January 2026 Monthly Report

Learn about animal intakes, outcomes, return to owner rates, average length of stay, live-release rates, donation fund activity, and other agency statistics for January 2026.

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VIEW INTAKES AND OUTCOMES OVER TIME FROM SHELTER ANIMALS COUNT

Summary

The January 2026 monthly report includes return to owner (RTO) rates for found animals, average length of stay (LOS), and live-release-rates. These are key industry measures for the effectiveness of shelter operations to reunite or find placements for animals. There are also numbers of volunteer hours, and donation fund revenue, expenses, and balances.

Animal Intake

MCAS accepted stray dogs, sick, injured or at-risk adult cats and kittens from the public. Officers also picked up stray or lost animals. Owner-surrendered animals were accepted on a case by case basis, depending on urgent circumstances; adoption returns are also included in the total. Other intakes represent animals placed into emergency custody by Animal Services officers, injured wildlife, or shelter offspring.

Veterinary Care Provided

Animal Health and Animal Care staff provided a wide range of veterinary services to animals in care.

To keep animals healthy, Animal Health staff administered vaccinations, including rabies, DA2PP and Bordetella for dogs and puppies, and FVRCP for cats and kittens.

They provided health exams and consultations, including routine exams, wound checks, pre-surgery checkups, behavior assessments, and reviewing test results or diagnoses with foster volunteers. Due to veterinary staff availability, spay and neuter surgeries for shelter animals were limited. Some pre-adoption spay & neuter surgeries were completed at Oregon Humane Society (OHS) and Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon (FCCO).

Fostered Animals

The majority of animals in foster care were kittens, dogs, cats, and puppies. Many animals entered and left foster care over the course of the month, so the total number represents the cumulative total, and not the maximum number of animals in care at one time. Thank you to 97 foster volunteers for your lifesaving service.

Animal Outcomes

*RTO is calculated only for reclaimed animals with a stray intake circumstance.

Live Release Rate (Live Outcomes / Total Outcomes)*

190 or 40.9% of animals were adopted.

111 or 23.9% of animals were reclaimed by their owners. The majority of animals represented in these outcomes were dogs with a license and/or microchip for owner-contact.

99 or 21.3% of animals were transferred to another agency.

57 or 12.3% of animals were humanely euthanized, including cases of injured wildlife, injured or severely sick cats and kittens, and other domestic animals for medical reasons, or for behavioral issues which would make an animal unsafe to place back into the community. Cat intake is officially limited to cases where the cat is sick or injured, or in immediate danger due to cruelty, neglect, and similar circumstances. There is decreased intake volume for cats, and an increased percentage of medically-recommended euthanasia for adult cats due to these intake conditions.

3 cats and 1 kitten, or 0.9% of animals were returned to the field at the location where they were found. 3 or 0.6% of animals died unassisted while in care.

Transfers

MCAS transferred 99 or 21.3% of shelter animals to other shelters and rescues. Thank you to our community partners for your lifesaving work.

• Oregon Humane Society
• Cat Adoption Team
• I Pawed It Forward
• Stumptown Strays
• One Tail At a Time Dog Rescue, LLC
• Harmony New Beginnings Animal Rescue
• Animal Aid Inc
• Bird Alliance of Oregon
• Silver Linings Rescue Ranch Dog Rescue
• Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue
• Rose City Rabbit Rescue
• Oregon Dog Rescue
• Hiss & Hers Herp Hobbies
• Hope's Haven
• Evergreen Pet Supply
• Columbia Humane Society

Volunteers

Volunteer contributions are essential to our daily operations and the well-being of our community's animals. These efforts span a wide range of activities, from direct animal care to crucial operational support. A vital network of foster volunteers provides specialized, in-home care for our most vulnerable animals, including neonatal kittens, puppies, and those with medical or behavioral needs. At the shelter, volunteers ensure that animals receive daily exercise and socialization, facilitate adoption "meet and greets," and maintain clean, enriched living environments. Furthermore, they provide indispensable support for foundational needs, such as laundry and dishwashing, and offer assistance to administrative staff and during special events.

Thank you to our volunteers for your service to the pets and people of our community!

**FTE is the estimated equivalent number of full-time employees.

Online Resources

Many services provided by MCAS are accessible online, at multcopets.org. Members of the public can search for adoptable or lost / found pets, license their pets, and learn about other resources and news. MCAS website pages are translated into four languages.

Donation Accounts (FY 2026 YTD)

Thank you to our donors for your support of animals in our care! Animal Services maintains donation funds restricted for specific purposes. Below is a summary for the fiscal year to date. More information about donation fund expense categories and program budgets can be reviewed on the Multnomah County Budget Office public dashboards, updated regularly. As of November, the “Rehab / Replace Shelter” funds are transferred to the Department of County Assets for use, and will no longer be reported. 

Field Services

Field Services officers responded to many urgent needs of community members and their pets, conducting welfare checks to investigate potential cases of cruelty or neglect, investigating bites, loose-aggressive animals, and picking up stray, injured, abandoned, potentially dangerous, or deceased animals. Officers also responded to non-urgent calls such as barking dogs, animal trespass, and other community issues.

Pet Licensing

MCAS issued 2,759 total new or renewed licenses.