Beginning Nov. 15, 2022, Oregon Humane Society Salem Campus will no longer be able to accept stray cats from Marion County.
With this change, OHS will deepen our focus on helping pet owners who are seeking support to keep their cats or need to rehome their cats/kittens. We will also have greater capacity to assist our community partners whose shelters may face overcrowding.
If you become the owner of a stray cat or kitten and need support, please submit an intake questionnaire on our website.
We know you may have questions, and invite you to review the FAQs below.
FAQs
Beginning Nov. 15, 2022, OHS Salem Campus will no longer be able to accept healthy, stray cats from Marion County.
Oregon Humane Society is a private entity – handling of stray animals is a municipal function directly or through contract.
Without a legal agreement in place, we must follow Oregon law under which cats are considered property. As such, state law requires an exhaustive process to find the owner of the “property.”
No. OHS is not seeking any payment to provide services for stray cats and kittens. There is no cost to taxpayers. We aren’t asking for new facilities to be built. Money is not nor ever has been part of the negotiation.
Fortunately, OHS has an agreement with Polk County to provide services to stray cats. However, it is important to remember that not all roaming cats are strays.
Before taking action, please take the appropriate steps to find the cat’s owner. If you find a cat in Polk County and are unable to find the owner, please submit an intake questionnaire. Our Admissions team will be in contact with you to discuss next steps. Currently, the wait time to receive a callback from our Admissions team is several weeks.
Not all roaming cats are strays. Often, there is an owner; in those instances, despite the finder’s best intention, bringing a roaming cat to a shelter is not the right thing to do.
The best thing to do is keep the cat or kitten where it is and try to locate the owner.
Local emergency vet clinics are the best option if you find a sick or injured stray animal. While OHS is not equipped as an emergency veterinary clinic, we will continue to help sick and injured stray cats, no matter where they are from, based on our capacity and assessment by our medical team.
Please submit an intake questionnaire. Our Admissions team will be in contact with you to discuss next steps. Currently, the wait time to receive a callback from our Admissions team is several weeks.
Sadly, we know this happens. We see situations of people moving and leaving their animals behind. If you suspect a cat or kitten has been abandoned, please call local law enforcement or OHS’ Humane Law Enforcement team at (503) 802-6707.
We will continue to offer spay/neuter services for our feral cat community.
