Neighbor’s dog barking and barking? Stray cat come to your door?
Multnomah County Animal Services provides pet owners and their neighbors with a comprehensive list of resources for living happily with domestic pets like cats and dogs as well as safely dealing with wild animals. Their animal nuisance guide explains how to address issues like stray or injured animals, animals leaving waste in a public area, exotic animals or snakes in the neighborhood, barking dogs and animal neglect.
The guide provides steps for resolving issues with neighbors, pet owners and animals. Animal Services suggests, as a general rule, talking to pet owners about problems with their animal and offering solutions before resorting to formal methods of dealing with the issue.
Neighborhood Mediation services are also available for citizens seeking resolution conflict and advice. There are low- and no-cost confidential services available for residents in Portland and in Gresham, Troutdale, Wood Village, Fairview and east Multnomah County. If citizens can’t find a solution for an issue, then they can file a formal animal nuisance complaint with Animal Services.
With other situations, like finding a stray cat or dog, there are several steps that residents should follow. Citizens are permitted to care for stray animals, but they must notify Animal Services first. Additionally, they must circulate a classified ad with a notice of the found animal for two consecutive weeks. Only after 180 days does the stray animal become the property of the resident who found it.
Citizens may take dead animals to Animal Services in Troutdale or to the Oregon Humane Society for cremation. Animal Services can remove dead animals on public property.
For more information regarding neighborhood animal nuisances, download a copy of the Guide to Resolving Animal Nuisance Problems in your Neighborhood or contact Animal Services at 503-988-7387.