Help for Hope the Dog
Hope the dog was severely underweight when rescued by Animal Services Field Officers. Hope regained her health in a volunteer foster home. Now adopted, Hope helps her new sibling dogs thrive.
Learn about Becoming a Foster Volunteer
In September 2024, a Good Samaritan noticed a painfully thin and scared dog in her Piedmont, Portland neighborhood. The Good Samaritan tried to coax the dog with food and water but was unable to get a leash on her. The community member was able to get a photo of the dog seen here, later known as “Hope.”
The Good Samaritan called Multnomah County Animal Services (MCAS) expressing her great concern about Hope’s condition. An Animal Control Officer (ACO) responded quickly and attempted to coax Hope to him - but Hope ran back towards her yard, jumped a short fence, and disappeared. As she fled, the ACO also observed two skinny male huskies and a litter of puppies were at the home.
At that moment, the Animal Services officer did not have the authority to take action and immediately remove the animals. However, working closely with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Strategic Prosecution Unit and Portland Police, authorities were able to obtain a warrant and serve on the owner the next day. Animal Services removed all eight dogs, including three adult dogs and five puppies, from the home and transported them to Dove Lewis Animal Hospital for immediate medical care.
After being treated, Hope and the other dogs remained in the custody of Multnomah County Animal Services, most of them in caring volunteer foster homes, until the conclusion of the criminal case. The owner was ultimately cited for depriving the animals of proper care, and ownership of the animals was suspended.
During her six months in a foster home, Hope thrived, gaining weight and confidence. She became a loved member of her foster family. Her foster noted “Hope is an amazing dog and has really come out of her shell. She is much more confident and gets along with all my dogs and cats. She likes walks and playing. She has come a long way from the shy dog she was.”
In March 2025, the criminal case concluded and ownership of the animals was officially transferred to MCAS. Hope was quickly adopted by her foster volunteer. Today Hope is thriving while loving life with her dog and cat siblings. She is quick to grab a toy and is eager to play. She also loves snuggling with her cat siblings (when they let her!) Overall, Hope is living her best life.
“About 6 years ago I adopted Gravy (now Declan) from Multnomah County Animal Services. He was recovering from mange and kennel cough and was underweight. I fell in love with him instantly not realizing how much work he would be but also how worth it it would be. He has multiple environmental allergies and pretty challenging anxiety. I had him on gabapentin and then prozac for over a year. When I started at the county I was eager to start fostering again. I genuinely love it. My first week here I had planned to foster a dog that got adopted and Jordan in animal care had relayed to Tina about how great Hope was. I met her and took her for a walk to get a feel for her and took her home. She immediately fit into the home as if she had always been part of the pack.
Since the arrival of Hope, Declan has been able to be off of his prozac and become a calmer more confident dog. Watching her be able to settle in and embrace her new home has been so wonderful. She makes a point to say hi to the neighbors and loves to visit with her favorite mailman. She has picked up on training quickly and has become my go everywhere dog since adopting. We go on hikes and she is a fan favorite in the neighborhood. She has continued to welcome fosters into the home as my other dogs have. Even after having her for 7 months I am still seeing her personality unfold. She has truly blossomed into an amazing dog. I am so grateful to everyone that had a part in bringing her into my life.”
We extend our deepest gratitude to our community for making stories like Hope’s possible!
