Oregon Humane Society won't accept stray cats from Marion County. Here's why

Salem Friends of Felines has been busier than usual the past three months, taking in more injured and stray cats than they sometimes do in a year.

The influx coincides with the Oregon Humane Society's decision in November to no longer accept stray cats from Marion County.

"When these folks are denied intake and have no money to seek veterinary care, they end up at SFOF as walk-ins and are getting the care they need because we've stepped up to help," said Chelsey Marks, executive director of Salem Friends of Felines, a nonprofit organization.

Other cat rescue organizations are feeling the strain, too, causing concern for volunteers like Ellen Carter.

Carter has fostered 287 cats and kittens for the Humane Society since 2012 and volunteers with Meow Village, which provides care and treatment for feral and abandoned cats.

"We will try to take up the slack, but it's going to be a nightmare," Carter said. "Kittens and cats are going to suffer."

She expects the situation to worsen during the upcoming "kitten season," when outdoor female cats often give birth to litters. It typically starts in March and peaks around May.

The Oregon Humane Society said the Salem campus still takes in sick and injured strays, neonatal kittens and owner-surrendered felines — 161 from Marion County since Nov. 15, although the staff at Salem Friends of Felines has heard from community members with injured strays being turned away.

The Salem campus continues to accept cats from Polk County.

Donors also have been confused and outraged by the Humane Society's policy change in Marion County.

Bonnie Kovach, a longtime donor to the Willamette Humane Society and then the Oregon Humane Society after the two organizations merged in 2022, canceled her monthly donation because of it. December was her last contribution.

"Other people who are donating considerable amounts of money need to know this is how they are operating," Kovach said.

OHS: It's not about money

Some blame the new policy on the merger. The combined organization announced last July it would operate under the Oregon Humane Society name with two campuses, in Portland and Salem.

"The situation is complicated and has nothing to do with the merger other than Oregon Humane Society is a law enforcement agency and has to follow the law," president and CEO Sharon Harmon said in response to questions from the Statesman Journal. "We understand that some people are upset, and we share their frustration."

Officials from the Willamette Humane Society said at the time of the merger they anticipated having more resources available to care for pets and serve the community.

But four months later, the Oregon Humane Society announced the Salem campus would no longer accept healthy stray cats from Marion County.

The Oregon Humane Society posted a FAQ on its website that includes a question about whether the decision was made because of money. Coincidentally, the organization's new Community Veterinary Hospital in Portland, part of a nearly $40 million expansion project including two new buildings, opened in October.

"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."

The negotiation refers to a memorandum of understanding presented to the two counties primarily served by the Salem campus.

Polk signed it, and stray cats from there continue to be accepted. Marion did not.

The Oregon Humane Society also has memorandums of understanding with Washington and Multnomah counties for stray cat services at the Portland campus. The agreements allow the Humane Society to operate as an extension of each county's animal services program.

"Without a legal agreement in place, we must follow Oregon law under which cats are considered property," the FAQ explains. “As such, state law requires an exhaustive process to find the owner of the 'property.' "

"Our understanding of the law is that while yes we could accept stray cats, we would have to hold them for a minimum of 90 days," Harmon said. "A 90-day hold period would effectively freeze the shelter and dramatically reduce services provided to other animals."

Officials said a 90-day hold is not required for strays from Polk County because the county signed the memorandum, which defines a stray hold as 24 hours.

However, even turning a Polk stray into the Oregon Humane Society is not easy or quick. If unable to locate an owner, the Humane Society asks the finder to submit an intake questionnaire and wait for the admissions team to be in contact to discuss the next steps. The FAQ says the wait time for a callback is several weeks.

The debate continues about the necessity of the memorandum, which Willamette Humane Society never required.

A spokesman for the Marion County Board of Commissioners said they do not believe it is legally required for the Humane Society to continue its mission.

"Their statements that they are no longer able to shelter cats because Marion County will not sign this MOU are misleading and, again, are not supported by Oregon law or county code," Jon Heynen told the Statesman Journal. "We have asked them to refrain from making these unfounded statements going forward or to provide their legal support for their public statements regarding the county's legal obligation."

Focus beyond 'just shelter'

Harmon said the Oregon Humane Society's mission is the same for both campuses, creating a "More Humane Society" and providing services statewide and beyond, including Humane Law Enforcement, adoptions, training and behavior, humane education and other lifesaving programs.

"Through the Salem campus we were able to work with other agencies on several large cruelty and neglect cases and used that campus to triage those neglected pets," Harmon said. "OHS is so much more than just shelter."

She said the organization is helping more animals and has had a higher percentage of cat adoptions since the merger. The Salem campus served 171 felines in January compared to 169 in the same month in 2022. It adopted out 152 felines in January compared to 125 the previous year in that month, a 22% increase.

The Oregon Humane Society also plans to invest in the Salem campus building, adding a radiology suite and a dentistry facility.

Meanwhile, other rescue groups are trying to pick up the slack for stray cats in Marion County.

The mission of Salem Friends of Felines is to place homeless cats and kittens in permanent homes and reduce overpopulation through its spay and neuter assistance program. It has about 60 cats and kittens for adoption and has done more than 600 spay/neuter surgeries so far this year.

Staff members report desperate people showing up at their shelter after being turned away by the Humane Society. Even though Salem Friends of Felines requires an appointment, the staff has difficulty saying no.

They said they could use more foster parent volunteers and donations for the spay/neuter program.

Oregon Humane Society also is recruiting new foster parents who can help care for neonatal kittens, injured cats and pets from neglect cases.

"We've got to solve this," Carter said. "We need some place for stray cats to go to in Marion County."

If you find a stray cat or kitten, the Oregon Humane Society recommends you take a photograph and post it on multiple online and social media sites, including its lost and found cat page and the Lost and Found Pets of Salem, Oregon page on Facebook.

Capi Lynn is the Statesman Journal's news columnist. Send comments, questions and tips to her at clynn@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6710. Follow her work on Twitter @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon Humane Society won't accept Marion County stray cats