Clifton Lauds Portland Shelter Even When Killing Climbs 30%

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Merritt Clifton lauds Portland (Multnomah County) muni-shelter even when its kill rate climbs from 34% to 44%. He also fails to take into account the Oregon Humane Society's great contribution to the total animals adopted, without which Multnamah County would have the worst rate in the Portland Tri-County area.

Oswald (The county shelter director) blames an explosion in the cat population – the number brought here annually has almost doubled since 2000 – for escalating euthanasia rates at the shelter, which have climbed from 34 percent to 44 percent in six years.

Despite the increase, the shelter still gets high marks from some.

In 2006, Dog Fancy magazine named Portland Dogtown USA in part because of its low euthanasia rates. And Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People magazine, views Multnomah County’s animal shelter as one of the more successful in the country.

Clifton is one of the few people in the United States collecting statistics on animal shelters’ euthanasia rates.

In 2006, his data showed, Portland euthanized 7.3 animals per 1,000people. That’s not far behind San Francisco, which euthanized only 2.8 animals per 1,000 in 2006, and ahead of the national average of 12.5.

San Francisco is cited as a success story by no-kill advocates who believe only suffering, incurably vicious animals should be euthanized.

http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=120276931357726600

7.8/1,000 killed for Portland, is not far from 2.8 for San Francisco???

As in LA, when calculating LA County kill rate, he come sup with 7.3 kills per 1,000 population because he failed to note 5 other agencies serve 2,000,000 people in the County. LA County actually had a kill rate of 12.5/1,000.

Furthermore, Clifton and the reporter did not check the shelter's own statistics submitted for the Tri-County area in and around Portland.

Clifton's views belie the facts, plain and simple.

These are the facts that were never mentioned in the Portland Tribune but are readily available.

Inter agency statistics: Comparative Euthanasia and Adoption Rates – Tri-County- for Homeless dogs

For Multnomah County:

FYI 2006 dog intake: 4485 adopted: 752 killed: 1270 returned to owner; 1945 transferred: 315

The “save” rate for homeless dogs: 42% ( with this equation the “save” rate is the numbers adopted and transferred (numerator) divided by total intake less redeemed by owner).

The “save” rate for homeless dogs for 2006 was 42% ( 1067 divided by 2540).

It is Noteworthy that Multnomah County’s figures have changed dramatically since the end of FYI 2003, i.e. during the tenure of current management.

For FY 2003, 29% of dogs were killed; 45% adopted. The overall “save” rate was 66%.

For Clackamas County ( dogs)

Calendar Year 2006: 27% killed 73% “saved” of 1034 unredeemed
For Washington County ( dogs)

Calendar Year 2006: 23% killed 77% “saved” of 1930 unredeemed
During the same period that Clackamas and Washington County have dramatically reduced the frequency with which dogs are killed- both now find homes for about 75% of abandoned dogs- Multnomah County has reversed course. The population demographics are no different.Clackamas and Washington Counties have fewer resources.

So much for Clifton's bad statistics. Since Boks and Mayeda are defended by Clifton, maybe soon both rates will drop to better than San Francisco's.
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