Category Archives: Animal Enrichment

The MCAS Troutdale Ostrich: Everything is Fine

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Notable Accomplishments / Recognition

Multnomah County Animal Services (MCAS) has an intake of over 7,000 animals per year, and has maintained a high live-release rate for shelter animals even with the trend of increasing intakes. Monthly and annual reports for the division are available online, including all intakes and outcomes, and veterinary services provided for the animals.

“A Dynamic Workplace: No two days are the same! We’re always learning and improving…”

The agency’s alleged live release rate does not accurately reflect reality. The reported live release rate is inflated by numerous variables including significant adoption returns. As in, a unique animal being adopted, then returned, then adopted out again means that that animal contributes ‘2’ counts to their live release rate. This is setting aside that a live release rate does not reflect care or housing conditions at MCAS. What MCAS has steadily maintained is a high lie release rate – Where indeed no two days are ever the same.

The agency’s specialties are propaganda and distraction intended to shimmy out of accountability. The evidence is clear throughout records, public experience, and commentary. One must go through the propaganda front first.

These are just a few recent highlights from last week’s records

Deprivation of animal care: The willful abandonment of animals’ emotional and social well being

MCAS Director Grahek and Operations Manager Andrew Mathias systematically continue to fail to meet even the minimum requirements for shelter animal’s mental health and well being (Beyond Food and Water … “Open Paw’s Minimal Mental Health Requirements for Dogs”). They dismantled programs once in place that worked: Regular exercise and enrichment outings into the community; Weekly adoption outreach events; ongoing behavior and training programs to engage animals and improve their lives.

An absence of volunteers

Volunteers are critical to animal welfare. The numbers of volunteers are low compared to animal intake numbers.

On the February 3, 2026 Intake Inventory there were 41 dogs in the adoption kennels; 41 dogs in Intake (including 2 dogs on Security). That means 80 dogs, (less 2 on Security who are generally not walked), needing consistent exercise, enrichment, and walks outside the toxic kennel environment. 40 volunteers dedicated to walking dogs is a very low number.

Those numbers are critically low because MCAS is also a toxic environment for volunteers, not just animals. Often a positive feedback cycle occurs where lack of enrichment and exercise escalate animal stress. Often animals become frantic with the stress of constant confinement. MCAS will warn volunteers to not walk animals if they are uncomfortable when an animal becomes distressed but the managers do nothing to create a safe world for volunteers, staff or animals. The single intervention is copious medication. MCAS will only treat stress with escalating levels of psychotropics, a practice once commonplace at orphanages and any facility where vulnerable populations were housed without oversight. MCAS will solve these concerns with excuses exonerating themselves, not solutions. Creative fiction is their forte.

Volunteer numbers
December 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025
Dog Walking: 40 volunteers
Dog walking Hands On training: 1

January 1, 2026 to January 31, 2026
Dog Walking: 38 volunteers
Dog walking Hands On training: 4

MCAS spay neuter and in house breeding program

MCAS continues to fail to spay and neuter every companion animal that is adopted to the public, alleging as one irrelevant distraction (Look here, not there) that more unspayed and unneutered companion animals are being taken in as strays since past history so please excuse them. No, that is not the point. We are speaking about dogs adopted out, not total intake. It’s their job. The fact that the management can’t do their assigned work for overwhelmingly generous salaries and benefits means they are incompetent. Incompetence is inexcusable. The public should not be paying for a management on work disability welfare program.

MCAS in-house breeding program

Miss Wolfie, ID#381469

Dogs Playing for Life is a nationally recognized program intended to relieve shelter stress. At MCAS it has been redirected and diverted to being used as a stressful test of dog compatibility. Dogs are randomly assigned to play groups that often in fact create additional stress. That is especially true if a female dog in heat is included among several unaltered male and female dogs. It creates disruption and conflict. The practice continues. The only tools used to intervene in spontaneous conflicts are spray bottles and shaker cans, tools that are fairly useless when fights occur.

Miss Wolfie’s record, January 28, 2026, Playgroup,

“Behavior Notes:…We have noted potential conflict drive with other females, which may possibly be due to her being in heat.”

