Tag: seattle animal shelter

2023 Year End Appeal 

Posted on by Tom

As the busy holiday season approaches and we start prepping for presents, get-togethers, and festive traditions, it’s also important to look to those in need. Many animals in our community are relying on our help to receive behavior and medical care and find their forever homes. Consider adding the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) to your gift giving list this season to support our vital work with animals – animals like Rio. 

Rio, a small yellow canary, came into the shelter displaying several behaviors in a repetitive fashion. The Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) Behaviorist Tina provided Rio with some options to begin practicing alternate behaviors to break up her repetitive behaviors. She started by moving Rio to her office so that she could observe her throughout the day and track how often Rio was performing these behaviors. 

Tina found that Rio spent almost all her waking hours stuck in a loop. Fly to water, dip head in water, fly to perch, rub head and beak on perch, fly to second perch, rub beak and head on perch, fly to food bowl, pick up and drop food without ingestion, repeat. 

Tina explains that many people might not think that these subtle behaviors are concerning, often because our experience with birds is restricted to captive birds. We may not understand the scope of their natural behaviors because we have altered their environment. 

Ultimately Tina concluded that Rio was trying to cope. She was likely experiencing social pain from not having other conspecifics around. Mirrors can be helpful to some bird species and individuals (not all), but in Rio’s case it made all the difference. By altering her environment (her birdcage) to include daily novel toys, a mirror, and playing canary songs for her, SAS was able to see a reduction in the frequency of these repetitive behaviors within just a few days. Rio was much happier! 

Thanks to Tina’s dedication and SAS resources, Rio was adopted and is now called Bi Bi.   

Please consider giving a gift online at https://www.seattleanimalshelterfoundation.org/how-to-help/donate/ and give an animal like Rio a new chance at life. With your support, Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation can continue to fund ongoing and new programs at Seattle Animal Shelter to rescue, heal, and adopt out animals in need. 

Giving Tuesday – for pets like Pandora

Posted on by JenniferW JuliaL

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!

Donate here

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!  

New coordinator “foster is the future”

Posted on by JenniferW JuliaL

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.”

 

If you’re interested in supporting the work and special projects of Seattle Animal Shelter, consider donating to the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation and attending the next Furevermore Auction & Gala.

Lachy’s Strength for Success 

Posted on by JenniferW JuliaL

Today, Lachy is healthy, and you’d never guess what happened! Unfortunately, Lachy fell out of a four-story window. Although he survived the fall, that was the beginning of his recovery period. He was diagnosed with pneumothorax (air in his chest), multiple rib and pelvic fractures, and he was non-weight bearing in one of his hind limbs. After time at the vet, he was transported to the Seattle Animal Shelter a few days after his accident.   

Senior veterinarian at the Seattle Animal Shelter, Dr. Watlington, was able to provide us with more details of Lachy’s medical condition. When he arrived at the shelter, he was very sweet and easy to handle. His pelvic fractures were non-surgical. He was put on exercise restriction and pain medication to help manage his discomfort. The shelter’s behaviorist, Tina, did a wonderful job identifying his enrichment needs. Lachy is a Belgian Malinois, a very high-energy breed, so he needed a bit more stimulation in his kennel since he wasn’t going on long walks or able to play. Being confined was a tough situation for this active boy. On top of being active, his foster parent said, “He’s driven, smart, affectionate with his people, guards the house, good with other dogs. He picks things up super-fast…Things like advanced obedience, agility, nose work etc.” After some time, Lachy was sent to a veterinary rehabilitation facility for a consultation, and it was concluded that his pelvic fractures were healing very well. He was able to move to a foster home to continue his healing in a more peaceful environment for about two months. 

Since Lachy is a breed that is both active and smart, his foster family mentioned, “He’s a really good dog for someone that wants and knows how to work with driven guarding and working breeds. If I was able to fully have the choice, he would not go to first time dog owners or to someone that lives in an apartment downtown or someone that wants a “normal house” dog.” Belgian Malinois are known for being highly obedient and protective, which means Lachy needs extra room for activities! 

