Emergency Response

Officer Rescue

An MCAS officer rescues a kitten in distress.

If your emergency involves a life-threatening situation for a human being, please call 911. If you have an animal-related emergency, please call 503-988-7387 to be connected to a call taker 24 hours per day.

Animal-related emergencies include (please see below for additional information):

Stray Pet on a Highway or Busy Street

If the animal is friendly and you are able to get a hold of it without endangering yourself or the animal, please do so. If the animal is clearly frightened, do not attempt to capture it.  This may only make the situation worse and frightened animals can often bite.

If you are able to safely collect the animal, you may bring it to the MCAS shelter in Troutdale during normal shelter hours. Or see our “Found Pet” web page for additional instructions.

If you can not safely collect the animal, please call MCAS to report an emergency.

Stray Livestock

If the animal can not be safely confined or returned to its owner, call MCAS to report an emergency. If it can be safely confined, call MCAS during regular call center hours and you can arrange to have an animal control officer investigate.

Loose, Aggressive Dog

For incidents that have occurred within the past 15 minutes, call MCAS immediately.

Dog and Cat Bites That Break the Skin

If the animal is confined, call MCAS during normal phone hours to file a report. An animal control officer will contact the owner regarding quarantine procedures.

If the animal is a cat that is unconfined, but you know who owns it, call MCAS during normal phone hours. If it is an unconfined stray or feral cat, contact MCAS immediately to report an emergency.

If the animal is an unconfined, aggressive dog call MCAS immediately to report an emergency.

Animal Abuse

If an animal is being abused and is in immediate distress, call MCAS immediately to report an emergency.

If you want to report an animal abuse or neglect situation for a pet that is not in immediate danger, please call during regular call center hours. If necessary, you may remain anonymous. If you are unsure whether a situation is neglect, it is best to file a report and let the animal control officer make the determination.

Pet in a Hot, Parked Car

Temperatures in a car parked in the sun, even with cracked windows, can escalate to dangerous levels very quickly. Locate the animal’s owner if possible and have them rectify the situation. If the owner is unwilling to comply or you can’t find the owner and you believe the animal’s life is in jeopardy, call MCAS to report an emergency.

Sick or Injured Stray Animal

If the sick or injured animal is yours, call your vet immediately. Owners are responsible for their own animals. Also, Dove Lewis offers 24 hour emergency vet care.

If possible, keep the animal protected from wet, wind and traffic. Locate and inform the animal’s owner. If you can not locate the owner and you feel the injury/illness is life threatening, call MCAS to report an emergency. Stay near the animal until an officer arrives. Do not attempt to move the animal unless it is in danger of being hit by a vehicle. The animal may feel threatened and bite out of fear and/or pain.

If the injury or sickness does not appear to be life threatening, call MCAS during regular call center hours.

If the animal is a bird, contact the Portland Audubon Society at 503-292-0304.

If the animal is wildlife, contact Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife at one of the following locations:

  • 971-673-6000 Clackamas ODFW office (use if east of Willamette River)
  • 503-621-3488 Sauvie Island ODFW office (use if west of Willamette River)