Tracy Taylor has been doing traffic in the Seattle market for 20 years on both television and radio. Tracy is a Eastern Washington native, she loves her Gonzaga Bulldogs and is a lifelong Seattle Seahawks fan. Taylor and husband Kyle are parents to a very busy 15-year-old, have three dogs and are huge animal organization supporters. She loves to freshwater fish, snow sports and live music.
Emily Rondestvedt is a Sales Director with 10+ years’ experience in developing and executing strategies for large CPG brands across the ecommerce channel. Her career has focused primarily on brand development, adaptability, and large-scale structured problem solving. Outside of her profession, Emily is passionate about the outdoors and animals; both of which she takes full advantage of, living in the PacNW. She grew up in a family of avid campers and dog lovers, molding her into an animal advocate. Today, Emily resides just north of Seattle with her rescue dogs, Mila and Charlie. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and water sports. Emily holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Washington.
Do you love dogs, cats, and critters? We are beginning our recruitment period for the 2022 SASF Board of Directors, and there are four positions open:
Find more info and job descriptions here.
By Marissa Villegas
Roadblocks often breed the most creative ideas, and that was definitely true when the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) found itself in a tricky place this fall. With COVID-19 cases on the rise in Western Washington, the decision was made to forgo the annual Furevermore auction in 2021 to help protect the safety and health of the community. However, that didn’t mean that SASF board members and donors couldn’t help the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS)!
On October 16, 2021, a group of about 25 donors, SASF board members, and other SASF volunteers came together to get their hands dirty and provide support for the shelter itself through a program called Pawsitive Projects. Not only did this provide an opportunity to accomplish much needed tasks — the dog corral was weeded, the “critter closet” cleaned out and organized, the laundry room scrubbed, toys assembled, and much more — they also were able to see for themselves the critical work they support.
“The Seattle Animal Shelter has been facing a volunteer shortage over the past few months. Events like Pawsitive Projects give the shelter some much-needed help when it comes to tackling hard-to-do, time-intensive tasks their regular volunteers don’t have the chance to focus on,” says SASF Marketing Chair Katy Thweatt, who is also an avid cat foster parent for the shelter.
Many SASF volunteers and board members joined the organization in the last two years, which created an interesting situation — there were board members who had never stepped foot within the shelter’s walls due to shelter COVID protocols. Fortunately, this day of volunteer help allowed all who joined to get an inside look into how the shelter operates and where their work and funding goes.
Throughout the day, there were also plenty of fun surprises alongside the hard work. After a few hours of organization and cleaning, volunteers helped stuff Kong toys with treats for the dogs being cared for in the shelter. This was followed by the joy of giving each pet their own yummy, treat-filled toys, which was a win/win for all. Outside in the corral, some volunteers made time to play with pets and get some cuddles in.
So, what’s next for Pawsitive Projects? The success of October’s event opens the door for similar opportunities in the future. Katy, for her part, is looking forward to “seeing another group of pets we’re helping and catching up with all of the great people who also care about these animals.”
One other benefit of the event? Volunteers, donors and board members were able to meet each other in person, talk to the staff at SAS, and see for themselves what donations mean to the shelter. Donations are hugely important to keep programs running and to help bring technology and resources to areas that need it most— to learn more, take a look at these donation options.
Trish and Stephen are longtime volunteers of Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS). Their story with SAS began in 2004 when they adopted their dog, Titus, from the shelter. About a month later, they became official volunteers. As they were working to get Titus (a husky-lab mix) acclimated to their Lower Queen Anne condo, a dog named Timber went into the foster care of Trish and Stephen after a short stay at the shelter. Staff noticed that Timber was resource guarding his food and exhibiting very stressed behavior; they thought it would be best that he went to a foster home, instead of staying at the shelter, until he found his forever home. While Trish and Stephen were a little wary at first because they weren’t sure how Titus would react, they agreed. Thankfully, Titus calmed down immediately once Timber was in the home; Timber also enjoyed having a play buddy in Titus. Over the first couple of weeks, they fed Timber by hand every day, gradually moving to the bowl until Timber’s resource guarding disappeared. Seeing the strong connection Titus and Timber had with each other (Trish and Stephen lovingly called the two buddies “TNT”), they decided to adopt Timber, as well — making Timber’s journey to his forever home a short and sweet one.
