There’s an agency in Seattle that can help with your animals if you’re in a crisis, will support you in an unsustainable situation with your pets, and offers resources and supplies to underserved communities.
It’s called Animal Control.
Seattle’s Animal Control is a world away from the stereotype of dogcatchers and “the pound.” They focus on outreach and safety, and work to keep families together.
“This role has evolved so much over the last decade and the decade before that and the decade before that. If you look at the horrible history of where this profession started and where we are now, it’s unrecognizable,” said Animal Control Officer Patrick Lynch. “The role is going to continue to change. That’s part of the reason we need to be innovative, to adapt in a way that’s helpful to the community. As the community needs change, we’re going to change as well.”
The approach to calls is always on finding positive outcomes.
“Our goal is always to keep pets and people together, and when that’s not possible we have services. We encourage people to come to us when they need help,”
Seattle Animal Shelter Deputy Director Jocelyn Bouchard.
The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation’s biggest fundraiser, Furevermore, this year funded a new SAS initiative called “The Best Chance” program, which will support continued outreach to underserved communities through the sharing of care, information and resources with the goal of creating more open, trusting relationships – and keeping animals safe with their families.
“Our primary focus is animal welfare and public safety,” Officer Lynch said. “Those are the two most important things. There’s a lot of overlap between those two issues.”
Animal Control responds to calls about everything from a barking dog to alleged abuse cases. Officers talk to complainants and try to get clarification, “try to see what they are seeing,” he said.
A recent case Lynch handled involved a man who lived in an apartment with 10 dogs. His original pet was unspayed, and one litter led to another, which led to him struggling to take care of more dogs than he had the capacity to. Because of issues including barking, he was on the verge of getting evicted. He needed help but didn’t know where to turn.
“He’s been told no his whole life. Why would anyone say yes to taking care of his pets?” Lynch said.
It took a while to build trust but Lynch eventually was able to get the man to agree to surrender seven of the dogs and keep three, which were spayed, microchipped and vaccinated, and returned, and also got him sufficient supplies. The other seven dogs were adopted.
“At the end of the case, every single person said, ‘I never thought that this kind of outcome was a possibility.’ Even the apartment managers who were actively trying to evict this person. They weren’t going to call Animal Control because (they thought), ‘That’s going to be far worse than what I’m trying to do.’ ”
These kinds of cases and interactions have a deep impact on the wellness of the community.
“That man had an eviction hearing and didn’t get evicted. He was able to show he was capable of making these big changes. He understood that if something comes up he can rely on SAS to give him that compassionate outcome he would need,” Lynch said. “For other parties, they all now know moving forward that we can make a positive difference in a way that is beneficial to everybody. And hopefully as time goes on … when a person wants a dog, he’s not going to get an unfixed dog from the internet. He will adopt from us.”
In Officer Lynch’s mind, these small interactions are the foundational stepping stone toward bigger change.
“Something that I try to do, and I can only do it case by case, is change people’s minds as to what we are here to do and how we can help.”
The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation funds programs and services that support animals in need like this throughout our community. To donate, click here.
The Shelter Behaviorist role, crucial to many animals’ success at the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS), was created thanks to and continues to be made possible by the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF). Tina Hope took on this position at SAS in July 2023. Recently we talked with her about her work at the shelter and in the community, the importance of improving human and animal relationships, and how it impacts the animals she works with.
Tina and Kafka
What is a behavior success story that you were a part of recently?
T: Kafka! He’s a 110-pound Giant Mastiff mix dog who was surrendered to us in February, due to his owner losing their housing. He had some resource-guarding tendencies, and he had one minor bite on his record, due to a bandage being changed on his arm. The owner wasn’t quite sure how to manage the resource-guarding, and they were having trouble finding housing with a dog his size. When he came in he was very fearful and had intense barrier reactivity (which can sometimes go away as soon as you open the door), and touch sensitivity. Understandably though, he was intimidating to a lot of people. I started working with him through the kennel, tossing treats to him, and got him to be less reactive to the kennel barrier. I opened the door, asked him to go for a walk, and we went for a walk. He was very wary of me so it took a couple weeks for me to be able to touch him, but by the end of it he would climb up and sit in my lap (even though he didn’t fit). He was adopted in September by two folks who he immediately took to.
