Chronus, ID# 349575 and Rhea, ID# 349576
MCAS’ Budgeted Mission
“Historically, the primary role of MCAS has been animal control enforcement and stray animal sheltering. In harmony with County equity goals and the MCAS North Star of providing quality care for animals and equitable services for the community, MCAS is shifting resources toward supporting pet owners to care for and retain their animals. The aim is to prevent animals from needing shelter due to surrender or abandonment, and to intervene prior to the need for enforcement activity.”– 2024 and 2025
MCAS does not support pet owners to care for and retain their animals. For $50 anyone can surrender their companion animals, fill out a check list, then leave them behind. There is no owner surrender counseling concerning alternatives to surrender and no education and prevention. It is a cull and kill dump site for unwanted animals.
Because there are no avenues for accountability, MCAS managers have destroyed the shelter’s compassionate mission and replaced it with their own: Killing animals for whatever manufactured reason they can to dispose of them, contrary to values the Multnomah county community shares with other citizens in Oregon.
An Eye for an Eye; A Tooth for a Tooth
At MCAS, if a dog kills a cat; then the dog should be killed even when there are many safe humane options and despite that owner carelessness caused the fatal incident. That was why Chronus, 5 years old, and Rhea, 3 years old, were surrendered. They were ordered to be put to death on April 18, 2025, one day after their surrender on April 17, 2025.
The agency’s Rounds Review Committee, managers who considered no humane alternatives, declared them “Unhealthy and Untreatable” and ordered them killed despite their positive traits and friendliness towards the other family cats. There was no apparent discussion. Both were promptly and efficiently destroyed in an assembly line one right after the other, Chronus at 8:26 AM; Rhea at 8:31 AM on April 19, the morning after they were ordered killed.
April 18, 2025
“Rounds met and will proceed with euthanasia due to uninterruptible aggressive drive towards other animals in the home, resulting in the death of the animal.”
It wasn’t “uninterruptible,” and the statement “uninterruptible” is not a reason to kill an animal. The statement “aggressive drive towards other animals in the home” was false and an intended over generalization to exaggerate an incident as if it were a willful crime. Both Chronus and Rhea were friendly with the 2 confident resident cats also in residence, but would chase the new fearful cat when it ran from them.
“Dogs killed AO’s cat today. Said they have three cats, have lived fine with the two that aren’t afraid of the dogs, but the newest cat is fearful and will run from them. Today -they chased, attacked and killed. AO had to beat the dogs with a metal pipe to break up fight/attack.”
The owners knew that there was a safety risk with the newest cat but had no plan in place to keep the dogs and the fearful cat safe and apart. There are many known ways to secure the safety of cats when living with dogs. And it is well known that an animal who runs can trigger prey drive in another. The incident was caused by carelessness. MCAS then killed the dogs for owner carelessness. That is retaliatory: To cost them their lives.
At MCAS there is no owner surrender counseling to generate and consider alternatives. This time was no different than any time at MCAS. Both dogs were killed so swiftly there was not even time to re-consider other courses of action after the immediacy of the incident. There was no time to reflect. In the past, former MCAS director Hank Miggins recognized that importance and would defer formal surrender until families had time to reflect so they would not act impulsively immediately after an incident and later come to regret their decision. Now three animals are dead despite effective humane alternatives.
Animals kill out of instinct. Multnomah County managers kill out of convenience, completely subverting the county’s animal services mission, first adopted in the 2000 Citizens’ MCAS Task Force findings, that directed the shelter towards consideration of euthanasia as a last resort. It is almost always possible to preserve an animal’s life and well being alongside public safety. Killing was to be a consideration only after all other options had been exhausted. After the Task force findings were implemented, animal control failed to follow-through with the findings. Now, community members and professional experts once part of the shelter have been excluded.
MCAS managers have subverted the county elected mission with singular efficiency. Their efficiency is rapid killing without cause or reasonable consideration of alternatives, followed in every case by falsely labeling the cause for their victims’ deaths as “Unhealthy and Untreatable” despite all evidence to the contrary. The animals have no representation. In-house managers can act with the authority of a dictatorship having ejected all community members and professional experts who were once part of disposition reviews.
Failing to protect animals
MCAS also fails to address animal welfare concerns. There were no questions asked about the evidence of neglect when Chronus and Rhea were surrendered.
Medical Intake/Update: Chronus
April 18, 2025
“… Dog appeared fearful when attempted to slip lead in kennel. Froze but walked with a loose leash at my side. Ribs are apparent and has obvious waist. 3/9 BCS [Body Condition Score]…
…Plan: Adding second feed to medication list for AH [Animal Health] to manage.”
No need. The next day he was killed.
Medical Intake: Rhea
April 17, 2025
“…Social with handlers and allowed all handling and treatments. Very food motivated and ate ravenously. ACR [Animal Care Review] to AH [Animal Health] due to body condition, and placing on rounds to determine appropriate pathway…
…Over all body posture: Loose, wiggly, accepting contact.”
Personality descriptions on owner surrender profiles
Rhea was described as easy going with strangers; playful with children under 10, a dog who liked playing with toys, snacks, going on walks, being with people, car rides, snuggling and attention.
Chronus was described similarly but also liked exploring his surroundings; might resource guard food from other dogs. Given his underweight, it suggested he was not getting enough food.
Why was the only solution lethal, to kill them, when the incident and other incidents could be easily prevented and they were overall such nice dogs? The county is the agency with uninterruptible prey drive.
Gail O’Connell-Babcock
Chronus’ records, redacted
Rhea’s records, redacted
MCAS Task Force Findings, June 29, 2000
Celebrating the canine-feline connection by Pat Miller, Your Dog Newsletter,
August 2008
How To Get Cats and Dogs to Get Along by Kathy Callahan CPDT-KA,_Whole Dog Journal December 2021
Peace and Harmony Among Pets from Cornell University Collage of Veterinary Medicine, Dog Watch Newsletter, May 2014
Living with Cats and Dogs from Cornell University Collage of Veterinary Medicine, Dog Watch Newsletter, December 2008
Make Safe Dog and Cat Introductions from Cornell University Collage of Veterinary Medicine, Dog Watch Newsletter, March 2011
Understanding Highly Predatory Dogs by Mardi Richmond, CPFT-KA, Whole Dog Journal June 18 2010