About a year or two after Timber was officially theirs, Trish and Stephen brought in another foster, Noodle. The shelter’s kennels were going though renovation, and foster dog volunteers were asked to take care of some of the dogs while the kennels were getting fixed. Enter: Noodle, a 3 to –6-month-old greyhound mix. While Trish and Stephen were a little worried about bringing in a third male into their one-bedroom condo, Noodle joined the group. Thankfully, the experience went very well. Noodle settled in and was the quietest and best behaved out of all three. During their foster care, Trish and Stephen brought Noodle over to Stephen’s sister’s house. She fell in love with Noodle and adopted him a month later.
Trish and Stephen continued to walk dogs every week at the shelter and took in about ten additional foster dogs. During this time, they moved from their Lower Queen Anne condo to a house, which made fostering more manageable and easier. Diamond, another foster dog of Trish and Stephen, also found her forever home with them. Unfortunately, Titus was having health issues; they became worried about Timber, too, since the duo had become so close. After some time fostering Diamond, they could see the connection she had with TNT and decided to make her a permanent member of the household, as well.
After a few years, Titus and Timber passed away. While Diamond was enjoying all the love, dog food, and attention from Trish and Stephen, they thought it would be good for her to have a buddy. They decided to foster a puppy. After about three days, Diamond decided Leo (the foster puppy) was an acceptable addition to the household. Four-and-a-half years later, Leo weighs 75 pounds and is still a puppy at heart.
Today, Trish and Stephen continue to walk dogs at SAS, though their frequency has gone down a bit due to the pandemic. While they have stopped fostering dogs, Trish and Stephen decided to foster four guinea pigs from SAS, after the organization seized more than 200 animals in a suspected animal cruelty case. They’ve had fun with all their foster animals throughout the years and appreciated the many people they have met along the way. They’ve enjoyed the learning opportunities they’ve had and, of course, appreciated all of the animals they’ve encountered along the way. They are also grateful for the community support the shelter receives, which help make their volunteering possible.
Events like Furry 5K support the valuable work volunteers like Trish and Stephen do. “The Furry 5K has been a wonderful opportunity to bring dogs and their owners together in one place to benefit all of the furry beings passing through SAS. So many people consider their pets regular members of their families, and Furry 5K celebrates that. It’s also a reminder that there are pets-to-be at the shelter, awaiting their forever homes,” says Trish. “To our donors, please know that what you have given has not only saved lives but has allowed dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, reptiles, and others to flourish in foster care and new homes.”
Support and celebrate the work done by wonderful SAS volunteers like Trish and Stephen by registering for Furry 5K or donating to the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation.
Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) is part of a network of animal welfare organizations that are dedicated to the well-being of animals in Washington state. SAS often partners with other organizations to help meet the needs of animals in its care and on special projects.
When an animal has needs that cannot be met by SAS, the shelter looks to peer organizations to transfer an animal to a group that is more equipped to meet the animal’s needs. For example, when there is a behavioral need for a specific breed, such as a German Shepherd, SAS will reach out to an organization like Washington German Shepherd Rescue — which may be better equipped to rehabilitate and responsibly rehome the animal. Similarly, if SAS is at capacity and cannot take on more animals, the shelter will work with partners such as Seattle Humane and Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) to find a place for the animals.
A group of 220 neglected animals was recently brought into SAS, which limited its ability to take on more animals from owner relinquishments. Fortunately, the shelter s to Seattle Humane and RASKC. SAS has also worked to transfer animals to other organizations both in and out of Washington state.
SAS has also worked closely with organizations to meet fostering needs. With the intake of the 220 neglected animals, SAS was unable to find foster homes for all the animals who needed it. Thankfully, the shelter was able to “borrow” established foster parents from other organizations. By utilizing the foster parent resources from partner organizations, SAS was able to get animals into foster homes quicker than if it relied solely on trying to expand its own foster parent base by training a new set of foster parents.
Another example of cross-organization collaboration is the mobile pet food banks that were held in 2020 by SAS and other groups. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many pet owners have faced economic difficulties and have been unable to provide for pets in their care. SAS, Seattle Humane, RASKC, Auburn Valley Humane Society, and Pasado’s Safe Haven came together to offer pet food and supplies to community members in need through mobile pet food banks. The food banks were staffed with team members and volunteers across different groups within SAS. Pet owners could drive or walk up and grab food and supplies for their pets.
