Animal Shelter Overview and Statistics

Welcome to the Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter!

Our team cares for stray, injured, and abused animals of all shapes and sizes from all over Washington County.

We are part of thousands of success stories every year.

When animals are lost or found, we work very hard to get those pets back home. When an animal arrives at the shelter under protective custody, we provide temporary care for them. When owners don’t claim their animals, or pets end up without an owner through other means, we work with our partners in the community to find these adoptable animals new loving homes. When dogs are causing public safety or nuisance issues or animals are being abused or neglected, our field team responds to calls for assistance.

We are proud to support the people and pets of Washington County!

Working together to care for our community.

We are part of a Portland-area network of shelters called the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland (ASAP). As a member of this coalition, we keep important statistics and share data about all the animals that come to our shelter with the public.

Each member of the ASAP Coalition keeps careful records of the animals that arrive and leave from our shelters. Sharing data helps the coalition understand what is happening with the shared animal population in the community. These statistics help us chart our progress as we work to make the Portland metro region one of the safest places in the country for pets.

Members of the ASAP Coalition also work as a team to help each other out when one shelter is full but another shelter has room to take animals. The coalition also works together to provide affordable spay/neuter services for cats, as well as other community resources. We share knowledge, information, and ideas to help the animals in our community. Working together, ASAP has pledged that no healthy animal will be euthanized in any animal shelter in the Portland metropolitan area.

Shelter statistics

What happens to animals that come to us?

Thanks to a focus on helping lost pets make it back home, we continue to maintain some of the highest return-to-owner rates in the entire United States. View our shelter statistics below to learn more about the animals in our care.

Here's why our 2024 statistics are in a different format than previous years.

The ASAP Coalition and Washington County Animal Services have updated how we report information about the animals in our care. Starting with the statistics for 2024, our new reports will match the Shelter Animals Count (SAC) national database which is the modernized industry standard for animal welfare organizations. Using the SAC format will make it easier to compare our numbers with other shelters nationwide.

Previously, ASAP and Washington County Animal Services used reports based on the Asilomar Accords developed by Maddie’s Fund to help measure success. Maddie’s Fund now encourages animal shelters to report their statistics using the SAC format, which is the leading data-gathering and measurement tool for animal sheltering.

Annual statistics archive

Who is Bonnie L. Hays?

Our animal shelter was named in memory of Bonnie Lynn Hays, a former Washington County commissioner and long-time supporter of animals.