Christina, a homeless Portland woman, was complaining her toes were cold. But her bigger concern was that her dog, Puffy, had cold toes, too.
Through partnerships with the Humane Society of the United States, American Red Cross and the Portland Animal Welfare (PAW) Team, Multnomah County Animal Services (MCAS) continues to open doors for homeless and low-income families who have pets in need of care.
To find relief from the pre-Thanksgiving cold snap in Portland, many families found warmth at the American Red Cross severe weather warming center at the Imago Dei Church, at SE 13th and Ankeny. The shelter accommodates more than 150 people and up to 40 pets in new crates that were coordinated by MCAS and donated by the Humane Society of the United States. As the only warming center in Multnomah County to willingly accept families with pets, it was at capacity.
Great experiences with Multnomah County Animal Services are not uncommon for families in need. In a partnership with the PAW Team, Multnomah County helps provide families who qualify with a free monthly veterinary clinic where dogs and cats receive check-ups, shots, and make appointments for spay and neuter surgeries at the County’s shelter in Troutdale. Through the services MCAS offers to low-income families, more than 1,000 animals will be spayed and neutered this year.
MCAS protects the health, safety and welfare of people and pets by providing compassionate and essential services including spay/neutering, adoptions, licensing, training, education, outreach, lost and found, animal rescue and protection.