While he was here, Kafka actually helped another dog named Merci. Merci was a victim of significant physical abuse and was very anxious around humans. In my work I’ve often found that some dogs who are victims of abuse will feel more confident and comfortable in the presence of another dog. He gave her space, he let her come to him, he helped us introduce new people to her on paired walks. I don’t know that we could have helped her come around as quickly as we did if it wasn’t for him. He’s a success story and he created another one too.
What’s your background in animal welfare? Have you worked for other shelters/rescues before?
Tina: I’ve been working professionally in animal welfare training and husbandry for about 18 years. I started my professional career with horses, but I’ve worked with a number of species including dogs, cats, fish, guinea pigs, goats, birds, reptiles, pigs, and more. Prior to moving to Seattle, I worked at a high-intake shelter in California, the Municipal Shelter for the City of San Jose. There were a lot of differences between sheltering in California and Seattle as far as what challenges we faced on a daily basis, although some of the problems remain the same. When I started there we had about a 50% positive outcome, which was very low, and during my 8 years on the team we were able to build the positive outcome rate to 89% by the time I left. Part of that was I developed their first behavior program, and coordinated rescue transfers, including large transports of dogs to Southwest Washington Humane Society, in Vancouver Washington. So I came up here during a drought in California, it was green and pretty, and found that Seattle was for me.
What’s one of your biggest challenges in your work?
T: One of the biggest challenges is the lasting impacts we see from systemic racism, ableism, and classism, and how humans and non-human animals are treated, viewed, and often dismissed by the organizations that have been established to provide support. We are still operating as a punitive institution from the Animal Control perspective, so trying to bridge that gap to being more of a community support organization is our challenge. We’re really fortunate to have our Director Esteban because he’s leading the charge, getting those things in motion. You wouldn’t necessarily think that it impacts Behavior but it definitely does, because we see animals coming in that maybe don’t need to come in, ones that we potentially could have diverted a surrender if we were able to provide some behavior training or support, so it really all trickles down. So we’re working on creating more of a community organization that is here to help keep animals at home unless of course those homes are mistreating them.
As this behavior program continues to grow, we’re hoping to get to a place where adopted dogs and their families can come back and do training classes, and maybe an internship program for at-risk youth. I’m big on sharing the knowledge and getting everybody involved if they’re interested. And for me it’s important that we are reaching into communities that we haven’t historically served or had positive relationships with, and building that up.
What drew you to the animal behavior field?
T: Animal and human behavior has always fascinated me. I grew up in California, and when I was 7 or 8 years old I would exhaust my mom by always asking her to go to the animal shelter, Santa Cruz SPCA. I would sit in front of their kennels and just talk to them. I had my own dogs (I like to say I was raised by pitties), and ever since I was a small kid I was really interested in animals and just felt this very strong connection with them. I’ve always wanted to be able to better communicate with them and better understand their needs. We ask them to live with us, we ask them to do things that aren’t species-specific behaviors, and I wanted to get a better understanding of the ways they think and how we can help improve our relationships with them.
Animal shelters in particular I really enjoy working in because it gives the opportunity to reach folks and animals on a grander scale. In my day I get to talk with volunteers, my co-workers, members of the community, and help them all better understand their animals and the animals they’re interacting with. As far as working with the community, it’s really great to be able to start a conversation where this person feels like they’re doing everything wrong, and end the conversation with them feeling empowered and they have the tools to be a good pet parent.
Tina at the Seattle Animal Shelter with a fuzzy friend
It seems like it’s a real calling for you! It also seems like so much of this work is about improving the relationship between the humans and the animals – it’s not just a human training an animal, it’s the relationship, connection, and how you’re understanding each other.
T: Definitely. We tend to forget the human side of it, but until we help the humans heal, we can’t really help them help the animals they’re working with.
Why is behavior training important?
T: Training really helps build that bond between the human and the animal. It’s a give-and-take of trying to understand what the other being wants. You can gain that trust and bond with cohabitation, but training helps form that language between the two of you on a deeper level, so you can coexist more harmoniously.
What is one of your most eye-opening or teaching moments in your work?
T: When I first started in sheltering, I was helping a person who wanted to surrender their dog for some behavior reasons and also wanted to adopt a dog back-to-back. I was upset with them, went to my supervisor to talk about it, and she told me something that still resonates with me today. She said, “Let’s start with they showed up here today, and that was the right thing to do. And then we can figure out what’s happening with this dog that they think they can’t hold on to. Then move on from there.” Once I gave them that space to talk, I learned it was more that the dog wasn’t getting along with the children at home, he was showing significant fear, and they were worried he wasn’t having his best life. Once I gave them room to tell their whole story, it all made sense, and I knew they did do the right thing by bringing this dog in. If they hadn’t, he probably would’ve eventually bit the kids, since he might feel he had no other choice in communicating. That was a turning point for me in the way that I realized that I’m not here just to help these animals, I’m here to help these humans too.
