New Multnomah County sheriff

Multnomah County has a new sheriff, on the heels of Bernie Giusto's retirement. Read this article on Sheriff Skipper in the Oregonian from last Wednesday.

Discuss: New Multnomah County sheriff

» June 9, 2008 - 0 comments - Front Page News, Public Safety

Burnside, Sellwood and Hawthorne Bridges close this weekend - May 16-19

Work on several Willamette River bridges will require motorists to use alternative routes this weekend.

Burnside Bridge: Will be closed to road traffic from 8:00 pm on Friday, May 16 until as late as 6:00 am on Monday, May 19 to allow a contractor to lay down permanent lane striping, following last year’s lift span project. This work was delayed until warm weather allowed the use of thermal plastic material needed for permanent striping. Sidewalks will remain open for bicyclists and pedestrians. The work will not impact river traffic.

During the closure TriMet bus routes 12, 19 and 20 will use the Morrison Bridge. Alternate river crossings for motor vehicles include the Hawthorne, Morrison, Steel and Broadway bridges.

Sellwood Bridge: Will be closed to road traffic on Sunday, May 18 from 6:00 am until as late as 2:00 pm while workers identify cracks in the structure that will be filled with epoxy this summer. The work requires equipment on the bridge deck that will force the closure of the two traffic lanes. The bridge sidewalk will remain open to pedestrians and bicyclists. Injecting epoxy into cracks in the bridge’s concrete structure is intended to help extend the service life of the structure. Alternative routes for motor vehicles include the Ross Island Bridge to the north and the Interstate 205 Abernethy Bridge to the south.

Hawthorne Bridge: An annual walk across the Hawthorne Bridge will prevent the bridge from opening for river traffic on Sunday, May 18 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm. Participants in the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ “Walk for the Mind of America” will use the north sidewalk of the bridge.

Multnomah County maintains these three Willamette River bridges and more than 300 miles of roads and bridges.

Discuss: Burnside, Sellwood and Hawthorne Bridges close this weekend - May 16-19

» May 16, 2008 - 0 comments - Front Page News, Karol's Blog, Public Safety

Are you concerned about the NE 82nd Max Station?

Here's your chance to tell someone! From Save Madison South:

Eastside MAX Station Open House
April 14th
5-8pm - drop in any time
Glenhaven (Banfield Pet Hospital)

Drop-in to learn about the project and share your ideas on how the areas around MAX stations can be improved.

The purpose of the Eastside MAX Station Communities Project is to take a comprehensive look at station community areas within one-half mile of MAX light rail stations in Northeast and Southeast Portland.

The basic question is: How can these communities become better places? The project will evaluate and recommend changes to land use/zoning, building and station design, transit and transportation facilities surrounding six stations: 60th Avenue, 82nd Avenue, Parkrose/Sumner, 122nd Avenue, 148th Avenue, and 162nd Avenue (see map). The objective is to help the Station Communities better serve transit users, support transit-oriented development and create more attractive communities.

Read more and discuss: Are you concerned about the NE 82nd Max Station?

» April 11, 2008 - 0 comments - Community Involvement, Front Page News, Marissa's Blog, Outer NE, Public Safety

Hang “No Vacancy” sign for rodents this winter

Don't want rats in your house this winter? You could get a cat - mine really likes the challenge - or follow this advice from vector control:

Winter weather has pest rodents on the move. Rats and mice may seek food and shelter indoors in your home or place of business, causing damage and spreading disease. According to Chris Wirth, Manager of Multnomah County Vector Control, “Rodents can carry a variety of infectious diseases and are a health hazard. In this part of Oregon, rodents have been identified with Hanta virus and Salmonella.”

Multnomah County Vector Control reminds the public of these Rodent Action Tips to prevent rodents from setting up a permanent residence and to reduce the risk of disease:

Read more and discuss: Hang “No Vacancy” sign for rodents this winter

» January 29, 2008 - 0 comments - Front Page News, Karol's Blog, Public Safety

Jeff talks to the PDC today about the County sharing in urban renewal's bounty

Jeff is in the Portland Tribune today talking about the future of three urban renewal districts downtown and how Multnomah County is proposing a way to get back some of the $16 million dollars per year the PDC currently diverts from the County; money that would be otherwise spent for vital human services.

Read the article, then come back and let us know: is Jeff making a fair offer to the PDC?

