Lost and Found Dogs
The county's Holsheimer-Lamar Memorial Shelter at 2084 Oregon St. in St. Helens is the proper place to bring a dog you have found while the owner is sought.
The Dog Control Officer uses social media and email to connect with dog owners and posts photos of dogs currently held at the shelter. You can also post photos of your missing dog on our Facebook page.
Lost dogs can be reported to Animal Control by calling Sheriff's Dispatch at 503-397-1521.
Reclaiming your dog
To reclaim your dog, go to the Sheriff's office main counter to pay any impound or boarding fees that apply. If your dog is not licensed, you also will be required to apply and pay for a license, for which you will also need a rabies certification. Redemption fees include a $30 impound fee and a boarding fee of $15 per day.
Complete a license application →
The clerk will give you a release form once your fees are paid, and will make arrangements with the Animal Control Officer for you to pick up your dog from the animal shelter. Please note that weekend redemption of lost dogs is limited because the shelter is not staffed.
Lost and found dog requirements
Oregon Revised Statutes and laws include many requirements for lost and found dogs, including potential criminal charges for persons who fail to process a found dog properly. To aid in complying with these statutes as well as a dog finder's desire to potentially retain a dog, County Dog Control has created the following policy:
- If you find a lost or abandoned dog, you must report it to the Sheriff's Office by calling 503-366-4611 or by emailing Roger Kadell. The Sheriff's Office will search lost dog records and attempt to locate the owner. If no owner is found, staff will advise the Animal Control Officer of the dog's status and arrange for the dog to be picked up and transported to the shelter.
- If you live in and find a dog in Columbia County and wish to keep it, you must inform the Dog Control Officer. The Officer will contact you to photograph the dog, check it for a microchip, and see if the dog is recognizable as another person's property. The dog will then be placed in a foster-to-adopt mode and left with you, and this information will be recorded in the Dog Shelter's incoming dog records.
- After ten days, if the owner has not come seeking the dog, the finder may elect to complete the adoption process to be granted ownership. There is no fee required for this service if the dog has not been impounded at the shelter.
- A finder of a dog may also surrender the dog to the shelter or the Animal Control Officer. In this case, the dog will be impounded and the first option to adopt will be granted to the finder. The normal adoption fee for a dog applies in this situation.