Seems like having that empathy for the humans in that situation actually turned around and helped the dog as well, because it benefits both parties to find the right fit.
What would you say to people interested in animal behavior/animal behavior training?
T: It’s important to keep your mind open if you’re interested in animal behavior because there are so many ways to approach and operate in the field and help animals and humans at the same time. I think if you’re just starting out volunteering with the species you’re interested in working with, try things like volunteering at your local shelter, aquarium, and local groups to get a better idea of what part of behavior you’re interested in. There’s a lot you can do within this field, and it’s important to cut out the misinformation, be a good student, do your research, and think about the impact on the animal that you’re working with. Make sure that you are allowing them their autonomy and allowing them to choose to participate in the training or not, and not forcing any training on them.
The SAS Animal Behavior team and training program is financially supported by donors of the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation. Visit the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation‘s website to donate.
Every year the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation prints a limited number of our collectable calendars, filled with dogs, cats, and critters. Each month features a pet or pets who’s family generously donated at the Furevermore auction, helping Seattle’s animals in need. Celebrate your love of animals every day by donating and receiving a 2024 calendar!
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Donate by Midnight December 15, 2023 for calendars!
Giving Tuesday is coming up and Seattle’s animals would appreciate having your support this year! For those who may not know, Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving or generosity, and in 2023, Giving Tuesday falls on November 28th. Giving Tuesday is an opportunity for us all to consider how we can help support the causes we care about—and here at the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF), we want to utilize this important day to promote animal welfare and care!
This year, our goal is to raise at least $5,000— and the first $2,500 donated will be matched by generous supporters!
Your donation helps pets like Pandora. Pandora was rescued by the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) with her three tiny kittens from under a highway. Sadly, her babies were incredibly sick. They tested positive for Feline Panleukopenia, a highly contagious virus that is so often deadly to young and immune compromised animals. With such severe symptoms and little to no chance of surviving, to alleviate their suffering, SAS veterinary staff made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize the kittens.
Pandora when she first came in to the shelter
Pandora needed an immediate foster home to keep her quarantined away from other cats and to improve her chances of staying healthy. An amazing volunteer, Heidi, graciously took her as a foster. With close counseling from SAS’s Foster Program Coordinator (a position made possible by donations to SASF), the SAS Behaviorist (another position funded thanks to SASF donations), and the dedicated cat foster lead volunteer, Heidi supported Pandora and helped her affectionate nature shine through.
Pandora, after some time in foster
Pandora was then listed on the SAS website and found an adopter! All the behavior notes and strategies were shared with the adopters to help her succeed in her new home. Soon, Pandora was choosing to be on the bed with her new kitty sibling. Quite a collaborative adoption success story!
Pandora settling into her new home
On this Giving Tuesday, please consider being one of our matching donors so we can meet our $5,000 goal and can continue to create animal success stories like Pandora’s. We appreciate any level of support!
Esteban Rodriguez has come prepared. He has over 15 years of experience in animal welfare, all in government municipal sheltering, and has held almost every position there is to hold in a shelter environment. We sat down with Esteban to dive into his vast experience, what motivates him, and his vision for the shelter’s future.
Let’s start with your background. Where did you start out?
Esteban: In 1999, in El Paso, Texas, I started as a kennel technician. In 2007, I left El Paso Animal Shelter and started a business in order to provide for a sick parent. But in 2014, in Dallas, Texas, I came back to animal welfare work. I worked there for two and half years, and then moved to San Antonio, where I worked as a supervisor to Animal Control Field Officers.
I paid attention to what was happening in the animal welfare world – what was new, what was trending, what were different organizations doing, what were the most progressive measures being taken? That led me to Austin in 2017. Five years prior, Austin had become the largest no-kill municipal shelter in the country. After learning and experiencing a lot about progressive animal welfare measures in Austin, I took the opportunity in 2019 to become an External Operation Manager at Pima Animal Care Center, in Tucson, Arizona. From there, I became an Operations Manager for two and a half years at Santa Barbara County Animal Services in California. Finally, in 2021, the Director position for the Seattle Animal Shelter opened up – and it was the perfect match.