Why put dogs in heat in play groups unless you want to provoke a fight? Almost as an afterthought, Miss Wolfie was spayed after the in heat group play two days later on January 30,2026

Saving Dolly’s Fund restricted to the special medical needs of shelter animals; Depriving animals of critical medical care

Clifford, ID#380920

MCAS continues to deprive animals of critical medical care. The funds are readily available through Dolly’s Fund but they dodge that fact and their responsibility by issuing waivers, disowning any responsibility for that care. Adopters adopt the dog ‘as is.’ Waivers virtually insure that that care will rarely be received because few citizens who adopt an MCAS dog for low fees will pay for additional future medical expenses.

How cheap can the managers be? Very cheap. They advertise an animal with a handicap that assuredly will require medical attention in the near future as “charming.” In Clifford’s case the managers attached a waiver for cleft palate.

After rescues including the Oregon Humane Society, declined to take Clifford, and after he was an adoption return, the management asked the on site primary care veterinarian to perform the cleft palate repair surgery. It is very clear from the clinical veterinary literature that surgery for cleft palate requires advanced specialized surgical training. MCAS deliberately elected to fail both Clifford and the MCAS primary care veterinarian, instead setting both up to fail with their request that the in house veterinarian do the surgery that she was unqualified to perform and that could be easily paid for from Dolly’s Fund.

It wasn’t enough to ask OHS once. They were bound and determined to save Dolly’s Fund.

January 26, 2026

“OHS declined again as they do NOT take cleft palates, cleft lips, or oronasal fistulas.”

MCAS managers view shelter animals’ lives as not worth the effort, not worth saving or improving their lives. Their dishonesty and evasiveness in every area speak to a culture that has been totally corrupted.

When no medical transfers accepted Clifford, MCAS made Clifford available for adoption with a waiver with the veterinary statement that while currently Clifford seemed to be able to eat and drink adequately and “there is no sign of inflammation/infection involving the congenital defect at this time.” It was also noted that “Dog will likely be more prone to infection involving the nasal cavity and aspiration over the course of his life than typical dogs.”

That is a very conservative observation, an understatement at best. The likelihood that Clifford will develop serious medical concerns is in fact assured when one reads through the current available veterinary medical literature.

“…Dogs with a cleft palate often develop serious medical issues like aspiration pneumonia if the condition is not corrected, usually with surgery.”

But MCAS will not correct medical conditions with funds the public continues to donate for that purpose. Instead animals with treatable special medical conditions are killed or are placed on pain management while other rescues are sought as the MCAS managers sit on Dolly’s Fund as if it were a personal bequest for their use for unknown purposes.

The County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and the Board of County Commissioners have allowed government sponsored animal abuse with public funds and have by looking away endorsed it. 

Gail O’Connell-Babcock

Miss Wolfie’s records, owner info redacted

MCAS Records_381469 Miss Wolfie-RedactedDownload

Clifford’s records, owner info redacted

MCAS Records_380920 Clifford-RedactedDownload

Beyond Food and Water, Kelly Gorman, CPDT, Whole Dog Journal, July 2004

Behavior_Beyond Food and Water_Whole-dog-journalDownload

MCAS December 2025 Volunteer Hours report

December_2025_volunteer_reportDownload

MCAS January 2026 Volunteer Hours report

January_2026_Volunteer_HoursDownload

Multnomah County Board Resolution 2015-024; Dolly’s Fund founding resolution

Multnomah County Board Resolution (Budget; MCAS Restricted Funds) 2015-024Download

MCAS’ Official Dolly’s Fund donation information

Dolly’s Fund MCAS OfficialDownload

Toby: a 12 year old Pomeranian killed for “Quality of Life,” a.k.a. ‘Old Dog Syndrome’

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Toby, ID #320255

Old dogs by definition have multiple medical issues. None of Toby’s “multiple medical conditions” were “untreatable” or “unmanageable.” He took up little space. He also should not have been kept in the general population where disease and stress are rampant. But MCAS’ attitude is ‘Kill them if you can,’ contrary to the public’s values, ‘Save them if you can.’ Once MCAS had medical and hospice fosters and there are hospice and medical rescues. But MCAS is about efficiency and saving space, not saving lives now.

June 28, 2025

“Rounds recommends humane euthanasia at the end of the stray hold period due to the poor quality of life resulting from medical issues.”

A parrot could improve on this recommendation.

