On August 15, 2017, activists started a petition on this site seeking support to spare the life of a senior German Shepherd called Chucky, held in solitary confinement at Multnomah County Animal Services (MCAS) in Multnomah County Oregon, condemned to death after killing a small poodle while he was at large. Although preventable, the county rejected every humane solution from building a secure kennel to re-homing with another family who sought to adopt him.
When this original petition was started, Chucky had already been held in solitary confinement for over 580 days, denied critical socialization, exercise and visits. During this time MCAS withheld diagnostic medical procedures critically needed to address grave medical concerns and also refused to release him to go home to his family as his mental and physical health declined. Despite public protest over the cruelty of the county’s position, Chucky was killed.
The short slide from democracy to authoritarianism that began in October 2015 has escalated continuing into the present. MCAS managers successfully reversed public efforts to establish humane sheltering in the county.
Policy after policy has been transformed to exclude citizens, deny rights, and place singular authority over the lives of shelter animals exclusively in the managers’ hands.
Now we are at a crossroads.
Despite January 2023 local media investigative reports uncovering extensive problems and abuses at MCAS leading to years of animal neglect and escalated killing (links below), Multnomah County government’s response has been cavalier, tepid and indifferent: to keep the managers responsible for failure, placing them in charge of their own “review.” Abuses have escalated.
The Multnomah County Chair and Board of County Commissioners charged with MCAS oversight, have given up their authority and their responsibility for accountability to MCAS managers. They protected their colleagues instead of the citizenry and animals.
Abuses over took the vacuum left open by government’s failed oversight. The victimized are workers, volunteers, and MCAS’ significantly vulnerable demographic: the lost, stray, injured, sick, abandoned, abused and neglected animals in Multnomah County. Volunteers and workers who speak out are punished or forced to leave for describing abuses to the public.
Please support a new change.org petition started by advocates to force Multnomah county government to confront agency corruption. They must protect the community and shelter animals from harm, instead of protecting colleagues.
Some of the stories from weekly MCAS public records and the experiences of others, will be published at that page.
Advocates’ efforts to win humane care for shelter animals in our community cannot be successful without your help.
Gail O’Connell
Citizens for Humane Animal Legislation/Watchdog
Media Articles
Staff, volunteers, auditors raised alarm about Multnomah County animal shelter for years. County officials failed to act
Animal care dipped to staggering lows as Multnomah County shelter reached crisis, records show
Animal lovers decry flood of sick, unneutered, unvaccinated pets adopted out by Multnomah County animal shelter
Multnomah County animal shelter failed to address key recommendations, lost ground in some areas, county review finds
Audit finds Multnomah County animal shelter failed for years to spend donor money earmarked for veterinary services, outreach
An animal advocacy center based in Portland, Oregon.