What drew you to Seattle Animal Shelter?
E: Throughout my career, while I had good ideas and different things that I knew would make an impact in our community, a lot of those would only get so far and then fall flat. I saw the opportunity come up in Seattle and it really spoke to me because it talked a lot about diversity, equity, and being a progressive organization. And with the Director role, you have a little more opportunity to move things along and knock down the barriers that are there.
With SAS, I’m able to speak and build relationships with people directly involved in SAS operations, based on respect and honesty, and work towards becoming a more community-centric organization. I felt I needed to get into this role, because I could do the most good with this organization for the people and the animals in this city.
My belief is that it’s not just the animals we should care about, it’s the people as well. Animals don’t arrive at the shelter on their own. When you start to involve the community in the solution, you’re going to see a different organization. That means involving people from all walks of life, and meeting them where they are.
That makes a lot of sense. Shelters are intricately connected with the people in the community because of that relationship between people and animals.
E: With any animal, comes people. We want to do the best thing for the animal, but sometimes the best thing for the animal is to stay with its people – because they understand the animal and they love the animal to the best of their ability. It’s our job to be a resource to make sure people have the ability and the opportunity to live their life as a responsible pet owner with their pet.
Animal services are a gateway to social injustice as well. People are struggling, and their connection to the world and reality is their pet. We have to ask ourselves how to do justice by them and their animals at the same time. As public servants, we are always asking ourselves these questions and evolving in order to address multiple needs at once to serve the community best. We’re not going to leave animals uncared for, but we want to be empathetic to individual situations and make the right call on a case by case basis, while at the same time providing the right kind of support.
Goliath and Vedder
Do you have any pets? What’s their story?
E: I have two dogs. One is Goli, short for Goliath, a 6-year-old Giant Schnauzer, from a shelter in Arizona. I initially fostered him, and he’s been with us ever since. Our other dog Vedder is from SAS, and another foster-turned-forever dog.
What are your goals for SAS?
E: What I want for the Seattle Animal Shelter is when the public sees us out in the community, they’re not running to close their doors. What I want them to do is to open their doors and come out and speak to our officers and ask for assistance if they need help. That takes relationship-building, and is our ultimate goal for becoming a more community-centric organization.
Specifically, we want people to be a part of the solution. We’re transitioning to a more case-management style of animal welfare: being able to have those conversations with pet owners, giving them the proper education, the resources, and the support that is needed to become a responsible pet owner. This way we have a relationship, and are able to keep animals and people together.
Becoming that community-centric organization means including people of all cultures, language, background, walk of life, into the solution of creating responsible pet owners. If we can do that successfully, the animal shelter becomes a place where community members come to seek help, or come to help other community members.
What are some of the greatest challenges SAS faces? And how can we solve them?
E: A few things have slowed our progress – the pandemic, a shortage of animal welfare professionals to fill vacant positions, and our building’s construction. Our shelter was built in 1982 for an evolving kind of sheltering, so our physical location has some limitations on space, but we are working through it. We utilize fostering as much as possible, and gradually we are changing how we support animal welfare in the community.
We are also building up our staff and volunteer forces, which will help us really push forward on what we’re trying to do for the future. Eventually, I’d like to be out in the community more, offering free services like simple vaccinations and spays/neuters, creating meaningful relationships within the community.
What are the best ways people can get involved with SAS?
E: The best way to get involved is to become a volunteer with our organization. Also, be informed; know about the current municipal code (which outlines pet owners’ responsibilities in the City of Seattle jurisdiction; what is needed or allowed in the City of Seattle to be a responsible pet owner). Share us on your social media platforms, spread the word about things we share online. Be an advocate in your community for SAS, and share us as a resource.
What motivates you to do this kind of work?
E: What drives me is creating opportunities for the people and animals that need second chances. Seeing animals come into the shelter scared drives me to create programs and outreach with people to prevent that separation. Making sure we can keep people and animals together, rather than having to bring them into the shelter, is my goal.
What’s your favorite part of the job?
E: My favorite part of the job is connecting with people. It allows me to navigate how my role can have the most impact in our organization and position my work as a tool for change.
What’s been a favorite moment or memory of your time with SAS so far?