Toby’s medical issues listed below had solutions because they were treatable and manageable. His quality of life was well within normal limits even without care (see notes below) and he wasn’t moribund or at the end of “end stage disease” DMUU-2, a throw away category for every unwanted animal with any medical condition whatsoever.

Quality of life – Stray Pet Profile June 22, 2025

Found on the shore of the Columbia River:

“Easy going when meeting strangers; left alone and good in the house; Easy going with cats and other dogs. “

“Very sweet old man. Quiet. Loves to be held. Good with peeing, pooping, on leash.”

June 22, 2025 Intake Behavior Observations:

“Allowed most handling and treatments. ACR to AH for multiple reason [sc]. Rec rescue/transfer path if not RTO.”

Toby’s geriatric multiple health concerns were treatable and manageable. He wasn’t “moribund.” Treating conditions including any associated pain enhances quality of life.

“Assessment
– Under-conditioned- r/o systemic disease, decreased caloric intake due to oral pain, malnutrition, parasites
-Cognitive dysfunction
-OS nuclear sclerosis vs. cataract, OD microphthalmia w/cataract, limited vision to non-visual
-Severe periodontal disease
-SC mass left thorax – r/o neoplasia vs benign
– Heart murmur [ 2/6 left atypical systolic murmur; regular heart rate and rhythm] r/o degenerative valve disease
-Suspect OA/DJD [osteoarthritis/ Degenerative Joint Disease] +/- IVDD [Intervertebral disc disease]”

Each condition was treatable and also manageable. “Quality of Life” is a suspect category at MCAS. To see old dogs with “multiple conditions” happily living go to anyone’s home with an old dog. Visit Back on Track Veterinary Rehabilitation Center to see old dogs having the time of their lives.

Multnomah County Animal Shelter is not a “shelter,” but rather a careless holding facility where it’s just easier to kill than to care.

Gail O’Connell-Babcock

MCAS Records for Toby, redacted

MCAS Records_320255 Toby-RedactedDownload

MCAS’ self inflicted shortage of volunteers harms animals and the community

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MCAS Volunteer Manual June 2024

“…it is also important to note that the shelter environment can also be difficult for some. Volunteers are expected to be able to mentally and emotionally process the reality of serving in the shelter environment and we ask that you make an informed decision about your ability to volunteer with us.”

Nathan Winograd on volunteer rights

No Kill Advocacy Center_Section 1983 to the RescueDownload

MCAS managers show that they assume that all shelters are run as authoritarian organizations and that killing animals is an inevitable part of shelter reality when they claim they are just like any other shelter. That view means that volunteers must adapt, leave voluntarily, or be fired… if they care about animals. Freedom of speech is forbidden.

It is false that all shelters are authoritarian and must be run on discarded “control” models. That was not the choice of the community. It is one imposed by sitting managers. When MCAS had a higher save rate, anyone—volunteers, rescues, staff, and ordinary citizens—could offer and also help seek resources for dogs at risk. They were not told to ‘know their place.’ That is why there was a higher rate of participation and saved lives. Animals with special needs received training addressing their needs, not death sentences.

It is MCAS’ management that is at fault. And it is their decision to run an agency as an authoritarian organization against county standards.

MCAS has 46 volunteers listed for October who routinely walk dogs. It is not enough. That number is consistently very low. Volunteers are critical to MCAS. They primarily address the welfare needs of dogs at the agency. Because volunteer numbers are so low, MCAS is currently failing all minimum mental health standards for dogs.

The Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters
Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health 2022

The effect is not ‘change and correction’ but to kill more animals and tell the community to accept that is inevitable. Most animals become distressed at MCAS and MCAS only treatment plan is to kill dogs who are the victims of the agency’s toxic environment, not correct the environment, not welcome volunteer active participation, and not help animals thrive. It is about smothering compassion. Volunteers are advised to get used to it or they can leave.

The entire volunteer manual is about authoritarian control. It reflects a failed agency culture under current management. Unless that is changed the agency will not thrive and more importantly, the workers, volunteers, animals and community will bear the consequences of that failure.

Gail O’Connell-Babcock

The Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters, Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health 2022

The Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters-Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health 2022Download


MCAS Volunteer Handbook, June 2024

2024 MCAS Volunteer HandbookDownload

MCAS Volunteer Hours for October 2024

October 2024 Volunteer HoursDownload

How Multnomah County Animal Services fails the community

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Jasmin, ID# 292723

The February 2023 investigative report by OPB April Ehrlich, addressing MCAS’ failures could be published today. A year and a half later there has been no substantive change.

