About Us
Our Mission
Friends of Multnomah County Shelter Animals is committed to providing complementary support to the positive work performed by Multnomah County Animal Services. This work includes assuring animals’ safe haven, veterinary attention, compassionate care, reuniting lost pets to their families, and finding loving homes for homeless pets.
History
In 1997, a team from Multnomah County Animal Services (then Animal Control) formed a nonprofit entity to help provide the shelter with essential funding to supplement the county’s basic animal services. This new nonprofit, Friends of Multnomah County Animal Control, was led by MCAC employee/director Frank Dixon, who received legal authority from the county to serve as the first director of both the county’s animal services and the Friends’ nonprofit. Within a year, a new director (Rod Strand) assumed leadership of Friends, adding board members (who would also later become Friends directors) and developing the nonprofit's mission as it helped fund Multnomah County Animal Services with significant contributions.
In 1999 (and after an organizational name change), Friends of the Shelter Foundation funded an expansion at the shelter which included a modern surgical unit and a visitors area. Friends also funded the shelter’s microchip program and a designated area for the spay/neuter facility. The foundation paid a year’s rent on a building at Washington Center Mall that allowed for spay and neuter overflow, and covered medical treatments.
Friends of the Shelter Foundation funded:
A $10,000 matching donation for the 2019 Kitten Triage Program
A mobile trailer, originally used for spay and neuter surgeries, that has most recently housed the Kitten Triage Program
“Adopt Me” vests for dogs to wear at adoption outreach programs
Two new vans wrapped with eye catching graphics
One, used to transport adoptable animals to outreach events and offsite adoption venues
The other, used for the live trapping and safe transport of feral cats to and from spay/neuter surgery, and to provide community cat education throughout the county
Fencing material for the shelter’s dog yards
New humane-sized cages for the cattery
Rolling cat enclosures for adoptable animal overflow
New sterilizing dishwasher
Trailer base for the “Pitties in Pink” parade float
Park-like yard with agility equipment for dog walks and enrichment
Dog grooming tools such as a grooming table, clippers, combs and brushes
Belly bands for dogs in foster homes
Sherri Goldstein, past President of Friends of the Shelter Foundation and a longtime member of the board (2003-2018), has said that one volunteer can make a world of difference for the shelter and for Friends. One such volunteer was Jan Cook. Jan spent countless hours and years of service at MCAS donating personal funds for adoptions. She paved the way for mentor programs, educating and recruiting volunteers as well as the general public, and showing how each one of us can make a world of difference one pet at a time. Jan also set an extraordinary example in setting aside money from her estate to continue supporting Multnomah County’s shelter animals after her death.
In October 2018, Friends of the Shelter Foundation renamed its nonprofit to Friends of Multnomah County Shelter Animals. New board members will carry on Sherri Goldstein’s vision for raising awareness about responsible pet ownership and supporting foster animals and their families. Additionally, Friends will continue to dedicate itself to the mission of raising funds to provide the best care for all homeless, neglected, and abandoned animals that come into the shelter. It is our deepest desire that each animal is afforded the humane respect needed in order to be placed into loving homes with owners who will provide the best pet care possible.
Current Board of Directors
Kim Swaney, President
Kim Swaney has worked for OnPoint Community Credit Union for 28 years, and is currently serving as its Retail Support Manager. Over the years, she has volunteered at many rescues and could not be more excited to be on the Friends board, supporting the efforts of Multnomah County Animal Services. Kim feels strongly that animals need a “voice” and she looks forward to helping them in any way possible.
Kim lives in Troutdale with her husband Robb, four dogs, and one cat.
Cindy Davison, Treasurer
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Cindy enjoys camping, hiking, gardening, spending time with her three rescue cats and long walks with her English Cream Golden Retriever, Candy. She has spent the past several years advocating for the welfare of animals including working to help support feral cat organizations and volunteering in several foster care and adoption programs.
Cindy works as an Oregon Real Estate Broker and has joined the Friends board to continue fulfilling her passion and dedication toward the welfare of all animals.
