Expanding access with Petco Love |
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Luna’s family knew something was wrong when she stopped eating and kept vomiting. They took her to the vet and learned that Luna needed an emergency surgery to remove hairbands that she swallowed. They also learned that the surgery cost more than they could afford. Fortunately, they were referred to KHS.
Our veterinary team removed the blockage and saved Luna’s life. “We are so thankful for the assistance KHS gave our family,” shared the cat’s parents. Luna’s story is just one example of how our low-cost Access to Veterinary Care Program is making an impact for pets in need. And it’s thanks to supporters like Petco Love that we’re growing this essential program.
We are honored to receive a $50,000 grant investment from Petco Love in support of our Access to Veterinary Care Program. Petco Love is a national nonprofit leading change for pets by harnessing the power of love to make communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier.
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“Our investment in Kitsap Humane Society is part of more than $15M in investments recently announced by Petco Love to power local organizations across the country as part of our commitment to create a future in which no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love. “Our local investments are only part of our strategy to empower animal lovers to drive lifesaving change right alongside us. We recently launched Petco Love Lost, a national lost and found database that uses pet image technology to simplify the search for lost pets.”
“Petco Love’s investment in our Access to Veterinary Care Program will empower us to help more pets in need like Luna. We are deeply appreciative of their support and so excited to expand our low-cost services with the opening of a community clinic in our new Russ & Linda Young Veterinary Lifesaving Center this fall,” shared Jamie Nocula, KHS Director of Philanthropy. Thank you so much, Petco Love!
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Register for PetsWALK and help save shelter pets |
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PetsWALK is back in Downtown Poulsbo on Saturday, June 3. With beautiful views and a mostly-flat course, this pet-friendly charity 5K walk/run is fun for everyone, including four-legged fur babies!
Sign up now to receive pro fundraising tips, event access, and a code to purchase a PetsWALK 2023 t-shirt. Launch a superstar fundraising campaign with the tools we provide in the personal participant portal. Raise critical funds for pets in need and earn fun prizes like a KHS hat and custom pet pillow!
Join us for a bustling vendor festival after the 5K! Not planning to run/walk? Swing by to pick up samples for pets, learn about animal health, and explore some of our favorite local businesses and nonprofits. Lace those sneakers and leash up pups because PetsWALK is a doggone good time for all ages!
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Kitsap Great Give a meow-velous success |
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On behalf of shelter pets in need, THANK YOU! More than 300 animal lovers came together and gave over $40,000 to our essential programs during Kitsap Great Give.
Your support during our community's biggest day of giving will save lives. "During Kitsap Great Give, we shared uplifting stories showing your impact," said Jamie. "From the youngest and most vulnerable in our care to senior animals still seeking loving forever families, every gift makes a difference."
Because of our community’s generosity, we rescue, rehabilitate, and find loving homes for thousands of pets each year. With your support, we'll continue serving as a vital safety net for pets and people in need.
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For the love of cats, don't be a kit-napper |
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We love kittens. And it’s because we love these cuties that we urge you—don’t be a kit-napper! A kit-napper is a well-meaning individual who sees kittens somewhere all alone and rushes into action to “save” them. If you find kittens, don’t panic! Take a minute to assess the situation.
It is natural for mom cats to leave their kittens unattended for extended periods. Usually, if mom’s away, she’s hunting food so that she and her babies stay well-fed.
Use our kitten rescue flowchart to decide what to do when you hear kittens mew. You can always offer food and shelter to a mother and her litter, and sign up to foster with KHS!
We want to get kittens (and mom!) off the streets, spayed / neutered, fully vaccinated, and placed into loving homes. And we want to make sure that we aren’t separating kittens from their mom and placing them at risk.
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ASPCA funding supports shelter pets |
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One of our great supporters is the ASPCA Northern Tier Shelter Initiative. We were honored to receive funding from ASPCA and it is helping animals every day.
The funding allowed our veterinary team to purchase a monitor to better track animal vital signs during surgery. It is especially useful for surgeries on small animals like kittens. We have experienced high kitten intake in the last few years and the monitor has helped during spay / neuter surgeries and other procedures. With this equipment, all vital signs are saved in transferable spreadsheets so that we can view patients from anywhere at any time!
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We also purchased an adjustable gurney that has enabled us to extend low-cost spay / neuter services to pet parents with dogs weighing 75 pounds or more. It makes moving large animals safer and less stressful. The gurney helped us save Flapjack, an 84-pound Great Pyrenees mix who came to KHS as a stray. Our staff noticed he was limping and decided to add a stop in the x-ray room to his planned neuter surgery.
Thanks to the new gurney, we easily moved Flapjack through both procedures and back to his kennel for recovery. This equipment is a game changer for our staff and the larger animals in our care. As we prepare to open our Russ & Linda Young Veterinary Lifesaving Center and expand low-cost services, this gurney will help many animals in need. Thank you so much, ASPCA!
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April showers bring KHS events
Thank you to everyone who enjoyed our April events! Our adoption events at Tracyton Community Library and Z Bones Pet Mercantile helped nine animals find loving fur-ever homes. Pets on the Patio brought the community out for puppuccinos and prizes at Finn Hill Starbucks last weekend. Check out all of our upcoming events for more spring fun!
