History
What started with one woman's unstoppable love for shelter cats has grown into decades of funding, fostering, and second chances. Friends of Multnomah County Shelter Animals was created because every animal deserves someone in their corner.
In 1997, a team from Multnomah County Animal Services (then Animal Control) formed a nonprofit entity to help provide the shelter with essential funding beyond the county's basic animal services budget. The organization — today known as Friends of Multnomah County Shelter Animals — was funded almost entirely in its early years by Jan Cook, an avid cat lover and local animal advocate. Jan volunteered at the shelter and encouraged management to adopt policy and program changes for cats at a time when the live release rate for cats was a mere 38%. She personally sponsored cat adoption specials and paid adoption fees. Thanks to her dedication and determination, along with advancements in animal welfare operations, the 2025 live release rate for cats was nearly 85%.
One volunteer can make a world of difference — for the shelter and for Friends. That was true of Jan Cook, whose contributions shaped the organization's early mission. Through a bequest to Friends her legacy continues to fund and promote programs at the shelter that supports Multnomah County's shelter animals.
In 1999, Friends funded an expansion at the shelter that included a modern surgical unit and a visitors' area, along with the shelter's microchip program and a designated spay/neuter facility area.
In the decades since, Friends has funded a wide range of shelter needs, including a mobile Kitten Triage trailer, "Adopt Me" vests for adoption outreach, vans for transporting adoptable animals and safely trapping feral cats for spay/neuter. In addition, we have funded fencing and humane kennels for the shelter's dog and cat areas, a park-like enrichment yard with agility equipment, dog grooming tools, and supplies for animals in foster care.
In October 2018, the organization was renamed Friends of Multnomah County Shelter Animals, and we remain dedicated to our founding mission: raising funds to provide the best possible care for every homeless, neglected, and abandoned animal that comes into the shelter.