Discuss: Jeff talks to the PDC today about the County sharing in urban renewal's bounty

» December 18, 2007 - 0 comments - Budget, Front Page News, Human Services, Karol's Blog, Public Safety

Multnomah County celebrates milestone

From Public Affairs: On December 7, 2007, Multnomah County took a major step forward in its effort to create an East County Justice Center with the purchase of property to build the facility. Multnomah County purchased a 3.66 acre site, including four existing structures on five tax lots, located at 18430-18510 SE Stark St. in Rockwood. The property now houses a Taco Bell and a laundromat, as well as a vacant bowling alley and a KFC restaurant.

Read more and discuss: Multnomah County celebrates milestone

» December 11, 2007 - 0 comments - Karol's Blog, Public Safety, Sidebar Alerts

Change the Sheriff or the system?

Today the Portland Tribune editorial page expressed it's support for replacing the Multnomah County sheriff, Bernie Giusto, not the entire system, as suggested by Chair Ted Wheeler. We were interested in what you think. Read the article and let us know which side of the change would you fall on?

Discuss: Change the Sheriff or the system?

» December 11, 2007 - 0 comments - Karol's Blog, Public Safety, Top Stories

Union made gifts for the holidays

From Blue Oregon today, there is a write up from the AFL-CIO in Oregon about great companies to shop from for holiday gifts. Check it out!

Discuss: Union made gifts for the holidays

» December 10, 2007 - 0 comments - Karol's Blog, Public Safety, Sidebar Alerts

Giusto's jails and the teachers strike

Multnomah County is in the news quite a bit today. Check out these links and come back and discuss.

County wants to run Giusto's jails

Teachers' Strike

Discuss: Giusto's jails and the teachers strike

» November 30, 2007 - 0 comments - Front Page News, News, Public Safety

Event will honor Community Champions

From Aging and Disability Services:

Gatekeeper Program celebrates 20 years protecting vulnerable seniors and disabled from abuse and neglect

Multnomah County Department of Human Services’ Aging and Disability Services Division will recognize “Community Champions,” the individuals and organizations who work to protect vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities from abuse and neglect.

Multnomah County’s nationally recognized Gatekeeper Program has successfully operated for the past twenty years, training more than 25,000 individuals and businesses to spot warning signs concerning at-risk seniors and adults with disabilities. Gatekeepers represent numerous occupations and industries including bank tellers, meter readers, letter carriers, and firefighters.

“Their participation has not only enhanced quality of life for many vulnerable adults, but has directly saved lives,” states Multnomah County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey.

In 2006, Multnomah County Adult Protective Services conducted 3,267 investigations involving seniors and adults with disabilities. Abuse takes many different forms and can include physical harm, failure to provide basic care, unwanted sexual contact, financial exploitation, verbal or mental abuse, involuntary seclusion, abandonment by caregiver, or self-neglect that leads to harm.

Read more and discuss: Event will honor Community Champions

» October 22, 2007 - 0 comments - Community Involvement, Events, Public Safety, Top Stories

TOP-OFF 4: The sixth floor view

Well folks, the (simulated) dirty bomb has gone off and Multnomah County's Emergency Operations Center is in full swing. In the run-up to T4 (what the cool kids are calling Top Officials 4), our office really didn't know what to expect or what was expected of us. So today, Jeff and I took a little lunch time trip to the Multnomah building's basement to watch our Emergency Team work their magic. I must say that to this political staffer they all seemed to know what they were doing and preliminary reports from those in the know describe a scenario that is going fairly smoothly - for now.

Read more and discuss: TOP-OFF 4: The sixth floor view

» October 16, 2007 - 1 comments - Events, Marissa's Blog, Public Safety, Top Stories

Sellwood, Burnside Bridge Closures

From the Public Affairs Office:
Burnside Bridge expected to reopen next week

The Burnside Bridge is expected to reopen to motor vehicles late next week after being closed several weeks to replace parts of a hinge that attaches the counterweight to the lift span. The bridge will not be ready to reopen on Monday, October 8 as originally planned. The target date for reopening is four or five days after October 8.

