Frequently Asked Questions

Greenhill Humane Society has been caring for animals in Lane County since 1944. We are a private, non-profit organization that relies on charitable donations to care for approximately 4,000 animals each year. We envision a world in which all animals are treated with compassion and respect. If you would like to learn more about our programs & services, read our frequently asked questions below, then feel free to contact us at 541-689-1503 or info@green-hill.org.

Services We Offer

Stray & Lost/Found Animals

We provide sheltering, medical, and behavioral care (along with lots of love) to the animals brought to us by the public and by officers. All animal enforcement concerns are handled by Animal Control Agencies and Animal Welfare Officers. They investigate and prosecute animal abuse, neglect, and abandonment and work with the court system to dictate outcome. If you suspect an animal is being abused or neglected, please contact your local animal control agency. To see a list of local agencies, click here

Cats:

We are contracted to take in stray cats from the City of Eugene, City of Veneta and Unincorporated Lane County. We can also offer help for stray cats in other areas within Lane County. If the cat appears healthy the cat should remain where it was found so that it has an opportunity to return to its home on its own, and you may call Greenhill to report the cat as found. If the cat appears unhealthy, pregnant or you have found a kitten or litter of kittens, please contact our Feline Receiving Department at 541-689-1503 x 133 or by email at felinereceiving@green-hill.org.

Appointments are required to bring a stray cat or kittens into the shelter and there may be a waiting period for admission. Feral adult cats cannot be brought in for sheltering. Contact our Feline Receiving Department at 541-689-1503 x 133 or by email at felinereceiving@green-hill.org for questions or to schedule an intake appointment.

Dogs:

We are contracted to take in stray dogs from the City of Eugene and Unincorporated Lane County. Stray dogs from these areas can be brought in during our business hours.

For stray dogs found in other areas of Lane County (City of Springfield, City of Cottage Grove, City of Creswell, City of Veneta), please contact Animal Control for that area prior to bringing a dog in. For a list of local Animal Control agencies, click here.

Small Animals & Specialized Species:

We are able to take in certain stray small animals from the City of Eugene, prior to bringing in a stray small animal, please call our Specialized Species Department at 541-689-1503 x 117 or by email at smallanimals@green-hill.org 

A seized/custody animal is one that has been seized or taken custody by an animal control agency and brought to the shelter. See our list of jurisdictions below that we are contracted with to take seized/custody animals from. 

City of Eugene Animal Services

Lane County Animal Services

City of Springfield

City of Creswell

City of Cottage Grove

City of Veneta

Our Lost & Found page has helpful tips for owners who have lost a pet. Owners can also file an online lost report.  

Found animals must be reported to a contracted agency or Greenhill immediately by the finder. For detailed information on stray hold periods, rehoming, or laws surrounding stray animals please see the links below for the animal regulations and municipal codes for each jurisdiction. Found animals should also be scanned for a microchip at Greenhill or the nearest veterinary clinic.  

Lane County Animal Control Municipal Code

City of Eugene Animal Regulations

City of Springfield Animal Control Municipal Code

Find information about animal licensing laws, sales, and other questions on our Animal Licensing page. 

Call Greenhill at 541-689-1503 for assistance. Greenhill has access to many different resources and microchip databases in order to find information from microchips. We can help! 

We can only update the microchip information in our own database. The owner will need to contact the microchips manufacturer to update their information. To find out how to contact a pet’s microchip manufacturer, use this website, AAHA Microchip search

The finder will need to contact animal control/local shelters for the county in which they found the animal in for further instructions regarding that animal. For a list of Oregon Animal Control agencies and Shelters, click here

The finders should attempt to contact the owner. If the cat appears to be healthy and was found relatively close to owner information, the cat should be put back where it was found so that it has the opportunity to return home on its own. If the cat appears unhealthy or was found more than a mile from the known owner information, please contact our Feline Receiving Department at 541-689-1503 x 133 or by email at felinereceiving@green-hill.org. Please report found cats to Greenhill at 541-689-1503. 

If you suspect an animal has been abandoned by its owner, contact animal control for your jurisdiction. See a list of animal control agencies in Lane County here 

If you suspect an animal is being neglected or abused, contact animal control for your jurisdiction. See a list of animal control agencies in Lane County here 

If someone has found a litter of kittens or puppies, please call the shelter at 541-689-1503.

Learn more about what to do if you find a litter of kittens here.

Owner Surrendered Animals

We encourage owners that are considering surrender to visit our Alternatives to Pet Surrender page to find help and resources. Our surrender process is dedicated to helping families through this difficult decision. Find out about our surrender process on our Surrender a Pet page.