SAS is exploring other ways to help pet owners beyond mobile pet food banks, including potentially partnering on Seattle Humane’s a Pets for Life program — which is focused on providing resources to pet owners so they don’t have to give their pet away or surrender them to a shelter. Resources of this program range from providing low or no-cost medical and behavioral support, fixing fences, grooming assistance, providing proper leashes, and even providing financial assistance for a pet deposit in an apartment rental.
To help support SAS’s community efforts, Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) has provided funding for distribution of more resources and supplies to the community. For World Rabies Day (September 28), SAS partnered with The Doney Coe Pet Clinc to administer vaccines and provide other supplies to pet owners. Funds from SASF allowed SAS to purchase the vaccines and other supplies needed for this special event.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has made a large impact on many lives and organizations, the dedication, passion and fierce advocacy for animal well-being has not wavered among these groups. Thanks to the collaborative efforts and strong partnerships between SAS, Seattle Humane and more, animals in the region and Washington state continue to receive the care they deserve.
If you’re interested in supporting the work and special projects of Seattle Animal Shelter, consider donating to the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation.
In a year defined by many challenges, Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) continues to find reasons to celebrate.
Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS), like many animal shelters across the country, had to make adjustments at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to prioritize the health and care of the animals, as well as the health of the shelter staff. Thankfully, SAS’s volunteer team of foster parents were ready to help. These volunteers stepped up to provide safe spaces for the shelter’s animals to recover and thrive as they made their journey to their forever homes. Foster parents have enabled the shelter to continue to take in animals (including most recently, a group of 220 neglected animals in a single day), despite continued access and space limitations as a result of COVID-19 precautions.
SAS is extremely fortunate to have foster parents like Kari Pelaez, who has been fostering since 2018 and has fostered many of the shelter’s critters. Kari continued to work closely with SAS to provide the animals she was caring for with additional medical assistance as needed. She brought in a few of the guinea pigs she was fostering to get the medical attention they needed.
“I had two boys, Jeremiah and Jeremy, who had had some medical issues. They were very sweet despite being neglected in their earlier life. The vets at SAS fixed them up, and they were adopted,” shares Kari. “SAS is exceptionally thorough with their pet care. Every critter is cared for in the best possible way.”
Other guinea pigs under Kari’s care have ranged from babies to pregnant mothers who required extra monitoring. While caring for Daphne and Beatrice, Kari charted their weight frequently and provided them with calcium-rich hay which is good for expectant guinea pig moms and pups. “There came a point where Daphne was so big, she laid down a lot. I watched her closely and often. I also kept their habitat as clean as possible because I knew once the pups came, I wouldn’t want to disturb them too much.”
In addition to working closely with the vet team at SAS, Kari has also worked closely with the shelter’s Animal Care Officers to help facilitate potential adopter visits. “A few weeks ago, I took Beatrice the guinea pig to meet potential adopters. We were facilitating a supervised visit between Beatrice and the adopters’ current pig. An Animal Care Officer came in to help facilitate the visit and interaction. We chatted, and he shared his appreciation for the foster team. It’s always nice to be appreciated.”
SAS foster parents are also very close with one another and are always willing to offer a helping hand to their fellow volunteers. “The Critter foster team is great – we work with each other by sharing photos, asking questions, offering advice and helping with vacations,” shares Kari. SAS’s 63 critter foster homes have cared for 159 critters so far in 2020.
The support foster parents have provided SAS goes beyond just enabling them to continue taking in animals. Their care helps prepare the animals that go through SAS in their future forever homes. “I think it’s helpful for critters to live in a home, with people, with both the quiet and activity that comes in a family environment,” says Kari. “I think we also get crucial information about the animals themselves when we live with them and observe them in a home environment. By getting to know the animals’ individual personalities, we have a better chance at placing them in the best possible forever home. And that is ultimately the goal.”
If you are interested in celebrating the important work that SAS and volunteers like Kari have done this year and continue to do, consider donating to the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation. “Donations to SASF help fund all the things most people don’t see,” Kari says. SASF helps fund things like education, operational costs, and veterinary expenses for SAS.
“The work done by SAS and SASF matters: it matters to our community, to potential adopters, and most importantly, it matters to the animals.”
