Willamette Humane Society

Staff is very helpful when looking for a pet.

got a new kitty on Saturday. all 5 staff members that helped us were EXCELLENT. very friendly, helpful, and patient. can’t beat this place to adopt. sure the one in North Portland is spiffier, but this place rocks it. THANK YOU!

I volunteered here for about 2 years as a dog walker and just fell in love with this place. WHS commits to ensuring that all animals are treated with kindness while providing them lots of socialization with humans.
The dogs here get 15 – 20 minute walks at least 3 times a day. This doesn’t count the multiple play groups and meet and greets with prospective owners. In the two years I was there, I only remember a couple dogs that were at the shelter for more than a few months. These dogs get adopted quick!
Volunteers are trained by staff, and are only able to walk certain «level» dogs based on their experience at WHS. The most experienced volunteers are allowed to work with all dogs (especially the ones who are still coming out of their shells) while the new volunteers walk/​play with the more friendly/​outgoing dogs. This volunteer system is phenomenal. Walkers even take time to write notes about how each dog is doing, letting staff know if there are any medical/​safety issues regarding certain dogs.
The staff here really do care, and they try their best to make every match between pet and owner a good one. Yes, there may be a bit of paperwork (which someone mentioned is a hassle), but the staff want to ensure that you are compatible with this pet– for life.
They do a great job here and I highly recommend you consider volunteering or adopting a pet from WHS!

Is there anything more heart wrenching then taking an animal here to end its suffering? I doubt it.
We had a stray who had, after a very long time, come to trust us enough to be a pretty decent cat. He was very old when we moved into the neighborhood and we had heard that the kids had not been kind at all. We had been feeding him for over a year when he suddenly became very ill. It was apparent that this cat was not going to make it much longer, and so had to make the very hard decision to take him to the Humane Society.
Our suspicions in regards to his chances were confirmed by a very nice lady (Hilda?). Although I felt like the worst person on Earth, she consoled me through the process and assured me that I was doing the right thing.
It was a really hard thing to do, but if you have to do it you might as well do it here.
RIP Lion Cat. :(

Amazing staff; very clean; wonderful pets and fun events. Check them out when looking for your next cat or dog.

This humane society is super-​clean, has wonderful and friendly staff and volunteers, and treats the animals very well while they are there. You can tell they are cared for and that each person hopes the animals find the best home for their needs. The dogs are walked at least 3 times per day and the cats are socialized 3 times per day. Also the friendly dogs get playgroup time and the friendly cats have ‘cat condo’ rooms where up to 8 cats live and play.
They also just opened up a low-​cost spay & neuter facility so that none of their animals get adopted without being altered — it really cuts down on the number of unwanted animals in the community! They do alterations by appointment (you can get other minor veterinary care at the same time) and are the lowest cost in the area.
The humane society also offers dog obedience classes from puppy kindergarten to shy dog school to chill out! to small dogs only to tricks and agility. They do a reward-​based obedience that uses positive reinforcement instead of punishment.

I’ve been to several humane societies and I will say that this one is one of the nicest I’ve been to! The workers seem to really care about the pets there. We went to look around in the cats section. I want just one more cat for myself. Not yet, not just yet. Anyways, as we were looking at the cats. One of the workers, a short, cute lady keeps on coming up to us and pointing out the cats that weren’t adopted yet. Told me how beautiful they were and how cute they were. You just get the positive vibe from her. We were also tempted to look into the doggy section too and one worker just randomly took us to one doggy pen and pointed out a rottweiler mix named Clark which was very calm & ADORABLE. We talked with him for a bit and gave him some treats in a bowl stuck to the door. He acted very calm and mature for his age. he didn’t even jump on door or anything like that. I just wish we had the time & the money to adopt the dog right now! We just couldn’t right now. He would have made a great addition to our little family! I was surprised to see other dogs with the «I’m adopted!» tag instead of Clark. Hmm.
Anyways, My boyfriend has been meaning to get his cat, Quake neutered and we checked this place out after we got that appalling estimate at the vet clinic across the street from where we live. Anyways, the prices of spay/​neuter at WHS was completely reasonable and perfect. The spay/​neuter clinic is in another building, on the right side of the entrance to the WHS. We had to make an appointment at the clinic and they sent us off with a paper and email to my boyfriend with information on the procedure and what not to do the night before.
Brought him in at 7 30 am & picked him up at 4. Quake was totally, completely high from the medicines necessary for the surgery and wolfed down the food we had for him. Other than that, he did just fine and healed fine with no problems! It is definitely recommended to get your pets spayed/​neutered there. Of course, we all must be suckers for cheap and high quality services. :)