“In a 2018 report, auditors noted that multiple staff were concerned the shelter had adopted out unsafe dogs.”

MCAS does not adopt out “unsafe dogs.”They adopt dogs out unsafely because of bad policies that disregard animal welfare, including low standards and $25 adoptions, when ‘cheap’ is an invitation to impulse buys. Markdowns are intended as incentives. When ‘discount specials’ never end, save changing their name, that speaks to the agency’s failure and the corruption of its values.

Adoptions: How adoptions go wrong.

Over the protests of staff and volunteers, Jasmin, a wonderful dog whose history included a severe attack by another dog, was to have an adoption restriction requiring that she be the only dog in the prospective family. Instead, management overrode that restriction and adopted Jasmin to a family with another resident dog. Days later she was returned by the family after a dog attack. MCAS managers killed her for their careless indifference. The practice of facilitating poor adoptions and killing dogs who have been sent to unsafe homes and returned happens all of the time.

Playgroups: What was intended to relieve the stress of constant confinement after working with Dogs Playing for Life, has been repurposed into an evaluation about adoptability based upon ‘observed’ social skills in the play group, filtering out dogs that, in their assessment, can’t be adopted and so should be euthanized.

This test is deeply flawed because of the debilitatingly stressful environment fostered by this shelter’s management policies. Dogs known to be reactive to other dogs are included in playgroup tests, often muzzled, increasing their anxiety and fear. Playgroups include dogs in heat, injured dogs, dogs suffering kennel cough, disabled, blind, and deaf dogs, diagnostic categories whose illness or vulnerabilities place them at risk.

Intake: Dogs are rushed through intake regardless of their levels of distress, a process forced by the management’s edict for speed efficiency. If distressed, they are attached by leash to an i-hook, escalating fear and anxiety by trapping them, and then the intrusive exams proceed. They are then labeled with ‘handling sensitivity’ and/or ‘fear’ or ‘jumpy/mouthy’ waivers for defensive reactions brought about by insensitive handling. For example, if they “head whip” when intrusive exams are conducted. When staff behaves insensitively, on the orders of management, the dogs are blamed for their reactions. Everything becomes the dog’s fault.

Data Collection: “Data collections” are visits to kenneled dogs, usually but not always up to 3, to evaluate how many personal space intrusions, including checking teeth, ears, and physically checking spay/neuter status, a dog will tolerate from a complete stranger in a shelter environment. Staff are not trained about animal behavior, how to recognize stress and how to gain safe compliance for physical exams. The emphasis is always on speed. Pushing dogs down or pursuing them to leash is unsafe conduct. The only tools management provides are negative: The word “No”; Pet Corrector, spray bottles and shake cans all of which can backfire by escalating stress.

Fosters: Are not screened, except to make sure their companion animals are licensed, and chosen randomly. They receive no training and are not provided behavior training resources. The absence of professional guidance creates safety risks. If an incident occurs it is again the dog’s fault according to managers, not their own poor policies.

Adoption Returns: Adoption Returns are commonplace because of poor and indifferent adoption standards. Only the dog pays the price.


“Multnomah County shelter has a policy to offer emergency boarding services for up to a month.”

Director Erin Grahek and Operations Manager Marian Cannell ended emergency board and respite fosters a while ago without announcement, excusing this with the statement that they have insufficient space. ‘Space’ is a matter of creativity. Respite fostering and emergency board have been replaced by the ‘ 6 day hold mandatory’ for owned animals, after which MCAS assumes ownership.

Redemption and retention are their funded missions. When one lacks the skills to honor it, one does not just get rid of the mission. MCAS accommodated for respite and emergency board in the past despite an equal or greater intake, smaller budget and fewer managers. What did previous directors do differently when space was available? The funding is there. The imagination, will, initiative, and values are not.

Attached is a proposed respite foster program County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson placed on a short list over a year ago. Why hasn’t it been funded? Other space limitations are the result of multiple adoption returns, as many as 6 times in one case.

Owner surrenders outside the scope of those that the county is mandated to take are often about owners’ deficits and mismanagement. Issues that could be managed by providing counseling before accepting a surrender, as former Multnomah County Animal Control Director Hank Miggins once required.