While in foster, his foster parents did only on-leash activity for a month with slowly increased walk time. As activity increased, Lachy’s foster family started to explore more of his interests, “I learned today that he LOVES water, from a kiddie pool in our yard. He’d be the best hiking and alpine lake swimming buddy!”  

Luckily, this good boy was adopted last week and has gone to a loving home. We are proud of our animal success stories here at the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation, and we owe a lot of thanks to our amazing sponsors for making these types of stories possible!  

Scary world turns welcoming thanks to a new friend

Posted on by JenniferW JuliaL

For most dogs, going into a shelter is an overwhelming experience. There’s noise, strange smells and a lot of uncertainty. And these feelings were magnified exponentially for little Tarsier, a mini-Aussie/retriever mix. 

After being found on the streets of Capitol Hill and brought to Seattle Animal Shelter, Tarsier was immediately identified as a pup in need of additional support. She was placed in Shelter Behaviorist Tina Hope’s office to get one-on-one attention as well as a little peace. Tina spent the day with Tarsier trying to socialize her a bit, but she still wasn’t eating well or engaging with toys. 

An urgent call for foster ended up with Tarsier going home with shelter staff member Jeff. Once there, Tarsier was still showing a lot of fear, specifically hesitancy around going outside. Tina worked diligently with Jeff to manage this behavior with a specific plan suited for his environment, with clear goals and steps on what to do.  

“Bringing home Tarsier was an invaluable experience in demonstrating how we can help facilitate the space for agency in fearful dogs,” Jeff said. “With the help of Tina’s multi-step plan, we were able to have Tarsier be able to choose to go outside on her terms rather than carrying her outside, which could increase long lasting anxiety or stress by removing her agency.”  

Tarsier wasn’t in foster for long. This darling girl with soulful eyes caught the attention of Kim Bryan of Edmonds, who was visiting the shelter with her 13-year-old son to see if they could find a good companion for their current shepherd mix, Finn.  

“We just had this feeling, because we had Finn and we knew his temperament, that she might do better having a dog friend,” Kim said. “We knew any adopted dog who has gone through trauma would have challenges, but we were OK with that.” 

For Tarsier (now Olive), it was bonding at first sight.  

“Finn was so relaxed when he first met Olive that when she first spotted him she immediately perked up. She was still scared, but immediately started watching him and following him. The first ‘puppyness’ we saw was when she met our dog.” 

It was an obvious decision that Olive would go home with them. Kim got a lot of support from shelter staff around Olive’s needs.  

“They were great, Jeff in particular. He let us know what he’d been working on with her, which was promoting puppy behaviors. Oftentimes people are trying to get their puppies to mature, but if she jumped for joy or spun around, he would praise her for that. That was good for us to know. In our two meetings with Olive before adoption, shelter staff allowed us as much time as Olive needed. They sat on the floor with us, helped us introduce our dog Finn to Olive in a safe, drama-free way, and let us know how to best interact with Olive, who was very, very cautious at first. It feels like the shelter staff get to the core of what’s going on with each dog quite quickly: Olive was only there five or six days and they already understood her really well.”  

“On that very first day she would go up to the door and stop, but she kept watching Finn go in and out. I swear he told her, ‘It’s fine.’ By the end of the day she was going out on her own, following along behind Finn.” 

And now, two months later, Olive is living her best life. She loves playing with water, and especially playing with Finn.  

When Kim brought Olive home she had a gradual introduction planned, but Olive had other ideas.  

“They wrestle, play tug of war, they race. She’s very confident in saying, ‘You’re going to play with me now.’ They are very bonded.”  

When the family visits their Anderson Island cabin, now Olive comes along, too.  Her earlier caution has given way to a huge curiosity. Her current fascination is standing for long moments in the yard, watching the island deer. 

“It’s quite remarkable,” Kim says, “because she was literally afraid of the outdoors,  and now she’s the first one out the door.” 

The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation funds many shelter programs, including the Behavior Program. To learn more about the Behavior Program click here, or follow this link for information on how to donate.  

Shelter diversion keeps pets happy, healthy, and with their families  

Posted on by Tom

The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation financially supports programs at the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) through yearly grants. One highly impactful grant supports SAS’s “Shelter Diversion” program and its Owner Support Fund, which started in 2020 and continues today.  

