Vote for Dr. Jen as Petco Love's National Unsung Hero
For the last eleven years, many of us have known Dr. Jennifer “Dr. Jen” Stonequist, our Director of Shelter Medicine here at Kitsap Humane Society, as a hero to thousands of pets in need throughout our community.

Out of 4,000 possible entries, Dr. Jen and her extraordinary story have been recognized by Petco Love and Victoria Stilwell, internationally renowned dog trainer and star of the hit series It's Me or the Dog - and Dr. Jen has been named one of their five 2022 Unsung Heroes honorees.

But there’s more! KHS can win $25,000 towards our upcoming Russ & Linda Young Veterinary Lifesaving Center (Dr. Jen’s dream project come to life!) and have our very own local hero crowned as Petco Love’s National Unsung Hero. 

Vote now through 10 am on April 18 and the honoree with the most votes will be named the national champion on April 19!

Thank you to those who have already cast your vote for Dr. Jen! Don't forget to share with your friends and family.
Please be sure to only vote once – and confirm your vote via your email. It can take up to 20 minutes to receive the confirmation email from Petco Love. If you’re not seeing the email in your inbox, please check your spam folder.
Kitsap Great Give is April 19!
Our community’s biggest day of giving, Kitsap Great Give is April 19, but you can schedule your gift NOW and help pets like Hemmingway!

Hemmingway came to KHS all the way from Texas as part of our Rescue Me transfer program earlier this year. Upon arrival, Hemmingway struggled in our shelter but thanks to one-on-one work by our Canine Behavior & Training and Veterinary teams, Hemmingway was able to become his best, healthiest self before finding the perfect home for him.

Since launching our Rescue Me transfer program in 2014, KHS has transferred more than 14,000 at-risk pets, just like Hemmingway, from high-volume and overcrowded shelters worldwide.

Your gift during the Kitsap Great Give ensures that second chances start here at Kitsap Humane Society for pets who need it. And we’ve got great news! A generous KHS board member and her husband have given a $20,000 challenge gift and hope to inspire others to give!
Cheers to Shelter Pets All May-Long!
Join us for the Pints for Pets Beer & Cider Tour presented by The Partners Group, a month-long extravaganza showcasing some of Kitsap’s best breweries and cideries. This self-guided tour will run the entire month of May and 15% of your beer and cider purchases from our participating locations will benefit animals in need.

Register before April 18 for a chance to win a $25 gift card to one of our 9 participating locations! PLUS - Return your completed punch card to KHS by June 3 and you will be entered to win 4 tickets to a Tacoma Rainiers game for the 2022 season!

We hope to see you there! Please check with individual locations in advance to see if pets are welcome to join you!
You Supported Our Support Your Local Shelter Merch!
We were blown away by the incredible response to our Support Your Local Shelter merchandise campaign last month! In just three weeks, we sold 437 items and raised over $6,200 for shelter pets in need! Thank you to everyone who supported by purchasing their furbulous apparel. Be sure to show off your new merch online and tag @kitsaphumanesociety so we can celebrate with you!
 
Can't get enough official KHS merchandise? Check out our Bonfire storefront for more tail-wagging good apparel.
Animal Control & Care Appreciation Week
With Animal Control & Care Appreciation Week beginning next week, we would like to highlight the phenomenal members of our Animal Control and Animal Care teams here at KHS. Animal Control & Animal Care makes such a difference in the lives of animals both at our shelters and out in our community and we couldn’t do what we do without these vital team members. 

Meet our Animal Control Team!
Our deputized Animal Control team responds to various Animal Control issues via 911, 24/7, and 365 days out of the year from Bainbridge Island all the way to Gig Harbor, covering a total of 6 jurisdictions and Kitsap Naval Bases. Made up of our Chief Animal Control Officer (ACO) Connolly and his team of 4 officers including Officer Dunlap, Officer Goode, Officer McCourtney, and Officer Fugleberg, this team of 5 serves as guardians of the animals and people in need throughout our community as they save lives, rescue abandoned, abused, homeless, and injured pets, and act as a resource to community members.

