Courtney Neron Misslin

Why we endorsed Courtney Neron Misslin for Oregon Senate District 13

Courtney Neron Misslin has led the way for animals throughout her time in the Oregon Legislature. First elected to House District 26 in 2018 and now serving in the Senate representing District 13, she has built a consistent record of standing up for animals alongside her work on education and homelessness.

She championed HB 2915, which phases out the sale of puppies and kittens in Oregon pet stores and pushes the market toward shelters, rescues, and responsible breeders. She has supported legislation banning cosmetic testing on animals, protecting wildlife, and allowing people experiencing homelessness to bring their pets with them into shelters. More recently, she sponsored HB 3020 to end Oregon’s role as a hub for online betting on greyhound racing, calling the industry fundamentally inhumane and out of step with Oregon values.

Courtney’s commitment to animals isn’t limited to her votes. She has a rescued dog and cat of her own and regularly fosters puppies for Oregon Dog Rescue, even with a demanding legislative schedule. Animal welfare advocates have named her, alongside David Gomberg, as one of the most impactful voices for animals in the Oregon Legislature.

We’re proud to support Courtney Neron Misslin and grateful for her continued leadership for animals in Oregon.

Questionnaire Responses

Background

Question: Can you briefly tell us a story that impacted the way you feel about animals?

Response: It is difficult to narrow down just one story that impacted the way I feel about animals. I have grown up with animals in nature and in my home and have a deep appreciation for their beauty and connection. In high school, I desperately wanted a dog, but my parents only wanted cats. So I got a job at Animal House Pet Shop down the street. I naively thought that when they hired me to look after the puppies, that I would be walking them and socializing them. Instead, I cleaned there kennels and put them back in for the rest of the day. It didnt’ take long for me to understand the extent to which this was not a store focused on animal welfare, but a puppy and kitty mill storefront. My days at Animal House were limited (I quit when they refused to take a severely ill Persian kitten to the vet) but that experience gave me a lifelong disgust for people who profit off of irresponsible breeding. When I volunteered at the Walla Walla Humane Society after College and was much more reassured to work for a manager who declared regularly that she wanted to spay and neuter so many pets that she would ultimately work herself out of a job. Animal overpopulation is a huge problem. I only have rescue animals of my own and I adore fostering dogs when I have the opportunity.

Prohibiting the Sale of Force-Fed Foie Gras

Question: Foie gras is an especially cruel product because of its reliance on force-feeding ducks and geese. California has a statewide ban on the sale and production of foie gras, and several other U.S. cities have enacted sales bans. Would you support or sponsor a statewide ban on the sale of force-fed foie gras in Oregon?

Response: Yes. I lived in France for a year, at a time when I was vegetarian, and the thought of force-fed foie gras was horrifying.

Prohibiting the Sale of New Animal Fur

Question: Fur production relies on cruel practices, such as extreme confinement. California has a statewide ban on the sale of new fur products, and several U.S. cities have enacted sales bans.
Would you support or sponsor a statewide ban on the sale of new fur products in Oregon?

Response: Yes. While I do not support the sale of new fur products, I would want to ensure Tribal consultation and support for the policy.

Pain Relief

Question: The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommends using pain relief for common agricultural procedures such as castration, dehorning, and tail docking. Various studies show that the vast majority of Americans support requiring pain relief for these practices. Would you support or sponsor legislation requiring the use of pain relief during painful procedures performed on farmed animals in Oregon?

Response: Yes. No living creature deserves the pain of unmedicated castration, dehorning, or tail docking.

Sustainable Food Procurement

Question: Public institutions in Oregon subsidize animal-based foods regardless of their cruelty, environmental impact, or threat to public health. Would you support policies for public institutions in Oregon to prioritize climate-friendly food and limit high-confinement animal products, such as setting ambitious goals for plant-based procurement?

Response: Yes, although the cost-prohibitive nature of the proposal would make it exceedingly difficult to pass in the current budget climate.

Factory Farm Moratorium

Question: The rapid expansion of large-scale industrial animal farms (CAFOs) is a leading source of nitrate pollution in Oregon’s groundwater and has coincided with a sharp decline in independent family farms. Would you support or sponsor a moratorium on the construction of new or expanded large-scale factory farms in Oregon?

Response: Yes.

Use of Dangerous Poisons

Question: Oregon law allows the use of rodenticides that are restricted or banned in states like California due to their documented harm to wildlife, pets, and children. Death by poisoning is widely considered to cause extreme suffering, often taking days. Would you support or sponsor legislation that minimizes death by poison, such as shifting state agencies toward fertility control instead of glue traps and rodenticides, or prohibiting the sale of glue traps and the most dangerous poisons?

Response: Yes.

Other

Question: What else would you like to share? Please add anything else that might be helpful
regarding your past or current support for pro-animal policies.

Response: I led in the House and Senate on recent bills relating to Animal Rescue Entities, puppy mills, octopus farming, humane cosmetics, 1.25% TLT tax increase for wildlife conservation, and efforts to ban coyote killing contests. I continue to oppose the Oregon Primate Research Center’s inhumane work and policies that contaminate habitats across our state.