On November 7, 2019, Brandi Homeier was recognized by the Seattle City Attorney’s Office with the Domestic Violence in Policing Award. These awards are given out by the Attorney’s office to recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond and/or performed outstanding service in their work as it relates to domestic violence. Brandi was recognized both as a representative of the Seattle Animal Shelter and as an individual, in recognition of her passion and dedication to her job.
Brandi began her work in animal welfare as a Licensed Veterinary Technician for 8 years before seeing a job posting for an Animal Control Officer at the Seattle Animal Shelter. She quickly jumped on the opportunity, realizing she could get paid to work at a shelter. Brandi worked in the Animal Control Officer position for 8 years before taking on her role as supervisor.
As a Field Services Supervisor, Brandi handles the logistical and administrative tasks such as scheduling, assisting customers and handling complaints for her team. Brandi also audits completed calls to the team, secures and serves search/seizure warrants, works with the Services office prosecution team, and last but not least — lets dogs hang out in her office. In addition, Brandi assists in and oversees in investigations for criminal-level offenses by:
Although there is a lot of work and a lot of steps involved in handling cases, Brandi finds the work extremely rewarding. “The feeling of being able to directly intervene and improve quality of life is amazing,” notes Brandi.
Brandi and her team aim to not only protect the well-being of pets, but of humans as well. 52% of defendants in Seattle that have been charged with animal cruelty in the last 5-10 years have been found to have a domestic violence history. Because of this link (and their love of animals), three women within the Domestic Violence unit of the City Attorney’s Office have become the dedicated Animal Cruelty prosecution team for Brandi and her team. Alyssa Shaw, a Victim Advocate in this team, says the link between domestic violence and animal cruelty has been getting more and more attention through research done with survivors of domestic violence. In one study, 71% of women surveyed in a domestic violence shelter reported their partners had actually hurt or threatened their companion animal. It has also been shown that the welfare of animals is a contributing factor for survivors trying to flee their abusive homes. In addition to working with Alyssa, Brandi also works with Victoria VanNocken, who is responsible for filing cases as they come through to this unit through Seattle Animal Shelter and the Seattle Police Department. Catherine Riedo is the third member of the Animal Cruelty team, and is responsible for handling the case once it is filed through negotiations and trial.
Alyssa, Victoria and Catherine were the ones who nominated Brandi for the Domestic Violence in Policing Award. When asked why they submitted the nomination, Alyssa said, “It was because of her absolute dedication to her work as well as her commitment to make sure Seattle is a safe place for humans and animals.”
Alyssa cited one specific case when Brandi helped with a search warrant to allow for a dog to be temporarily taken by Seattle Animal Shelter because of cruelty allegations. Although Brandi was off-duty, she observed something that aided the case and contacted the police to execute the search warrant.
“This is just a small example of the endless list of things that Brandi does for us and her team, and that also shows how invested she is in her cases and to keeping the community safe,” Alyssa says.
The work of Brandi, her team, and the partners in the City Attorney’s Office is important and integral to the animal welfare of the community. We are grateful for the work that they do day in and day out to protect the well-being of animals in Seattle.
If you are able, consider donating to the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation to support this collaborative program between Seattle Animal Shelter and the City Attorney’s office.
Don’t forget to join us for our biggest fundraising event of the year, Furevermore Auction & Gala, for a free, virtual event starting November 9th and continuing with a real time auction on November 14th.
Kimberlee Spicer is the Animal Behaviorist Lead at Seattle Animal Shelter. She started at SAS in January 2020. We recently had the chance to chat with her about what she does as an animal behaviorist and why it’s important.
What is your background? Have you worked for other shelters/rescues before?
I started volunteering with cats when I was 13 years old at my local pet store. At the ages of 15-18, I spent a lot of my free time just visiting shelters in southern California and sitting outside kennels, talking and petting the dogs. I was that kid that when I was over at my friend’s house — I usually was spending time with their pets vs. playing or hanging out with my friends.
Growing up, we always had cats. But it wasn’t until I was 8 years old when we adopted my first dog at a local adoption event. Ironically, I picked the shutdown, terrified-of-the-world 1-year old shepherd mix. It wasn’t until I started working with animals professionally that I realized my first dog was a “behavior case.” He was under socialized, fearful of strangers (especially men), sound sensitive, and had a lot of body-handling sensitivities.
