languages.

Field Services

Field Services officers responded to 7,990 urgent needs of community members and their pets over the course of the year, investigating cases of potential cruelty or neglect, picking up stray, injured, abandoned, potentially dangerous, or deceased animals, and investigating bites and quarantining dogs. Officers also responded to non-urgent calls such as barking dogs, animal trespass, and other community issues.

Pet Licensing

MCAS issued 27,850 total new or renewed licenses in CY 2022.