In 2020, the uncertainty and drastic adjustments were tempered by the positive outcome of implemented changes at SAS. These changes included a new way of managing SAS intake requests – which is when owners contact the shelter to surrender their pet. Shelter staff began talking to families considering relinquishing their pets and working with them to find alternatives or to rehome their pets themselves.  The grant funds received from the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation, which continued in 2022, made many of these new and expanded services possible.  

SAS’s initial goals included:  

  1. Reducing shelter intake  
  1. Keeping established pets in their homes  
  1. Collecting information to better inform future efforts to create programs and services that continue to address goals one and two. Specifically, to:  
  • Identify the top reasons for owner surrender to SAS and the most common needs expressed by pet owners surrendering animals.  
  • Track how often the family leaves the shelter with their pet and resources, versus how often intake was the solution.  
  • Use information obtained to better assess SAS’s ability to provide solutions for every family that needs help.  

SAS has learned a lot from administering this grant over the past few years. The initial strategy of working with owners who called the shelter about relinquishing their pets had limited success. SAS discovered that by the time people called about surrendering a pet, they had often already made up their mind and were not open to accepting support for alternatives. SAS’s initial tracking indicated that 63% of the recipients declined support and wanted to proceed with the surrender. SAS heard comments like “We’re at the end of our rope” and “I just can’t do it anymore.”  

SAS had the greatest success when their Field Officers identified recipients while working with them in the field where pet owners are being offered support before pursuing punitive measures.  

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In 2022, assistance was provided for pet medical needs, pet behavior support, and emergency short-term pet boarding. Not surprisingly veterinary care was the single greatest need requested. The cost of veterinary care is significant and represents one of the challenges of sustaining a program like this, especially as people become more aware of the opportunities for support. While parameters may need to be put in place, this often is not helpful to the pet owner in need who cannot neither afford any amount nor have any further capacity to incur debt via credit cards etc. Solutions to these challenges will exist through partnerships and collaborations that help to leverage funding and the possible expansion of SAS’s own veterinary team and the reevaluation of services they are able to provide to the public.  

“Without the help of the Owner Support Fund, I could have never kept Bella! I was having a really tough financial year with health issues when I found Bella, an 8-month-old cat abandoned next to an apartment dumpster, left in a carrier with no note or water. The apt manager where I found her saw video of a tenant bringing her out and leaving her with the trash. SAS made it possible for her to receive essential medical care, so I could keep her.  I hope the funding continues so that you can help more people keep their pets!” 

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Behavioral support was the next most common need identified. Concerns included: Aggression to people and/or pets, separation anxiety, barking, and reactivity.  

“I am beyond grateful for the assistance that the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation’s Owner Support Fund has offered me and my dog, Koda. He is an adult husky with severe separation anxiety and has trouble walking in unfamiliar neighborhoods. So, an overall very nervous pup. The assistance fund came to me during a critical time. He was getting more destructive, and his stress and anxiety was pouring into me to the point I thought I should rehome him after the 8 years of having him. The fund helped me afford an amazing trainer that I would otherwise not have been able to afford on my own. My dog means the world to me and seeing him less stressed on our walks and unfazed when I leave home truly gives me peace of mind. This program not only helped Koda become a more confident dog, but it helped me become happier and healthier mentally. I can only hope more people get to utilize this program and get a second chance like Koda and I did.” 

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Without the support provided through the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation funding this program, many pets would have been relinquished or may even have suffered through medical conditions or other substandard conditions. One of the additional benefits of this program is that it enabled SAS staff, particularly field officers, to create positive relationships in the community.  

An essential ingredient to reducing intake is shelter diversion. As the old saying goes—an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And to cure animal homelessness, we must continually invest in programs that address the root causes of that homelessness. This is how we move the needle of lifesaving forward—and keep it there.  

Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation’s support of crucial shelter diversion programs assures our community can meet the growing needs that exist for pets and the people who love them.  By providing as many resources and services as possible, we reduce the barriers to keeping pets and people together, healthy, and safe.