Logan, ID# 339745
It is not unusual for MCAS’ $25 adopted dogs to be recycled and end up in the same or worse circumstances than those that compelled their original impoundment at MCAS.
When Logan’s original owner, Charlotte, was hospitalized for a mental health crisis on March 13, 2025, the shelter asked her one day later on March 14 if she had anyone who could reclaim Logan on her behalf. She did not. The MCAS staff person then asked her if she would like to surrender Logan over the telephone and she did not. She was offered no resources. She was then advised of the hold date ending on March 19th. Fear of losing their pets often causes additional grief and distress to hospitalized owners.
March 14, 2025 the day after hospitalization:
“ …Charlotte then stated she didn’t want him adopted, I [MCAS staff] then advised she loses ownership of her dog after that time should she not come and reclaim. Charlotte understood.”
What Charlotte understood was that MCAS would not help her keep her companion dog. MCAS’ primary funded mission is pet redemption and retention, a mission they deliberately ended without county approval. Maybe they thought no one was looking. An abdication of Governmental oversight and accountability at MCAS has led to a culture of self determination and independence from government rule. They do what they want, not what the county mission instructs. As part of mission elimination, the management also eliminated Pets in Crisis, and Emergency Board, the support for pet retention, labeling them as ‘too cumbersome.’ These support programs were replaced with 6-day owner holds. There are more creative solutions to support owners in crisis, with some alternatives described in the attached files.
The elimination of pet retention programs
MCAS denied Charlotte an extension of the hold time. Denial is discretionary and dependent upon the good will of the operations manager. It can be arbitrary. On March 18, 2025, MCAS management “Called and spoke with the social worker Sarah and let her know that due to shelter capacity that we would not be extending the hold. She is aware and will let owner know.” But respite foster homes are unaffected by “shelter capacity.”
Logan was now “adoptable” from MCAS. He was adopted on March 23, 2025 for $25, quickly becoming ill. On March 28, 2025 his adopter called in concerned about kennel cough symptoms. Nine days after the adoption, on April 6, 2025 the adopter brought Logan back intending to return him. Logan was still ill with kennel cough. The adopter reported that he had never received the promised antibiotics. During admissions after speaking with animal health, the adopter reconsidered surrendering Logan; the necessary prescription was filled, the last contact with animal health.
Logan was next found on August 2, 2025 [Complaint 301537, August 2, 2025] after a citizen called MCAS to report that an individual seemed to be in a mental health crisis, reported to have been “untying his black dog to run loose in the streets.” An MCAS officer responded and the person identified by the complainant, described to the officer that while the dog was tied up he was around all of the time. There was no reference to letting the dog run loose.
The individual the officer had approached reported that “the dog was new to him.” When asked where he had gotten the dog, he responded “…that the animal was tied to his camp a few nights prior and he did not know where it came from.” After running a microchip scan, the MCAS officer discovered that Logan had been identified as adopted from MCAS by someone other than the homeless person who had just recently found him tied to his tent. The officer offered to take Logan to MCAS in order to contact the owner. He advised the homeless finder that he was more than able to come to MCAS to adopt Logan if his owner on record did not reclaim him.
The finder barely knew Logan. No, the homeless finder is not qualified to responsibly adopt Logan. He lives in a tent, where he noted he had to return rapidly out of fear of losing his possessions. He does not have a secure enclosure or the means to care for Logan.
What is anyone at MCAS thinking? The MCAS adopter, although immediately contacted when Logan was taken to MCAS on August 2, has not reclaimed Logan from MCAS. It appears that Logan may have been abandoned by his adopter. Instead of following up on those concerns, MCAS has moved on. Logan is now on “Pre-select” adoptions meaning he can be adopted as of August 9, when the legal stray time for owned animals ended, by anyone with $25 in their pockets.
How is this a “shelter” instead of a con? There were other options.
During Logan’s original impound on March 13, 2025 when his owner was hospitalized, a Portland Police Officer asked to be considered to foster and/or adopt Logan. That offer was ignored. The original owner lost Logan because MCAS would not extend a short hold time permitting a respite foster. In the end, Logan ended up on the streets at risk.
That does not represent responsible animal care and adoptions. What has occurred is the normalization of failure. MCAS is emboldened each time the managers get away with mission violations. That is how corruption starts: One unchecked failure at a time. The mission, caring for and protecting pets and people, disappeared like a magic trick. It flew off, gone into the universe of false promises.
Gail O’Connell-Babcock
Logan’s records, redacted
Dog Respite Proposal, Mental Health Association of Portland
Shelters Move Toward Alternatives, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, DogWatch Newsletter, April 2016.
MCAS’ Adoption page for Logan (link working as of August 15, 2025)