Voices For The Animals: Multnomah County Animal Shelter-Part 1

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Air date: 
Fri, 03/24/2023 - 10:00am to 10:30am
Grey pit bull type dog smiling in kennel

If you are an animal lover, you do not want to miss this ALL NEW episode of Voices For the Animals!

It’s no secret that the Multnomah County Animal Shelter (known as MCAS) in Troutdale has some serious issues. Multiple reports in local media recently have revealed a shelter that is chronically short-staffed, a lack of trust between employees, volunteers, and staff, and most troubling very poor and inconsistent animal care. Some would even call it inhumane at times.

These issues have been known to our county leaders since 2016 and 2018, when two audits were completed showing the extent of the problems—and yet, the county commission took little action to address the problems. Volunteers and local rescues who complained regularly about the shelter feared that nothing would ever change. 

Now, the new Multnomah County Chair has launched a 5-month review of shelter operations. In Part 1 of our series on MCAS, host Michele Coppola will be speaking with two long-time MCAS volunteers who have been tirelessly advocating for the animals at the shelter for years about what they've experienced at the shelter.  Next month Part 2 features an interview with Erin Grahek, the newest Director of Multnomah County Animal Services about her take and accountability for change at the shelter moving forward. 

For more information, please see the links below:

Oregon Live: Staff volunteers raised alarm about MCAS for years. County officials failed to act 
Oregon Live: Troubled Multnomah County animal shelter will undergo 5-month review

OPB: Eroded trust, pandemic pressures pave long road ahead for Multnomah County animal shelter
Reach out to your Multnomah County Commissioner here & tell them you want to see progress on making MCAS better for animals!

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