Yes. Sometimes, because of behavior issues, we may determine that an animal would not be suitable for our surrender/adoption program. In this case, we would offer the owners other options and resources. 

Crisis Care & Emergency Boarding

Greenhill partners with Hope & Safety Alliance and a number of first responders in Lane County to offer crisis care boarding for people’s pets during times of crisis or emergency events. See our Crisis Care Boarding page for more info. 

Greenhill offers emergency boarding during local disaster events for animals located in evacuation areas. Please visit our Disaster Resources page for more information.  

Community Assistance & Resources

Yes! We have a full online resource library with articles on pet care and other community resources. Check out our Resource Library page. 

Yes! We offer a Pet Pantry food bank stocked with food and supplies for pet owners in need of assistance. Our Pet Pantry is open during our regular shelter operating hours and also has delivery options for certain areas. For more information visit our Pet Pantry page. 

Humane Education & Outreach

If you are interested in learning more about the shelter experience and animal care, you can sign up for a shelter tour on our Humane Education and Tours page.  

If you are interested in adopting an animal, please visit us during our business hours and we can assist you with the adoption process. 

Yes! We offer tours of the shelter for small groups. You can find more information and sign up for a tour on our Humane Education and Tours page.  

Clinic Services

Yes! We have a spay/neuter program for free-roaming community cats. Find out more information on our Spay/Neuter services page.

No, at this time we do not offer wellness exams or vaccines for privately-owned animals. Contact your local veterinary clinic for this service, click here for a list of local veterinary clinics. 

No, at this time we do not offer surgeries for privately-owned animals. Contact your local veterinary clinic for this service, click here for a list of local veterinary clinics. 

No, we do not offer this service for privately-owned animals. Contact your local veterinary clinic for this service, click here for a list of local veterinary clinics. 

No, we do not offer this service for privately-owned animals. You can contact West Coast Pet Memorial Services for more information about cremation.  

Animals in our Care

We provide the same level of veterinary care as animals would receive in a general practice veterinary clinic. All animals receive appropriate vaccines, deworming, and flea control on arrival to the shelter per the guidelines established by the ASV Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters. Sick or injured animals are examined and treated by a licensed veterinarian, and provided high quality care. 

The following vaccines and treatments are given to every animal. 

Dogs: DAPP vaccine, Bordatella vaccine, Rabies vaccine, roundworm dewormer, and flea control. 

Cats: FVRCP vaccine, roundworm dewormer, and flea control.  

Small Animals: Flea and mites control.

We have in-depth enrichment and behavior modification programs. The canine enrichment program includes the use of Kongs, sensory enrichment activities, and long walks around the property. The feline enrichment program includes sensory enrichment toys, smells, and the use of outdoor “catio” spaces. 

We provide behavior modification, detailed training plans, and the use of foster homes for animals that are in our care long-term and struggle with behavior issues.  

No, we do not make euthanasia decisions for time, space or breed. An adoptable animal will stay in our care for as long as needed in order to find the right home. Greenhill is a Life Saving organization, where animals are safe and well cared for; where all life is affirmed and respected. To find out more about our life saving work and programs, visit our About Us page. 

Adopted Animals

We do offer a number of different adoption discount programs and specials. Please visit our Adoption Discount Programs & Specials Page. 

Our paperless adoption process sends all records to adopters digitally via email. Adopters will receive these records with each adoption:

  • A full medical report
  • Vaccination certificates
  • Medical or Behavior waivers if applicable
  • Post-surgical instructions 
  • A list of veterinary clinics that participate in our complementary exam program
  • Certificate to VCA for a complimentary post-adoption exam
  • PetcoLove and other partner coupons
  • Information on resources for training and behavior issues

Call or email our front office staff at 541-689-1503 or info@green-hill.org, we can email/fax over any animal’s records as needed. 

Every dog, cat and rabbit adopted from Greenhill is surgically sterilized prior to adoption.

We microchip every dog, cat & rabbit that is adopted from our shelter or update their previously injected microchip. All microchips are registered with 24PetWatch at no extra cost as a part of the adoption service.

Yes, an adopter can call our Canine, Feline or Specialized Species Care teams to talk about behavior concerns with their newly adopted animal. 

No, we do not provide follow-up veterinary care for adopted animals. All medical care needed after adoption must be scheduled with the adopter’s primary care veterinarian. We do provide follow-up care for complications related to spay/neuter or other surgery performed at Greenhill. 

An adopter can return an animal adopted from Greenhill for any reason without a refund. Please call the shelter to schedule an appointment.