E: When you’re working in the animal welfare field it is hard to pinpoint favorite moments, because there are so many. I have loved seeing the community support for the Shelter via Furry 5K and Fund- A- Need participation. Another treasured moment has to be the Train-a-Chicken training we did with our entire staff. The philosophy and intent of the training was to demonstrate that if you can train a chicken with time and patience you can train a dog or cat. The reason this is at the top of favorite moments is we were figuring out what post-pandemic looked like for SAS and this gave our team the opportunity to all be together doing something impactful and fun. It really kickstarted how we functioned as a team.
What’s something about SAS that stands out from other animal shelters?
E: The thing that stands out about SAS is how pet friendly City of Seattle communities are. What I see is commitment, compassion, and the willingness to do better for all Seattle pets.
What is the importance of the SASF/SAS relationship?
E: The importance of the SASF/SAS relationship is for us to work together toward a common goal: the health and well-being of animals in our community. Our partnership thrives when we have a shared vision and consistent message for our supporters and the broader community. We each play a critical, yet distinct, role. SASF as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to enriching and enhancing the lives of animals cared for by the shelter. SAS as a public shelter with municipal code responsibilities to ensure public health and safety while caring for animals with oversight from the Finance and Administrative Services Department.
What is the importance of SASF donors to SAS?
E: SASF donors are integral to the SAS and the community it serves. While they contribute financially, their emotional contribution is just as important. They share a passion for the welfare of animals. These donors play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the shelter’s initiatives and programs. Their support reinforces the shared commitment between the foundation and the shelter to the well-being of animals. Together, we can continue to make a positive impact on the lives of animals in Seattle and strengthen our community’s commitment to their welfare. I’m eternally grateful for their dedication.
The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation’s Furevermore Auction & Gala kicked off in a new location this year but with the same goal in mind – to raise critical funds for Seattle’s pets in need. More than 300 attendees plus volunteers, SAS staff, and generous sponsors gathered at Fremont Studios on Saturday, October 21 and raised a record-breaking $250,000 for the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) to fund animal welfare programs at the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS).
Spirits and anticipation were high as guests arrived. Once inside, they put on their best face as they stopped to strike a pose at the step and repeat and entered the swanky silent auction and cocktail area – where all the fun and good energy was flowing!
As the cocktail hour began, guests were greeted with passed spirits and bites– the perfect setting for a private viewing of the sleek and sophisticated all-electric Audi Q4 e-tron from Bone-a-Fide Partner, Your Pacific Northwest Audi Dealers. The vibing live music by Marina and the Dreamboats had everyone tapping their paws.
Many unique silent auction items were on display with some very competitive (but always friendly!) bidding wars. A few highlights included a hot tub boat excursion on South Lake Union, the Ultimate Dick’s Drive-In Package, Bledsoe McDaniel’s Wine and Wine Tasting, as well as the exclusive debut of the 2023 Limited Edition Pawcasso Collection – painted with love by some SAS’s finest adoptable pups, and many more!
The SAS adoptable kitten tents drew a crowd, as did the return of the popular You As An Animal portrait artist, Michelle Lassaline, who painted guests as whimsical creatures of their choosing! Guests also enjoyed a life-size dog house photo booth (including many fun props!) and an open bar featuring the evening’s signature Meow Meow Mule, wine, bubbles and other generous in-kind donations from XOBC Cellars, Georgetown Brewing, and Jones Soda to help get the pawty started.
As the silent bids wound down, our Furevermore hosts called everyone into the large dining room illuminated by a massive wall-to-wall screen featuring adoptable pets throughout the night. Dinner was kicked off by our wonderful emcee and Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation Vice President Tracy Taylor Turner, Auction Co-Chairs Mindy Fitzgerald and Lacy Bell, followed by heartfelt thanks given by SASF President Alex Clarke, and Seattle Animal Shelter Director Esteban Rodriguez.
“It was a magical night with infectious energy and love for the animals. It really was the best mix of humans – from our committed and generous donors and volunteers who give their whole hearts to our incredible auction committee (Dorothy Gorman, Josh Herrington, and Justin Taft) who were invaluable champions and doers for the event, as well SASF board members who supported the event. I’m proud to work alongside everyone involved and am so appreciative of our generous animal loving community. The funds raised will ensure SASF can continue to enhance critical programs at SAS and provide all the animals their Best Chance at a healthy, safe, and happy life. I am grateful to you all, Furevermore! Until next year!”