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Construction continues on the VLC
We've had exciting weeks of construction on the Russ & Linda Young Veterinary Lifesaving Center (VLC). Follow our VLC Capital Campaign updates on the KHS blog to stay current! Want to see the construction in person? Email Jamie Nocula to join a hard hat tour!
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Adorable Adoptable
Meet Ombre!
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Say hello to beautiful Ombre! This sweet gal is looking to relax in the purr-fect forever home.
Ombre loves pets, especially on her back and neck. She's not a big fan of toys, but will play with the occasional ball or stuffed toy. Think Ombre will blend into your life? Adopt her! We use a walk-up and queue-based first-come, first-served adoption system. KHS is open for adoptions Wednesday-Monday, 12 pm - 4 pm.
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Volunteer Spotlight
Meet Mike Mitchell!
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Karen Mitchell is an amazing KHS foster parent and has been called a, “queen of bottle babies and critical care kittens.” Karen is well known in our foster community, but many people don’t know that her husband Mike Mitchell is a rockstar foster, too. We asked Karen to write this month’s volunteer spotlight on Mike and share his impact. Thank you so much, Karen and Mike! |
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By Karen Mitchell
"Hey, the foster office has 4 one-day-old kittens."
“Incubator set up?”
“Yes, the usual settings.”
“ETA?”
“On my way to get them, 40 minutes or so.”
“Okay, I’m on it.”
“Thank you, love you.”
“Love you too, see you soon.”
And so it starts. Kitten season…in February. Mike is the rock that steadies our foster endeavor. He works tirelessly behind the scenes building kennels and troubleshooting isolation rooms and makeshift ISO bins. Mike is the morning relief kitten feeder when I'm wiped out. He steps in and does the job. Every time.
Mike volunteers at KHS in Transportation and Vet Services. He has been known to pick up puppies and kittens at midnight in Seattle and bring them to the shelter, lovingly carrying each one and placing them in their new kennel. He is a strong believer in spaying and neutering pets. Mike gets up early to check in pets for the low-cost spay / neuter program.
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He works tirelessly to make a difference. And then he comes home.
At times, our home will host more than a dozen kittens. Often, these kittens are from different litters and need a separate quarantine. Many are ill or too small to eat on their own. Mike will jump in and care for the smallest, most vulnerable babies.
His design and build of our kennels makes it possible to foster over 100 kittens in a given year. The strong hands that built those kennels will hold and love a tiny kitten who needs attention.
One of Mike’s passions is photography. He has taken thousands of photos and is behind most of the pictures on our social media. As we all know, we can only use a fraction of the photos since kittens move so quickly! But, again, his patience is unwavering. He gets the shot.
Please join me in celebrating Mike. Rescue work is not for the faint of heart. And Mike’s heart is all in. Thank you, Mike!
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Staff Spotlight
Meet Lisa Chastain!
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Lisa Chastain joined KHS in early April 2023 as our Director of Animal Welfare. Lisa has had a strong love for animals and their well-being since her childhood in England.
She was the Director of the shelter at Pets Unlimited in San Francisco and was part of the leadership team at PAWS in Lynnwood, WA, for the last eighteen years.
"Lisa has been an amazing asset to the team in just the short time she’s been at KHS. Her love for animals, dedication to supporting staff and volunteers, and extensive experience in animal welfare is a huge gift to our team," said Dr. Jen Stonequist, KHS Director of Shelter Medicine.
Lisa recently moved to Kitsap County with her husband, Geoff, and their rescue cats, Huey Lewis and Kitten with Mittens of fury. “I am super excited to have joined such a wonderful shelter with an amazing group of people,” shared Lisa. "I have worked in animal sheltering for more than thirty years and I can’t imagine any other field of work!”
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"I am a State Farm agent because I am motivated by hard work that makes a difference. I love knowing what I do impacts my customer's lives for the better."
"As a small business owner, husband, and local resident, it is important to me that my State Farm office regularly participates in local events and supports other local businesses and nonprofits."
"I love the mission of Kitsap Humane Society, and I love working with them! I look forward to partnering with Kitsap Humane Society for years to come to help them rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome animals in our area."
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A huge thank you to our May Puppuccino Pals Sponsor, Rockin’ Ruby’s Records, LEGO & Retro Gift Store! Rockin' Ruby’s offers an incredible selection of records, LEGO's, and retro gifts in Poulsbo while serving Pegasus Coffee for a cause. All coffee profits are donated to local animal rescue programs!
“We are HUGE animal lovers! We believe in adopt don’t shop, and will stop to save every lost dog we see, where ever we see it. Seriously, we love our furry kids and want every animal to have a loving fur-ever home,” shared Rockin’ Ruby's owner Melanie Peters.
Melanie wants shoppers to have a great time when they visit the store. “We are like a ‘geek emporium’ where completely fun experiences start at the front door. Our record selection is a treasure hunter’s paradise. We have cultivated collections from every genre.”
Want to trim a collection at home? Rockin’ Ruby's buys preowned records, CD’s, tapes, band t-shirts, and LEGO's. Treasure hunt at Rockin' Ruby’s Records, LEGO & Retro Gift Store today: www.rockinrubys.com.
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Many Thanks to Our Grand Shelter Sponsor: |
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Kitsap Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; Tax ID: 91-0728353 |
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