I started working with animals professionally about 9.5 years ago when I was hired as an adoption counselor at Homeward Pet Adoption Center in Woodinville, WA. I very quickly realized that working with animals is exactly where I needed and wanted to be. At that time, we did not have a behavior department and animals were not being trained. About a year into working there, leadership announced they were going to work with a veterinary behaviorist on a dog that came into the shelter and they wanted to know if we knew volunteers that may be interested in implementing the training. That piqued my interest, and I responded asking if staff could also participate in the training. With the training, I got to work with one of the 72 veterinary behaviorists in the country, Dr. Wailani Sung, MS, PhD, DVM, DACVB. Being able to work with Dr. Sung, get her feedback, and seeing a dog progress with the use of evidenced-based positive reinforcement training just lit a fire in me and the rest is history.
Since then, I have become a certified canine behavior consultant (CBCC-KA), certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA) and Fear Free Certified Professional. I have attended countless workshops given by top veterinary behaviorists like Dr. Sung.
I literally spend my downtime reading behavior books and watching webinars… there is so much information out there! While it can be overwhelming sometimes, I am just grateful that the animal training world is evolving and people are really considering how our learners are feeling.
Why do you work in the animal behavior field?
I work in the animal field because it is part of who I am. My passion truly is working with behavior case animals in a shelter environment, and I am humbled to do what I love every day. I enjoy having a better understanding why animals, humans included, do what they do. It is having that understanding and asking ourselves, “What is going on in the environment that is making the learner respond in that way, and how can I change that for them?” is just so fascinating to me. I also thoroughly enjoy the education component. Despite what people may think, working in the animal behavior field requires working with people A LOT! I enjoy that piece and find it crucial because I am just one person; I can’t do behavior modification with every animal in every shelter, but I can share my knowledge with others so they can implement strategies with their own pets or animals in shelters.
What is your favorite part about your job at SAS?
Gosh, just one?! I enjoy almost all aspects of my job. I am grateful to be working with such an amazing group of staff members that work day and night and are dedicated to the betterment of animals and people. I am grateful to work with such a dedicated group of volunteers that devote so much of their time, resources and love to help our animals.
I thrive when working with the animals and feel so humbled to be a chapter in their lives… but if I truly had to pick just one favorite part of my job, it would be getting that post-adoption email that the animal you worked so hard on training, enrichment, foster support, adoption counseling, etc., found their forever home and is thriving. Knowing that an animal may have been euthanized elsewhere, if weren’t for the behavior programs I am lucky to be a part of, is one of the most rewarding parts of the job — I would call it my favorite part.
What is a behavior success story that you were a part of recently?
Each story has an element of success, as there is always something I can take from each animal and learn and grow from. Recently, I worked with an adoptable dog named Tippi. She has fear-based aggression towards people; I am sure you can imagine a dog who is uncomfortable with people, then put in a shelter with nothing but strangers, can be a scary picture. We gave her a few days to decompress, and I began working with her through a baby gate. After a couple of sessions, I was able to take her on walks — and within a week, she was walking with all staff. The week after, she was working with our entire dog behavior team. It turns out Tippi is incredibly smart and so affectionate with her people. She has flourished in a foster home, and they are teaching her tricks every day. While it takes her a little time to warm up to new people, once you are in, you are in and she loves you for life! Tippi is another dog that if she ended up elsewhere, she may not have had the same chance or opportunities as she has had at SAS.
Why is behavior training important?
I believe the most important thing someone could do for their pets is just take the time to learn about animal body language. A lot of the time we hear from people, “it came out of nowhere,” when in reality our animals are communicating to us all the time — but most people just don’t have the knowledge or training to understand what our animals are saying to us and miss the signals they are sharing with us.
A lot of negative situations and outcomes can be avoided if more people had more education about animal body language. Training is so important on many levels: it helps create a bond between the person and their learner; it helps our learners understand what we may want from them; and most importantly, it is a great form of mental enrichment for our animals. It is not just enough to put a roof over our animals’ heads and feed them — we should be engaging our animals with daily mental and physical enrichment. A handful of behavior challenges are present because our animals are bored and frustrated; if we take the time to understand what they are communicating to us and implement that daily mental and physical enrichment, you will see a decrease in most unwanted behaviors.
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.