Mindy Fitzgerald, SASF Board Member and Auction Co-Chair
“Furevermore 2023 was truly a celebration of the Seattle Animal Shelter community! I love that so many volunteers, staff, long-time donors, and new supporters were all able to enjoy the evening’s festivities while generously giving to provide the Best Chance for so many of the animals that are in need right now. The mission of the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation resonates with everyone making Furevermore not just another request but an event that is highly anticipated! Plus, kittens and the appearance by Koa the Shar Pei mix made this year unforgettable!”
Lacy Bell, SASF Board Member and Auction Co-Chair
Then on to the amazing live auction! Energetic auctioneer Joel Schenfeld and the ever-entertaining emcee, Tracy Taylor, presented live auction items including unique local experiences like a one of a kind cocktail reception and dinner at the exclusive Smith Tower Penthouse (donated by a very generous SAS volunteer!), a private wine cellar dinner for ten at Ethan Stowell’s Staple & Fancy, and a trip to soak up Italy with friends Under the Tuscan Sun. In addition to the big screen, every table featured an adoptable pet display complete with a description, photo, and QR code to learn more about each animal.
In addition to the animals on display looking for their furever homes, one pup star of the show was SAS foster dog Koa, who made a surprise appearance on stage with her foster parent. She and her foster parents enjoyed a well-deserved night out on the town! This amazing Shar-Pei Mix is available for adoption here. And to learn more about foster an incredible pet like Koa here.
During the 2023 SASF Fund-A-Need portion of the evening, guests watched an inspiring video narrated by SAS Foster Coordinator Sagan Lain, about their new position that was funded by last year’s Furevermore Fund-A-Need. Sagan shared how they have been able to improve the fostering experience which helps volunteers, adopters, and shelter pets.
Next was a video about SAS’s new Best Chance Program. For the Fund-A-Need this year, guests were encouraged to raise their paddles to support this critical program that will provide veterinary access and education to keep pets safe with their families in historically underserved communities. The Best Chance Program will give pets their best chance at living healthy lives by establishing accessible wellness and vaccine clinics. It will also give pets and their owners their best chance at a healthy human-pet bond by providing necessary pet supplies including pet food, crates, leashes, collars, and more. Its primary goal is to keep more animals with their owners and out of the shelter – creating space for animals that truly need to be there.
Closing the night was the always-amusing Dessert Dash. Each table and its guests had a chance to be the highest bidders for their place in line to select and then share one of a wide variety of exquisite desserts donated by a selection of Seattle’s most talented bakers and bakeries.
Supporters helped raise a record $250,000 by the end of this memorable night. We are beyond thrilled and grateful for these donations to further enhance Seattle Animal Shelter programs and enrich the lives of Seattle’s pets! To our donors, sponsors, and volunteers – we could not do this without you. Your commitment and generosity for the animals is overwhelming.
Special thanks to the 2023 Furevermore Auction & Gala sponsors! Your support and commitment to the cause are paramount to our success and ability to continue to fund critical programs at SAS. We hope to see you all again next year for another successful event!
Bakery Nouveau Bell’s Cookie Co Ben’s Bread Company Cait’s Bakes Cake it Nice Columbia City Bakery Cookies with Tiffany Dough by Moon Kaspar’s Catering
Little Free Bakery Ballard Macrina Bakery Madison Park Bakery Megan Nadan Metropolitan Market (Magnolia) Nothing Bundt Cakes, Bellevue Pie Love Seattle Raised Doughnuts and Cakes Rosellini’s Fine Cakes & Baked Goods
Sea Wolf Bakers The Collection Bakery The Confectional The Essential Baking Company The Sweet Stuff Bakery & Confections by Gwen Feher Wallflour Cake Studio
Funds raised at the Furevermore Auction & Gala allow us to continue supporting animal welfare enhancing programs for pets at the Seattle Animal Shelter and in our community.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, subscribe to our email newsletter, and return to this website for updates on how the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation is improving the lives of our most vulnerable pets.
Mindy Fitzgerald knows what it means to be a “foster fail.” She got her second dog, Theodore (“Theo”), a mastiff mix, after bringing him home from Seattle Animal Shelter as a foster puppy. And on top of that, she went from being a foster parent to fully adopting the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) as her volunteer home.
Mindy was first connected with the shelter when she adopted her family’s first dog, Charlie, a lab mix.
“When Covid came, I felt like I should do more … and I knew the shelter was looking for fosters,” Mindy said. “So I signed up to be a foster. Then I’d also get emails about how they were looking for volunteers for the first in-person auction after Covid. I thought, I do communications, that sounds fun!”
