Multnomah County Animal Services will open its doors this weekend for its first in-person adoption event in over two years—a fee-waived adoption event at its Troutdale shelter (1700 W Historic Columbia River Hwy). That means a savings of between $30 and $160, depending upon your chosen animal. You also get a temporary pet license for dogs and cats. (According to Oregon law, “every dog must obtain a license when one of two things occurs: either the dog reaches the age of six months, or it obtains its permanent canine teeth, whichever comes first” ... who knew?).  

The event is being held in partnership with the Oregon Humane Society and its Second Chance Program—an effort which helps shelters in Oregon and Southern Washington that may have “less space, fewer resources or fewer visitors” place animals in good homes. After a combination of COVID-19 staffing shortages and a seasonal uptick in pet admissions at MCAS, Second Chance has helped MCAS find homes for 147 animals since the beginning of 2022 alone.  

“Oregon Humane Society, and others, including Cat Adoption Team, take regular transfers from Multnomah County Animal Services in order to place them for adoption through their facilities,” says Jay LeVitre, MCAS Development and Communications Coordinator. “So, that's been a real game changer in our ability to save lives and make sure that we're getting our animals into good homes.” 

There will be over 40 pets available for adoption at this weekend’s event, including (but not limited to) a very handsome brown Australian Shepherd named Kai, a biscuit-making kitty named Sniffit, a shy elderly gentleman named Gene Pierre, two fluffy baby bunnies named Georgia and Mario, and Madrid, a somewhat bougie-ly-named blue parakeet.  

Although the adoption fees are waived as an incentive to potential adopters, the adoption process will not be taken lightly. The staff will be conducting full adoption interviews at the event, says LeVitre, to make sure that potential adopters are a good match each pet. For example, Scooby the dog does not care for rabbits, and beagles Journey and Lola apparently put on “quite the concert” with their lovely (loud) singing voices.  

If you’re looking to make the acquaintance of a shy, elderly, possibly French (?) tuxedo cat, make your way to the Troutdale shelter on Saturday or Sunday between noon and 4 p.m. And if you know that you’re looking to adopt, make sure to bring your own carriers, leashes, collars, and other required supplies. Or, just bring a cash or check donation to help fund Sniffit the cat’s bakery aspirations—either way!