Read more and discuss: Sellwood, Burnside Bridge Closures

» October 4, 2007 - 0 comments - Inner NE, Public Safety, Sidebar Alerts

Options narrowed for future Sellwood Bridge

From Commissioner Rojo de Steffy's office:

Options for a future Sellwood Bridge were selected by a group of elected and appointed officials known as the Policy Advisory Group yesterday. The alternatives, which will be studied in great detail over the next six months, include rehabilitating the existing bridge and building new bridges either adjacent to the current bridge on the south side or several blocks to the north.

In addition to choosing alignments, the Policy Group selected a set of cross sections for the bridge and westside interchanges with Highway 43. In the next few weeks, these components will be combined into a set of distinct alternatives which will be analyzed in the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

“Another milestone has been completed in the Sellwood Bridge Planning Project,” said County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey, who chairs the Policy Group. “The alignments and cross sections we approved will bring us closer to determining the future of the bridge.”

Read more and discuss: Options narrowed for future Sellwood Bridge

» October 2, 2007 - 1 comments - Front Page News, Karol's Blog, News, Public Safety

Winter help from the county for homeless families

From the Department of Human Services:
Winter Services for Homeless Families will begin on November 1, 2007 and run through March 31, 2008. Please look through the Winter Services Manual at the following link:

http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dchs/scp/winterservices.pdf

The access number for winter services: (503) 721-1500.
If you have questions, please contact Tiffany Kingery at (503) 988-6295, ext. 22728.

Please feel free to share this link with others in the community who are working to end homelessness.

Discuss: Winter help from the county for homeless families

» October 2, 2007 - 0 comments - Children and Families, Community Involvement, Front Page News, Front Page News, Karol's Blog, Public Safety

Drive Safely to Work Week! - updated

It's drive safely to work week and we wanted to share some tips we got today from our co-workers at Fleet Management:

Read more and discuss: Drive Safely to Work Week! - updated

» October 2, 2007 - 0 comments - Karol's Blog, Public Safety, Sidebar Alerts

Thank you, Mayor Potter for Ending Portland’s Deeply Flawed “Exclusion Zones”

Mayor Potter recently decided not to re-authorize the city’s three “Exclusion Zones” that allow police officers to prohibit a person from entering, or being present in, large parts of the City of Portland for up to 90 days if they are suspected of drug or prostitution offenses. The idea of the zones was to provide the Police with an efficient tool for confronting elusive criminal activity. To some extent the Exclusion Zones achieved that goal, but at a cost that is far too high for our community to tolerate.

Exclusion zones allowed a significant penalty to be meted out to people not only without requiring them to first be convicted of a crime - but without even requiring that they have been arrested at all. This turns the fundamental notion of “innocent until proven guilty” so far on its head that our founding fathers must be spinning in their graves.

Second, these zones impact different groups within our community quite differently and serve to inflame the tensions between the Police and members of Portland’s minority communities. African Americans, in particular, have been disproportionately impacted by the way Exclusion Zones have been applied. A Police Bureau report issued in 2006 showed that African Americans who were stopped by Police were almost twice as likely to get exclusions as whites.

Finally, even if the individual being excluded actually committed a crime that merits punishment, Exclusion Zones don’t take criminals off the street they just move them to different neighborhoods around town for a few months. This limited benefit pales in comparison to the negative consequences of Exclusion Zones

We live in an era when the most basic civil liberties upon which our country was founded have come under unprecedented assault from our Federal Government. In Portland we must not succumb to the temptation to sacrifice liberty in the name of efficient law enforcement. Exclusion Zones simply aren’t worth it and I commend Mayor Potter for ending it there.

Discuss: Thank you, Mayor Potter for Ending Portland’s Deeply Flawed “Exclusion Zones”

» September 27, 2007 - 0 comments - Community Involvement, Jeff's Blog, Public Safety, Top Stories

Sellwood Bridge policy group to meet October 1

From Commissioner Maria Rojo De Steffy's office:
The Policy Advisory Group for the Sellwood Bridge Project will meet on Monday, October 1 at 2 pm in the boardroom of the Multnomah Building at 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd. to choose up to four alternatives for further study. The advisory group includes elected and appointed representatives of jurisdictions with an interest in the Sellwood Bridge Project. The planning project will lead to a decision on a long-term fix for the Sellwood Bridge, which is reaching the end of its service life. The policy group is scheduled to recommend a preferred alternative for jurisdictional approval in spring 2008.