Mindy quickly went from being a volunteer on the auction committee to being recruited as a SASF board member and co-chair of the Furevermore Auction & Gala, a role she’s taken on this year. That position has her working heavily in the strategy, planning,and procurement space, making connections and ensuring the auction is a success.
Over the past two years, she’s gotten more involved with the inner workings of the shelter and found an even stronger attachment to the work.
“I wanted to be involved with what was going on at the shelter so I signed up to be a dog walker. I love being able to be a part of the shelter as well as the board. It gives you a very special connection and perspective into both worlds. It’s been a great experience. I love dog walking – especially in the pea patch. It’s a couple of hours to just focus on the dogs, who are always happy to see you. It gives me energy.”
Working with the foundation board and committees feeds her spirit a little differently than her direct work with shelter animals.
“With my position on the board, I know that I’m making a direct impact on the wellbeing of the animals in the shelter,” she said. “Our fundraising from (Furevermore) is currently funding a behaviorist position and the new foster coordination position, which has been so crucial to getting dogs out of the kennels, into loving and caring foster homes, and eventually to their forever homes.”
Proceeds raised from this year’s Fund a Need at Furevermore are going to something equally important: a new initiative called “The Best Chance” program, which will support outreach to underserved communities through the sharing of care, information and resources with the goal of creating more open, trusting relationships – and keeping animals safe with their families. According to the Access to Veterinary Care Coalition, access to preventative care and education are the leading determinants of pet health, wellness and safety—both in the home and in our communities.
“Furevermore has been able to fund vital programs that are life changing for the animals and honestly for the staff at the shelter. The funding we’re able to provide is essential to the shelter’s day to day operations. The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation is a critical piece of enhancing programs and filling the gaps at the shelter that the city can’t fund.”
And like so many, the shelter and its animals are what keep Mindy going through the long days and emotional ups and downs.
“For me, the most important thing is knowing the foundation and shelter staff are working towards a common goal – the overall welfare of the animals. When things get challenging and it seems like your’e spinning your wheels … then you think about the animals. We are all trying to give them a voice.”
In December 2022, Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation board member Jeana Chaffin was on a ride-along with Seattle Animal Shelter Animal Field Officer Kevin – a ride-along she successfully bid on at the Furevermore Auction & Gala a few weeks earlier! The exciting day included a follow-up to a dog bite incident, a raccoon chase, and a chicken rescue from a hoarding situation. Recently, Jeana talked with us about her experience out in the field.
What was your experience like at Furevermore?
Jeana: It was fun! It’s always good to engage with the community of people who share the same passion and interest for animal welfare and show their support for the shelter.
What interested you to bid on the Ride-Along Prize?
J: I’ve been a longtime volunteer at the shelter but being in the field is something that I’d never experienced. I’m much more familiar with the Animal Care Officers (ACO1s) at the shelter because I’ve volunteered as a Greeter and a Dog Walker. But spending time with the Animal Control Officers (ACO2s) in the field was something I’d never done before. This gave me a full understanding of what the shelter does. A lot of times we think about the animals, but the people who work there, the staff and volunteers, are not only caring for the animals but also our community. This involves interacting with the public, which can be difficult. Whether you’re working with the ACO1s or the ACO2s, you gain a better understanding of what they do, and more empathy and respect for them. That work can be very emotional, so I gained a lot of admiration for what they have to go through. The officers are all very skilled at negotiation, compassion, and communication.
Can you take us through your Ride-Along day?
The day starts with dispatch who gives you the cases for the day, however there can be emergencies, delays, and new situations that pop up that change the plans. The first task of our day was to follow up with a dog bite incident – this meant talking with the dog’s owner and the person who was bit. The owner of the dog was very upset when we called to follow-up. Officer Kevin very calmly and compassionately talked with them about options to work with the dog’s needs and behaviors, such as walking the dog with a muzzle, containing the dog in another room when there are visitors, working on slow introductions. As it turned out, they’d recently moved, and the dog was under stress. After the talk, the owner was relieved and considering the other options.
After we spoke with the other person involved and came to a resolution of next steps, we got a call about an injured raccoon in someone’s backyard. This was an emergency call, so we headed there next. Officer Kevin got on his gloves, I held a giant container, and after some chasing we were able to get the raccoon safely into the shelter vehicle.
