National Pet Day Highlights Joys of Having Animal Friends

Portland, OR. This year, National Pet Day is on Sunday, April 11th, 2021. Whether you have a dog, cat, bird, fish, horse, rabbit, chicken, snake, hamster, or any other pet, you can celebrate the special day. National Pet Day was established in 2006 by animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige. Her mission was to put a spotlight on the joy pets bring to their owners’ life, as well as bring attention to the ongoing needs of many pets waiting in shelters to find their forever homes. 

National Pet Day is an excellent time to do some updates for your pets:

• Go through your pet’s toys. Throw away any items that are no longer safe.

• Maintain your pet-friendly home. Keep cords and toxins secure from your four-legged friends. This includes phone chargers.

• Verify when vaccinations are due and schedule an appointment to update if they are due.

• Check collars to ensure tags are secure and numbers are current. We sometimes forget to update this information when we move or change numbers.

The Oregon Humane Society has lots of pets to adopt. Below are some details about adoption:

During this time, our shelter is closed for public walk-through viewing. Adoptions are available by appointment only. We will email you a scheduling link if you are first in line for a pet. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we find homes for pets as quickly and efficiently as possible. Stay safe, stay healthy!

The Adoption Process:

Step 1: Submit an adoption questionnaire. Pet profiles are available on our Adopt page. New pets are usually posted daily between 6-7 p.m. Read through the profiles carefully to see which pet you are interested in adopting.

• At the end of each pet’s profile, you will see a link to a questionnaire for that pet. Click the link to fill out an online questionnaire for that pet and submit it to OHS.
• You will need to submit a questionnaire for each animal you are interested in.

Step 2: Schedule an adoption phone consultation. If you are first in line for a pet, our Adoption team will email you a scheduling link to set up a time to talk on the phone to discuss the pet’s specific needs and whether the pet will be a good fit for your lifestyle. If you provide your mobile phone number on the adoption questionnaire, we will also text you a link to notify you that you are first in line. We will be sending out two rounds of emails daily: once in the morning and once in the early afternoon.

• Please add ohsinfo@oregonhumane.org to your address book to ensure you don’t miss any important communications from us.
  • If you are a Gmail or Comcast user, please be sure to check your spam/junk folders.
• We process adoption questionnaires on a first received, first-served basis. We recommend you continue to monitor your email as the first person does not always end up adopting. You will receive email notification once the pet has been adopted and your questionnaire is no longer valid.
• Scheduling links will only be valid for 4 hours after the email is sent. If you do not schedule your appointment before the link expires, we will move on to the next person in line.
• Please allow a 5-minute window to receive your call at your scheduled time. Please make sure your phone is on. You can expect us to be calling from (503) 285-7722.

Step 3: Schedule a meet & greet/adoption appointment. If you are ready to move forward with the adoption after your phone consultation, an appointment will be set up for you to meet with the pet. There is a $20 non-refundable hold fee to set an appointment for a meet and greet.

• For your convenience, we also offer contactless adoptions for eligible pets. The decision for a contactless adoption can be made during the phone consultation.
• You will only be able to meet with one pet during your appointment to minimize the amount of in-person contact with staff. You will have to wear a mask for the duration of your visit to OHS. We are limiting in-person meet and greets to 30 minutes or less.

Step 4: Take your new pet home! For more information about what is included in your new pet’s adoption, please head on over to our Adoption Support page.

View our available pets here.

Adoption Information

Adoption Process

Understanding Your Pet

Contact Info:

Main Phone Line: (503) 285-7722 (10 am – 6 pm)

Admissions: (503) 285-7722 x 212

Customer Care: (503) 285-7722 x 254

Donations: (503) 802-6793

Contact Us

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Please send us a message.

Be More Humane

Thank you for wanting to adopt a pet from the Oregon Humane Society. At OHS, we imagine a place where kindness and love prevail. A society in which all beings have a place, a purpose, and a sense of belonging. We are on a mission to create this society, a more humane society, and we need your help. Find out how you can be more humane.