Read more and discuss: Sellwood Bridge policy group to meet October 1

» September 26, 2007 - 0 comments - News, Public Safety, Sidebar Alerts

Health Department receives grant, will hold press conference

From the Health Department:
Multnomah County’s Department of Human Services, in partnership with the county’s Department of Community Justice and the state courts, is the recipient of a five-year grant of more than $3.7 million with roughly $1 million during its first year. The grant is entitled Targeted Grant to Increase the Well-Being of, and to Improve the Permanency Outcomes for, Children Affected by Methamphetamine or Other Substance Abuse.

Read more and discuss: Health Department receives grant, will hold press conference

» September 24, 2007 - 0 comments - Children and Families, Public Safety, Sidebar Alerts

What would you do if a dirty bomb hit Portland?

Multnomah County's commissioners are about to find out. This October, the Portland Metro region will be one of three sites across the country where a simulated radiological explosion goes off. Similar in scope to a 2003 exercise in Seattle, TOP-OFF (named for the Top Officials expected to "play" in the scenario) will involve thousands of volunteers, first responders, emergency managers and elected officials. The massive exercise will be led by the Department of Homeland Security and is designed to test - to the breaking point - a jurisdiction's emergency systems.

Board members were briefed today on Multnomah County's role in TOP-OFF by Emergency Management Director George Whitney.

Read more and discuss: What would you do if a dirty bomb hit Portland?

» September 18, 2007 - 1 comments - Community Involvement, Front Page News, Marissa's Blog, Public Safety

County and City launch the Voluntary Emergency Registry

From our Public Affairs Office:
Registry will help most vulnerable prepare for emergencies
Portland and Multnomah County are creating an online vulnerable population registry, which will help identify and assist the elderly and people with disabilities during a disaster. The Voluntary Emergency Registry (VER) is the nations’ first on-line registry that automatically links into the 911 system, the public health authority, and human services agencies as well as being available to emergency operations staff.

The Voluntary Emergency Registry is a secure website that will allow people to voluntarily add their names to a list that can be checked by emergency first responders and emergency operations personnel during a crisis; aid in 911 responses and provide a way to for vulnerable residents to receive emergency preparedness information so they can develop their own disaster plans.

Read more and discuss: County and City launch the Voluntary Emergency Registry

» September 18, 2007 - 0 comments - Children and Families, Community Involvement, Front Page News, News, Public Safety

CatNIP targets SE Portland for spay and neuter services

From our Public Affairs Office:

The Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland (ASAP),a new coalition of animal welfare agencies working together to benefit animals in the greater Portland area, have joined forces to address the overpopulation of cats in specific southeast Portland neighborhoods through project CatNIP, the Cat Neuter Incentive Program. The CatNIP event aims to spay/neuter 170 cats in this one-day event.The event targets low income, cat-owning families living in the 97206 and 97266 ZIP codes. Veterinarians will perform the surgeries in mobile spay/neuter hospitals provided by Multnomah County Animal Services and the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon.

Read more and discuss: CatNIP targets SE Portland for spay and neuter services

» September 14, 2007 - 2 comments - Community Involvement, Front Page News, News, Public Safety

Sellwood Bridge closure this weekend

From our Public Affairs Office:

The Sellwood Bridge will be closed to motor vehicles on Sunday, September 9 from 6:00 am until approximately 6:00 pm during a structural inspection. Both traffic lanes need to be closed in order to station equipment used in the inspection. Like all publicly owned bridges, the Sellwood Bridge gets a federally mandated structural inspection every two years. Multnomah County also inspects sections of the bridge where problems have been identified every three months.

“The biennial inspection of the Sellwood Bridge is one step the county takes to insure possible safety and maintenance concerns are addressed,” said County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey, whose district includes the Sellwood Bridge. “Multnomah County is committed to supporting and monitoring all our bridges.”

On Sunday the bridge sidewalk will remain open for bicyclists and pedestrians, although there may be short, intermittent delays for sidewalk users. Access will also be maintained for emergency vehicles. For motor vehicles, the nearest alternate river crossing to the north is the Ross Island Bridge. Access to the Ross Island Bridge is available via US 43/SW Macadam Ave. on the west side and via SE Milwaukie Ave. and SE Powell Blvd. on the east side. The nearest bridges to the south are the Abernethy Bridge (I-205) and the Oregon City Bridge.

