The shelter in Troutdale (1700 W. Historic Columbia River Hwy, Troutdale) will welcome the dogs, which will remain in foster care until healthy enough for adoption.
People interested in adopting the dogs, some of which have gained as much as 40 pounds since they have been recovering in foster care, can contact Lynn Hemingway of Willamette Valley Great Dane Rescue at 503-452-0975.
“The recovery of these dogs is a great example of how our community’s foster families help us save animals’ lives,” said Animal Services director Mike Oswald. “They’re a huge piece of the reason that we’ve made such great gains over time in our shelter’s live release rates.”
To help defray the costs of these eight great Danes’ care, Animal Services has set up a "Great Dane Rescue Fund" on the “Donate” page of its web site, multcopets.org. All eight Great Danes have received ongoing veterinary care, lab tests, and worming treatments. One of the dogs also requires eye surgery.
The eight Great Danes – named Achilles, Envy, Bella, Mila, Capone, Reese, Sterling and Quinn – were found June 10 by a Multnomah County Animal Services officer at the Corbett barn emaciated in kennels full of feces and urine.
Katrina Conway and Nathanael Welch, both 32, entered pleas of guilty July 15 to two counts of second-degree animal neglect in connection with the case. Conway and Welch will each serve sentences of 12 months probation, pay fines of $300 apiece and are barred from having any pets for five years.
“One of the hardest parts of our job at Animal Services is seeing cases like these where dogs are suffering in such horrific conditions,’’ Oswald said.. “Fortunately, we were able to save these dogs and hold their owners responsible.”
Oswald thanked Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Nicole Jergovic for her work on the case. And Oswald urged anybody who suspects animal abuse in Multnomah County to contact the shelter at 503-988-7387.
“This case was brought to us by a concerned member of the public,” Oswald said. “The community is a huge part of our work, whether it’s adopting and fostering animals or investigating allegations of animal abuse.”
For more information about how any one person in our community can help animals by fostering or adopting any one of the thousands of animals brought to the community’s only open-door shelter, please visit multcopets.org.
Contact: Mike Oswald, 503-988-6233