Lost & Found Dogs

Found a dog?

If you are the finder of a dog, the County's Animal Shelter is the proper place for the dog to be placed while the owners are sought. Oregon law has many special requirements on lost and found dogs, including potential criminal charges for persons who fail to process a found dog properly. To aid in the compliance with these statues and a member of the public’s desire to retain a dog they have found, Columbia County Animal Control has the following guidelines on found dog:

• The finder of a found dog must report the found status of the dog to Animal Control at 503-366-4614 during business hours. The Animal Control Staff will search the lost dog records and attempt to locate the dog's owner. If no owner can be located, staff will arrange for the dog to be picked up and transported to the shelter.
   
• If the finder resides within Columbia County and wishes to keep the dog, the finder should inform the County of the desire to retain the dog. The Animal Control Officer will stop by the finder's location to photograph the found dog and check the dog for a microchip. The dog may then be placed under foster-to-adopt and left with the finder. This information will be recorded in the Shelter incoming dog records.
   
• After the completion of ten days, if the owner of the dog has not come seeking the dog, the finder may elect to complete the adoption process and may be granted ownership of the dog. 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 and advise that they wish to adopt the dog if the owners do not claim the dog. In this case the dog will be impounded at the shelter and first option to adopt may be granted to the finder. The normal adoption fee for a dog shall apply in this situation.

***While these guidelines provide the ability for the finder to adopt a found dog. Found dogs are assessed on a case-by-case basis. 

Lost a dog?

The Animal Control Officer uses social media to connect with dog owners.  You can go to the Animal Control Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ColumbiaCountyAnimalControl to find any dogs currently held at the Shelter.

To retrieve a dog held at the County shelter, you will need to make arrangements with the Animal Care Specialist. The County Shelter is available by appointment only.
 

Animal Control- Shelter Staff

2084 Oregon St.
St. Helen's Oregon 97051

Phone: (503) 366-4614
Fax: 503-366-3990

Holsheimer-Lamar Animal Shelter

The County shelter operations are separate from the Columbia Humane Society, although they share a building. The County Shelter office is located in the main lobby at the front of the building. Columbia Humane Society is available by appointment only.

Directions:

From Portland
Follow Rt.30/Columbia River Highway, north, sign-posted to St. Helens.
Approximately 1 mile north of St. Helens, turn right at the traffic lights onto Deer Island Road. You will cross railroad tracks next to a lumber yard. Immediately after crossing the tracks, turn left onto Oregon Street. Columbia Humane Society is located inside the Holsheimer-Lamar Animal Shelter.

From Rainier
Follow Rt.30/Columbia River Highway, south towards St. Helens.
Go through Columbia City, past the mini mart/gas station which will be on your right-hand side. Half a mile on at the first traffic lights, turn left onto Deer Island Road and cross the railroad tracks. Immediately after crossing the tracks, turn left onto Oregon Street. Columbia Humane Society is located inside the Holsheimer-Lamar Animal Shelter.