Andrew Beckman, Secretary
Andrew spent his career working with plants and publishing. Now retired, he volunteers with Friends of Multnomah County Shelter Animals and serves on the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Multnomah County Animal Shelter, supporting animal welfare in the community. He also lends his time to the Oregon Food Bank and the Trauma Intervention Program Northwest. Andrew and his partner share their home and garden with a dog and cat.
Darlene Anderson, Board Member
Darlene has had an affinity for animals since early childhood. She was raised on a farm and helped care for cows, pigs, chickens, dogs, cats, and her very own horse which she first received at age 5. She especially reveres cats, so after retirement from a nursing career she began volunteering in the cattery at Multnomah County Animal Services in 2012. Darlene’s participation in MCAS’s TNR program led to working in the kitten triage program and fostering feral kittens; she has continued this work, often fostering orphaned bottle babies and ill or fragile kittens.
These experiences were formative in Darlene’s desire to help the public become more aware of both the good work and ongoing needs of the shelter. She believes that Friends shares this vision and commitment, and she joined the board to help facilitate communication and support between MCAS, Friends, and the local community.
Paige Lakin, Board Member
Paige Lakin (she/her/hers) offers more than fifteen years of fundraising grants and sales proposal management expertise across the nonprofit, consulting, software and technology industries. Stemming from her early marketing and event management career in Nashville’s music industry, Paige’s natural tenacity to drive and secure the financial foundation for impactful and innovative ideas led her to sales and business development for the exploding technology scene in Portland. Swapping Music City for Silicon Forest, Paige relocated her family to the Pacific Northwest in 2016.
Paige values work that allows her to apply the strategy and drive of her for-profit experience to the mission and vision of the nonprofit sector, specifically within health and human services, environmental justice, education and workforce development, while supporting progress through social innovation and human-centered strategy.
In her own time, Paige enjoys hanging out with her family, playing with her dogs, dropping in on a local dance or yoga class and reading up on the latest cozy who-done-it that Powell’s Books made her buy.
Julie Hollister-Smith, Board Member
Julie’s long been interested in and loved being with animals having owned cats, dogs and parakeets.
She worked as a keeper at the Oregon Zoo, before getting her biology Ph.D. from Duke University. Her thesis involved traveling to Africa multiple times to observe elephants and collect samples. She established the first genetic paternity analysis in wild elephants and also did a chemical signaling study of musth in elephants housed throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Immediately following graduation family health matters required return to Portland; though the right decision, it completely altered her plans. After a long search she found work at Guide Dogs for the Blind - an amazing organization - where she worked with up to 100 dogs each day. In 2020 she retired, but soon grew bored so now works part-time at an animal essentials store (no live animals).
Outside of work she and her husband are longtime Oregon football fans owning season tickets for almost 50 years. Having volunteered weekly at Multnomah County Animal Services since 2013 she’s excited about joining the Friends board.
Gail Luciani, Board Member
Gail is a retired communications consultant who lives in Northeast Portland with two dogs and one cat. A lifelong animal advocate, she practiced public relations at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and the Pennsylvania SPCA. Gail also taught public relations and communication at the LaSalle Graduate School of Communication in Philadelphia, PA. Her past volunteer work includes serving as a Peace Corp volunteer in Korea after graduating from college and more recently on the boards of the Animals and Society Institute, Animal Aid PDX, Animal Alliance of New Jersey and Philadelphia Animal Care & Control.
In Memory of Jan Cook
FMCSA was initially funded almost entirely by Jan Cook, an avid cat lover and local animal advocate. Jan volunteered personally at the shelter and consistently pressed management to make policy and program changes for cats during a time when the Live Release Rate for cats was a mere 38%. She personally sponsored cat adoption specials and paid the fees for cats to be adopted. She turned up the heat on management until, at one point, she was actually barred from physically volunteering at the shelter; yet, she continued advocating from home. Even after passing away 2008, Jan’s legacy continues to fund, support, and promote better programs in the shelter through FMCSA.