There is no veterinary social work position to proactively help people keep their animals when a crisis occurs. Frequent adoption returns and high intake from owner surrenders are challenges that should be met with policy change, but the management instead chooses to prioritize speedy intake with speedy adoption to create space.

“‘I will bring on strong professionals who have the animal welfare background that I don’t, and marry that with my experience as a manager and a leader in Multnomah County,’ Erin Grahek said.”

That program has failed completely. First, a leader must know the difference between competent effective sheltering and poor sheltering. A distinction that is not learned from following the managers’ lead. It has to come from a director’s lived professional experience or they will not be able to lead, and instead be relegated to a director in title only. Operations manager, Marian Cannell hired in November 2022, and the supervisory managers demonstrably lack the skills and background necessary to run a humane progressive animal shelter that meets this community’s needs. Management positions have been filled based not upon skills proficiency and a broad-based search, but upon personal loyalty to existing management.

The community and homeless animals bear the costs of government failure. The February 2023 report from OPB April Erhlich could just as well be today’s report.


Service to managers is more important than serving the community, what is really needed to return service to the community is a system of accountability.

Gail O’Connell-Babcock

Jason Renaud’s Respite Program proposal from September 2022

Jason Renaud_Dog Respite ProposalDownload

Cornell University: Shelter’s Move Towards Alternatives, Dogwatch Newsletter, Vol 4, No.20, April 2016

Shelters Move Toward Alternatives_Cornell UniversityDownload

Jasmin’s [292723] records, redacted

MCAS Records_292723 Jasmin-RedactedDownload

Dogs playing for their lives

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Boulder, ID# 318191

Boulder’s short life started as a tale of compassion and a lost dog’s incredible progress and ended at MCAS in a series of unconscionable excuses and poor decision making to justify killing him. But none of the evidence in the records supports the managers’ conclusions that Boulder was extremely dog aggressive or “unhealthy and untreatable.”

History

Boulder was found abandoned at the Troutdale Truckstop on June 04, 2024. His single medical condition was alopecia (hair loss), caused by allergies. His finders, who became his adopters, described him as smart, playful and easygoing with strangers, high energy, learning to run next to a bike very well and “learning ‘whoa’ for stop and right and left for turning.”

He ran on a bike 2 miles a day, three times a day, 4 days a week. His adoptive family reported in the owner surrender personality profile that he was not afraid of fireworks, stayed home alone very well, was learning to relax and really loved massages. They reported also that sometimes he became mouthy when excitable. He did well with the adopters’ female dog, was not afraid of fireworks, stayed home alone very well, was learning to relax and really loved massages.

His single reported challenge in his adoptive home was reciprocal displays of aggression between the family’s unneutered male dog and Boulder. Although they never formally met, they fought through barriers. The family believed it was a challenge they could not resolve in a shared home. It was the reason that after adopting Boulder on June 11, 2024 they returned him a month later on July 11, 2024. That was the only month that he had a good life. After his return, Boulder never left MCAS. He was killed a week after his return on July 17.

11:10: 03 AM, July 17. 2024

“Rounds met and elected to move forward with euthanasia due to significant dog aggression.”

He was killed two hours later at 12:48 PM on the same day that he was sentenced to death, denied foster and rescue options, labeled “unhealthy and untreatable.”

The Rounds Review Committee decision ordering Boulder’s euthanasia alleging “significant dog aggression” is a strange illogical decision. No reasoning is provided. He had lived in an adoptive home for a month where he got along well with the resident female dog but the aggressive relationship between himself and the resident unneutered male dog was reciprocal.

Part of MCAS animal data collection process is to put dogs into playgroups with other usually unneutered and unspayed dogs and see how they react. No one monitoring the play groups has any animal behavior and training background. The purpose of Dogs Playing for Life, a nationally recognized program, is to create compatible play groups to alleviate the stress and boredom of kennel confinement. MCAS has robbed it of that purpose and converted Dogs Playing for life into an opposite version from its intention becoming “Dogs Playing for their lives.”

After Boulder’s adoption return for incompatibility with the adopters’ male unneutered dog, Boulder was placed, sometimes forcefully, because he was reluctant to enter, into a series of play groups with male unneutered dogs.

