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In this episode of ClackCo Works, host Dylan Blaylock talks with Kristine Wallace, manager of Clackamas County Dog Services, about the important work her team does for local dogs and the community. Kristine explains how the shelter cares for stray and displaced dogs, focusing on cleanliness, enrichment, and animal well-being. She shares the value of dog licensing, the impact of volunteers and donations, and the unique challenges her small team faces. Tune in to discover how you can help make a real difference for pets in Clackamas County.
Transcript
Dylan: What do a golden retriever and a cell phone have in common?
Kristine: I don't know, what?
Dylan: They both have caller ID.
Kristine: That's pretty good. What do you call a paper airplane that doesn't fly?
Dylan: I don't know.
Kristine: Stationery. That's a good one. I like that.
Dylan: We're here on ClackCo Works, where we chat with people who make Clackamas County work for their community. I'm Dylan Blaylock with Clackamas County Public Affairs, and today I'm joined by Kristine Wallace, the Dog Services Manager for Clackamas County Dog Services. Thanks for being here.
Kristine: Thanks for having me.
Dylan: You have an interesting job. Dog Services is unique in the county. Let's start with what exactly Clackamas County Dog Services does.
Kristine: It is unique. Clackamas County Dog Services is the animal shelter and animal control for dogs in Clackamas County. You can think of it in three main parts: the dog sheltering portion, the licensing portion, and the field officer and enforcement portion.
Dylan: Let's talk about those a bit. What is the sheltering like?
Kristine: The sheltering for Clackamas County is a stray shelter, which is different from rescues or humane societies. Municipal or government shelters like ours are specifically for stray dogs, dogs under quarantine, or dogs in temporary protective custody, like if someone was arrested. Humane societies and rescues are more for people looking to rehome their own dogs. Our shelter does rehome dogs, but it's usually for strays that don't have someone to claim them.
Dylan: I see. Where are your facilities located?
Kristine: The county shelter is on Highway 212 in Clackamas. It's been there since about 2008 or 2009. Before that, it was at Red Soils in Oregon City. That old shelter was built in the 1950s, so we're fortunate to have this newer facility.
Dylan: I've been there a couple of times. It's fun to see, and I always notice it driving down the road because of the outdoor space for the dogs. If someone visits Dog Services, what would they see?
Kristine: When you enter, you're greeted by our busy lobby staff who help people with adoptions, reports, licensing, and more. The shelter itself is bright and clean, and one of our points of pride is that people often say it doesn'teven smell like dogs. That's because our staff are diligent about cleanliness and animal health. We also have a remarkable outdoor space—about an acre—where dogs can be walked and play. Staff and volunteers take dogs out many times a day for enrichment.
Dylan: That's important, especially for dogs who might be scared or confused. It's important to keep them happy, right?
Kristine: Absolutely. That comes in many forms: volunteers and staff take dogs for walks, provide food enrichment like novel foods and puzzles, use scent sprays, and play music specially formulated for dogs to help them adapt.
Dylan: I want to highlight that Clackamas County Dog Services relies a lot on donations, like food and other things. People can go to your website. What kind of donations do you usually get or ask for?
Kristine: If you go to the supporters tab on our website, we keep it updated with basics like canned food, which is huge, and certain types of dry food. Other items can vary—sometimes we need new puzzle feeders because the dogs are hard on them. Besides item donations, volunteering is a big help. Volunteers walk dogs and help with housekeeping chores. Dogs generate a lot of laundry and dishes.
Dylan: How big is your staff, and how many volunteers do you have?
Kristine: Across all programs, we have a staff of 14, caring for dogs seven days a week, including field enforcement officers, licensing, and lobby staff. We have about 22 volunteers right now.
Dylan: Let's get back to the mission. Why is dog licensing important? What dogs need to be licensed?
Kristine: Dog licensing started as a way to ensure dogs are rabies vaccinated. Rabies is fatal to people, so it's important, even if it doesn't come up often. The county does this in the background to keep people safe. Licensing also shows responsible ownership. Dogs with licenses and tags are less likely to end up in the shelter because someone can identify the owner if the dog gets loose. If a licensed dog does end up in the shelter, we can quickly access owner and veterinary information to reunite them.
Dylan: So you can return the dog maybe on the same day?
Kristine: Yes. Officers can sometimes bring the dog home directly if it has a license.
Dylan: Is it state law to have your dog licensed?
Kristine: It's county law, and in some places, it's state law as well.
Dylan: How do strays or other dogs come to the shelter? What are the common ways a dog ends up in your facilities?
Kristine: The most common way is a dog gets out of its yard and someone from the community finds and brings it in. Sometimes an officer or law enforcement brings it in to try to locate the owner. We're also a resource for law enforcement—if someone is arrested with their dog, the dog needs a place to go, and we provide that.
Dylan: Are there complaints from people about dogs that lead to them ending up in the shelter? What are some common complaints?
Kristine: Generally, dogs in the shelter are just strays brought in for safety. Our animal control officers also handle complaints—someone once said they protect people from pets and pets from people. They deal with dog bites, dangerous dogs, and also help dogs that are being neglected. Some of those dogs end up in the shelter, especially if there's a criminal case, but most are just there for a short visit while waiting for their owners.
Dylan: That's greatly helped by licensing. How long has dog licensing been around in Clackamas County?
Kristine: I'm glad you asked. I have a Clackamas County dog license collection. My oldest tag is from 1926, so that's at least a hundred years of dog licensing here.
Dylan: Was it for rabies back then, too?
Kristine: I believe so.
Dylan: How many tags do you have in your collection?
Kristine: I don't have a count, but I have tags from the 1920s and 1930s. I'm missing a lot from the 1950s for some reason. If anyone has a 1950s Clackamas County dog license tag, let me know!
Dylan: A bigger question: What if Dog Services didn't exist, and no similar organization took its place? What would be different?
Kristine: My mind jumps to packs of dogs running rampant, but realistically, there are a lot of services that wouldn't be provided. Dog Services gets tens of thousands of phone calls per year. Officers respond to over 1,000 complaints per year, resolving issues like dogs running loose, dangerous dogs, and neglected dogs. The shelter provides care for 600 to 1,200 dogs a year. Without us, many of those dogs would be without care, on the streets, or in need of medical attention.
Dylan: Because we have to take care of our dogs.
Kristine: Absolutely. A good society takes care of its animals.
Dylan: If you have 600 to 1,200 dogs a year, how many can you handle in the shelter at one time? What's the maximum?
Kristine: There are two capacities to consider: the physical capacity of the shelter and the capacity for care, which depends on staffing. We have to consider both when determining our capacity.
Dylan: You have a veterinarian on staff too, right?
Kristine: We do, to help keep the dogs healthy.
Dylan: My last question: What do you wish more people knew about Dog Services or the dogs you care for?
Kristine: It's important to remember that the dogs in our shelter are from our Clackamas County community. These aren't dogs from another state or imported—they're from here. I hope people feel a duty to be responsible forthem: license your dogs, consider adopting a local dog, and support the shelter through donations or volunteering.
Dylan: Excellent. If you're interested in helping Clackamas County Dog Services, they rely on community support for food, volunteer hours, and more. You can go to clackamas.us/dogs. Kristine Wallace is the Dog Services Manager with Clackamas County Dog Services. Thanks for being here.
Kristine: Thank you.