Discuss: Sellwood Bridge closure this weekend

» September 5, 2007 - 0 comments - Public Safety, Sidebar Alerts

Bridges, bridges, bridges

Here is a round-up of some news stories revolving around our bridges:

Transportation

An article (“Headlines may shape special session” 8/29) in the online newsletter of county contract lobbyist Conkling Fiskum & McCormick predicts the Sellwood Bridge and bridge funding could be a focus of the 2008 special legislative session in Salem.

A front page article in The Oregonian (“Review of bridges finds no big flaws“, 8/30) reported on the results of inspections of Oregon bridges with designs similar to the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis last month. The inspections ordered by the governor found no serious new problems. Inspection of the Sellwood Bridge was delayed until Sept. 9 to avoid conflicts with a local business.

An opinion column in the Salem Statesman’s Journal (“Getting a third bridge will take determination”, 8/28) describes challenges in funding a new Willamette River bridge in Salem. The author predicts the Salem bridge will compete with the Sellwood Bridge project for state and federal funds.

Discuss: Bridges, bridges, bridges

» September 4, 2007 - 0 comments - News, Public Safety, Top Stories

Public Opinion Survey on Roads and Bridges: Results

This is press release from the City of Portland. Let us know what you think in the comments:

Neighborhood Public Open Houses Scheduled for September; Board and City Council Consideration in January, 2008


(PORTLAND, OR) - Repairing streets, neighborhood and pedestrian safety improvements, signal synchronization to help with congestion, repairs to the Willamette River bridges, and bike boulevards to reduce motorist/bicycle safety conflicts are at the top of Portlanders' transportation "To Do" list.

These results were revealed in a recent scientific, city-wide survey of 900 Portland voters conducted by Davis, Hibbitts & Midgall, Inc. The survey also found majority support among likely voters in the May 2008 election for any of the following funding sources: a 3 cent local gas tax, a monthly residential street maintenance fee between $2.60 and $4.50, and a $27.00 annual vehicle registration fee. The survey also showed likely voter support for a combination of these fees, when each fee was at a lower amount.

Read more and discuss: Public Opinion Survey on Roads and Bridges: Results

» August 23, 2007 - 0 comments - Front Page News, Karol's Blog, News, Public Safety

Another case of West Nile virus is Multnomah County

Our office just received this announcement from our Public Affairs Office on the West Nile virus:

Second bird tests positive for West Nile virus in Multnomah County
Infected robin is found in Vector Control parking lot

A dead robin found in Multnomah County Health Department’s Vector Control parking lot is the second bird testing positive for West Nile virus in the county, public health officials confirmed today. The robin was found in the vicinity of Portland’s Kenton neighborhood and was tested by the Oregon State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

Two human cases have been identified in Oregon so far this year. According to Oregon Department of Human Services, in 2006: 73 people were infected with West Nile virus, two people died of complications related to the virus, 25 birds, 35 horses and over 1,000 mosquitoes tested positive for West Nile virus infection. One Multnomah County resident tested positive for West Nile virus in 2006, but contracted the virus in another state.

Read more and discuss: Another case of West Nile virus is Multnomah County

» August 20, 2007 - 1 comments - Children and Families, Front Page News, Public Safety

Online survey lets public choose Sellwood Bridge option

Check out the following from our Public Affairs Office regarding the Sellwood Bridge:

If you have an opinion about the future of the Sellwood Bridge, Multnomah County wants to hear from you. An online survey offered through September 9 at www.sellwoodbridge.org lets the public choose up to two preferred alternatives for replacing or rehabilitating the 81-year-old structure. Survey results will be considered by a community task force and committee of elected officials that will choose up to four alternatives for further study this fall.

Multnomah County and its project partners are in the final year of a planning project that will identify a long-term solution for the Sellwood Bridge. Earlier this year the public was invited to propose possible solutions. In May the range of alternatives was narrowed to the strongest ones. The current online survey will gather public input before the next project milestone, when up to four alternatives will advance for further study in the draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Read more and discuss: Online survey lets public choose Sellwood Bridge option

» August 15, 2007 - 2 comments - Community Involvement, News, Public Safety, Top Stories

National Night Out in various neighborhoods around the city

National Night Out is being celebrated around Portland in various forms on August 7th. In St. Johns, there is a large neighborhood BBQ to commemorate is great program. According to the National Night Out website:
The "24th Annual National Night Out" (NNO), a unique crime/drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW), has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 7, 2007.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT is designed to:
• Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;
• Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs;
• Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
• Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