In his case, he was tested in 2 Play groups held on the same day. If the record is correct, they were held minutes apart. Though data entry errors could be responsible for that short gap between playgroups, since they are commonplace at MCAS.

On July 12, 2024 Rounds recommended playgroup, following up on July 16, 2024.

July 16, 2024 was the day Boulder was playgroup tested and killed.

July 15, 2024 Behavior Notes:

“As we have been unable to get dog into playgroup,[no reason listed; no noted effort recorded] his presence is poor (growls, barks), and he hasn’t been out of kennel since return, I wanted to work with him before trying PG tomorrow.

Boulder was lying on bed. I approached outside kennel door, tossing teats [sic] He slowly got up and approached, eating treats. Once at door near me he gave some low growls, and slight lip lift. Continued treating, and had him sit for a treat. He moved away from door, and I unlatched, asking if he wanted to go for a walk. He came running back with loose body and wagging tail, pushing out as leash. Crossed into yard where he walked straight to far gate, as if seeking exit. Remained loose, allowing all contact. Returned to kennel after a few minutes, tossing treats to exit without issue.”

The only exercise and personal contact Boulder experienced at MCAS from July 11 onward, a dog who loved running alongside a bicycle several times a day, was a walk lasting a few minutes on July 15, 2024.

5:02:57 PM July 16, 2024 PLAYGROUP: Attempt 1

“Greeting: His greeting to the dogs at the fence was OK. He hesitantly approached and sniffed with dogs, some tail wags. Stiff, furrowed brow maybe some whale eyes and huffing. Started to loosen up and sniff dogs with quicker wagging tail. A bark and pawing when he wasn’t let in. Body loosened some. We debated letting him in unmuzzled due to his greeting, but felt more comfortable trying the muzzle- unfortunately the muzzle work was not successful and we wanted to give him time to recover.

Attempted muzzle work. Very strong and hard to get it on him, once on he would completely focus on the muzzle. He would rip the muzzle off and get it stuck in his mouth. Got very amped up, especially when the Fedex truck came. When Caleb was working to get the muzzle on and off, he mouthed at Caleb’s hands a few times- warning nips with no growling. Did not bring him into the yard due to lack of muzzle and his reactions.”

In short, at the instruction of inept managers, the staff felt compelled to use force to accomplish a delayed order. When someone sees a dog is uncertain, one does not force a muzzle on a frightened dog in as inept a way as possible. At MCAS, an animal’s distress is never considered an important factor because the order is that the ‘trains must run on time.’

5:07:15 PM July 16, 2024 PLAYGROUP:

“Greeting: Came up for sniffs, tail wagging. Mildly steerable when you spray his feet, looking towards the exits.

Entry: Walked in and allowed FDBD sniffs [face and bottom] from other dogs. Zeus 320026 was sniffing him and he froze, whale eye. He allowed it but then after a little bit without let up he growled and chased after Zeus. No real contact made. Zeus retreated away from him. Not steerable with water or shake cans but one spray of pet corrector in the face stopped him. He did try to re-engage with Zeus. Bumped him from the yard and he barked at the fence. He did not show any interest in Sapphire for the brief time he was in the yard.”

Dogs Playing for Life was never intended to be used as Dogs Playing for their lives.

It is cruel and unusual inhumane conduct to use negative interventions to purposefully set dogs up for failure by taking them past their limits in order to justify killing them. Forcing a muzzle on Boulder and spraying his feet after forcing him into playgroups, as if “play” were the main intention when play groups at MCAS are testing to decide which dogs to keep, which to kill, is deviant and unprofessional management behavior. Even under those deliberate unfavorable circumstances, Boulder behaved well.

Nothing in any of Boulder’s history justified killing him; nor did anything in his history qualify as “significant dog aggression,” requiring the diagnosis of “unhealthy and untreatable.” He had an amicable relationship with the female dog during his brief adoption, and a reciprocal hostile relationship with the family’s unneutered male dog. The diagnosis of “unhealthy and untreatable” at MCAS is deliberately assigned to all dogs, not just to Boulder, regardless of merit, dogs they want to dispose of quickly without responsibility.

The Multnomah County Chair and Board of County Commissioners tolerate a cruel and harmful public agency, where everything turns to ashes all of the time. Indifference to public service and to animals’ lives is so commonplace it has become normalized.

Gail O’Connell-Babcock