Next, we got a call about two chickens in a hoarding situation involving a missing person report. It was a bad hoarding situation, but thankfully after a while the chickens were found in the kitchen. This was the end of the day so we headed straight back to the shelter and into the vet office. The vet did a health check, and luckily, they were in pretty good shape. A couple weeks later in January they had new names, Chips and Ice Cream, a new home, and were very happy.
Chips and Ice Cream foraging in their new home
What was your biggest takeaway from your experience?
J: It was an emotional, exciting, and illuminating experience – all kinds of animals and people and situations. It was extremely valuable for understanding what the shelter does in its entirety in supporting the community and Seattle’s animals. It demonstrated the staff’s commitment to animal welfare and the betterment of our community. That’s the purpose of the shelter. The shelter is there to help and support Seattle’s animals and the community.
What would you say to people interested in Furevermore and the Ride-Along experience?
J: Spending time with the shelter staff is always a rewarding experience and the field ride along will show you first-hand the work that the shelter does in the community – you’ll have a unique experience that will leave you in awe of the work that the shelter staff does every day.
You could win your very own Furevermore Ride-Along Prize while helping Seattle’s pets in need! Get your October 21, 2023 Furevermore Auction & Gala tickets here now. Thank you for your support!
For Sagan Lain, starting a career in animal welfare felt like “turning on a light switch in my being.” “After graduating college I was wanting to work in a helping field, but not exactly sure what that would look like with an English lit degree,” they said. “I found a job posting for a high-volume spay-and-neuter clinic. I was an animal lover but hadn’t considered working with animals as a profession. I instantly fell in love, getting to support animals and people in need.”
After pursuing their passion for more than a decade, Sagan has found a home as the Foster Program Coordinator at Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS).
“There’s something incredibly beautiful for me about getting to serve animals that are between homes and in that need, and getting to support community in that work. And I love volunteers! I truly feel so blessed to have worked with volunteers in all my roles in animal welfare in the last decade. It fills my heart, getting to support people who dedicate their time, their labor, their care, their skills to pets.”
The Foster Program Coordinator role is new to SAS, made possible by the funding of the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation’s fundraiser Furevermore. The goal of the position is to provide much-needed support to foster parents, and to have someone be the consistent communicator between them and the shelter, according to SAS Animal Care Manager Tracy Bahrakis.
“We should do better by them, but in the current structure we just don’t have capacity for it,” Tracy said last year.
Now, thanks to so much generosity, they do.
Sagan is currently focusing on building processes and updating resources around those communications needs, ensuring there is more consistency and collaboration. Beyond that, Sagan and other shelter leaders are currently reviewing a consultant’s recommendations for the program, noting “we are on the precipice of making some changes that are incredible.”
And Sagan knows something about transformational changes.
“I was very happy and comfortable with the work I was doing (before moving here), but also was never going to have fewer responsibilities in my life and was ready to spread my wings and come to the most beautiful place I’d ever been to. I also knew that this region had a robust and well-founded animal welfare community, so I was excited to get my feet wet in a different region.”
They certainly have done that. Sagan is fully immersed in their role and is excited to be part of the progress that’s supporting this community and all its animals.
“The future of sheltering is so dependent upon foster programming. In the history of sheltering, we thought that keeping animals in shelter between homes was the most humane thing. But we really have found that the stress that an environment like this inherently entails is not conducive to helping pets heal and grow.
Foster is the future. It makes total sense that the Foundation would identify that, and want to support the animals of SAS by increasing their foster programming.”
2023 marks the 12th annual Furevermore Auction and Gala! This year will be bigger than ever before.
We welcome hundreds of amazing donors to the beautiful Fremont Studios to partake in:
Cocktail Hour with live band, raffle, photo booth, and more
Live and silent auctions
A full course dinner
Sports tickets, local restaurant tastings, pet gear, and one-of-a-kind travel opportunities are just some of the items ready to go to the highest bidder. Plus, there’s the chance to make your pet the star of next year’s Furry 5K and Furevermore!
Join us for a night of meeting other animal enthusiasts and bidding on items to support the vital work at the Seattle Animal Shelter! Your donations directly impact the quality of lives for the dogs, cats, and critters in shelter and foster care.
Tickets and seating are limited, so please buy tickets here as soon as you can. There is an Early Bird ticket discount this year until September 15.
Unable to join but want to contribute to the cause? Donate directly to help the animals of Seattle.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you in October!