Read more: National Night Out in various neighborhoods around the city

» August 6, 2007 - Children and Families, Community Involvement, Events, Front Page News, Karol's Blog, Neighborhoods, Public Safety

Burnside Bridge Clousure

The Burnside Bridge is scheduled to close to all users from 8:00 pm on Thursday, August 9 until Sunday morning, August 12 for repairs to the lift span. On Sunday the bridge will be open to Bridge Pedal participants before opening to all users at approximately 11:00 am.

During the closure a contractor will install parts called live-load shoes that support the west lift span in the down position. The work will require the lift span to be in the open position. A barge-mounted crane will be used to install the parts, which will block passage for river traffic during the repair.

TriMet bus routes 12-Sandy, 19-Glisan and 20-Burnside will use the Morrison Bridge during the closure. Alternate river crossings include the Hawthorne, Morrison, Steel and Broadway bridges.

A three-week closure of the bridge for replacement of other lift span parts has been postponed until mid-September. The contractor is re-designing a jacking system that will be used to lower a 3.8 million pound counterweight so that parts can be accessed and replaced. The bridge closure date will be announced by early September.

The Burnside Bridge is in the midst of a two-year project to replace the lift span deck and repair or replace parts that help the bridge open for river traffic. Multnomah County maintains the Burnside Bridge and more than 300 miles of roads and bridges.

Discuss: Burnside Bridge Clousure

» August 3, 2007 - 0 comments - Public Safety

Child Neglect

Last Monday I attended a one-day summit on Child Neglect. It was a real eye-opener for me. Child neglect is the single most common form of child abuse and it causes such serious harm to children. Neglect is a chronic condition for children in many homes across Multnomah County, and unfortunately, neglected children are often also enduring other forms of abuse.

Read more and discuss: Child Neglect

» July 31, 2007 - 2 comments - Children and Families, Community Involvement, Front Page News, Front Page News, Human Services, Issues, Public Safety, Warren's Blog

Here Comes IKEA - Traffic advisory for PDX

Lots of folks here in Northwest Oregon make the trip up to Seattle to do a little IKEA shopping. Now, they only have to go as far as PDX. The new IKEA opens Wednesday, July 25th. There will be traffic issues. Please read the following advisory if you are going to or from the airport next week:

Read more and discuss: Here Comes IKEA - Traffic advisory for PDX

» July 18, 2007 - 0 comments - Inner NE, North Portland, Outer NE, Public Safety

Watch the heat with your pets

From Multnomah County Animal Services:
High temperatures can spell disaster for a pet in a car

Last year, Multnomah County Animal Services responded to 169 emergency rescue calls on animals in distress. With the current high temperature warning, your pet could be at risk. On a day that reaches just 85 degrees, the temperature in your car with the window partially open can reach 102 degrees in 10 minutes and 120 degrees in 30 minutes.

A dog can withstand a body temperature of 107 to 108 degrees for only a very short time before suffering irreparable brain damage or even death. The closed car interferes with the dog’s normal cooling process: evaporation through panting.

“Dogs and cats can be extremely vulnerable to heat stress,” stated Animal Services Veterinarian Meghan Romney, DVM. Pets should be kept indoors or in the shade during extremely hot weather and make sure they have plenty of cool water available. “And remember, don’t leave four-legged friend inside your car because it can be 30 degrees hotter there than outside,” Romney added.

If are in Multnomah County and you see an animal in a car during these high temperatures, call Multnomah County Animal Services at 503-988-PETS (7387) and press 1 to report an emergency. Our officers will be dispatched and take the action necessary for the well-being of the dog confined in the car. This often includes emergency veterinary care.

According to Emilio DeBess, DVM, MPH. Oregon State Public Health Veterinarian, “Most summer pet problems can be avoided with a few simple precautions and a liberal dose of common sense. Give your pet shade and water. Keep your animals cool and indoors if possible. Do not take your pet with you in the car if you are going to stop anywhere.”

The shelter is located at 1700 W. Columbia River Highway in Troutdale and can be reached at 503-988-PETS (7387) or visit the website at www.MultcoPets.org

» July 10, 2007 - News, Public Safety