“Our Animal Control team is set apart in the fact that while we are law-enforcement based, we choose to provide educational interactions first for most minor situations rather than an automatic ticket,” said Chief ACO Connolly. “We aim to provide education where we can and enforce where we have to. We take into consideration our community’s needs and find ways to support them by providing resources.” 

“In my time of nearly 12 years, I have seen and experienced both the growth of our agency and Kitsap Humane Society as a whole. I am proud of my team and I'm proud of the dedication and work our team provides by protecting and serving the animals and the people who live in our community.”
Meet our Animal Care Team!
Our Animal Care Team is made up of 6 diligent and hardworking Animal Care Technicians including Hazel Ash, Bailie Fuchs, Patrick Kulfan, Josh McGilligan, Jing Wastart, and Alena Wolff.

Together, our Animal Care Team provides our furry friends with clean living quarters, fresh food and water, while also moving them around the shelter, assisting with vaccinations, filling in in our Admissions department, and working alongside other departments. Their hard work allows the animals of KHS to keep warm and comfortable throughout their stay with us.

“My favorite part is when I come into work and see a sign on a kennel that says, “I am adopted!” said Animal Care Tech, Jing Wastart. “Nothing warms my heart more than seeing an animal find their home.”

We are so very grateful for the legwork that our Animal Care team puts in. Their dedication to diligently caring for our pets is vital to our mission to provide humane housing to animals experiencing homelessness until we can unite them with their families.

Thank you for all you do Animal Control & Animal Care!
Thank You, Volunteers!
This upcoming Volunteer Appreciation Week we are celebrating the amazing efforts of our volunteers and fosters!

From our Volunteer Team:

From 2019 all the way through 2021, we deeply felt the effects of COVID-19. During that time, our volunteer team had shrunk to about 25% of its usual capacity in order to keep our staff and volunteers safe and healthy. As a result, we grew to rely very heavily on a core group of dog walkers, transfer team members, and maintenance volunteers to carry us through. We are so very grateful for the tireless efforts of our volunteers throughout the pandemic and are happy to say that our core group of volunteers has begun to expand as we reintroduce volunteer opportunities such as feline socialization and connect volunteers to new departments in which we have historically not had volunteer opportunities for through our new social media campaign!

What was once a core group of just 85 volunteers last April has now grown to 259 wonderful helping hands! Over the past year, these passionate animal lovers and courageous community members have dedicated an amazing 15,178 hours of volunteer work here at KHS. Wow!

“Our volunteers are truly integral to this organization, coming in rain or shine to help in so many ways!” said Volunteer Coordinator Christopher Russell, “They are beyond dedicated, and work to do the best they can for all the animals here at KHS. You can see their passion come through in all of the different roles that we have!”

“Being new to the team, they have been incredibly welcoming, and I am so excited to be part of this amazing group of people!” said Russell. “I look forward to celebrating each of you this week and every week, we wouldn’t be here without you!”
From our Foster Team:

Our foster team has also seen quite a bit of growth since last year! In 2021, a whopping 1,094 animals spent time in foster homes recovering from injuries, growing big and strong, getting a break from the shelter environment, and being cared for by our fantastic foster volunteers!

“We believe that if somebody truly wants to foster, we will find a way to make that happen for them!” said Holly Faccenda, Foster Manager. “Any home can be a foster home. And because we are so open to training new fosters and showing them the ropes, we've seen a huge growth in the foster program, especially in our adult dog and bottle baby kitten program! This includes people who are new to fostering and existing fosters who are expanding their skills or are branching out to help other types of animals in need.”

“Our foster parents inspire us every day! Not only does everyone open their homes to animals in need, but everyone is so supportive of one another. We have a very active foster community that is always willing to offer support to a fellow foster and jump in whenever and with whatever is needed.”

There is not a big enough thank you that we could bestow upon our hardworking and eager volunteers and fosters. Each one of you makes all the difference here at KHS and in our community as a whole. Thank you on behalf of every staff member at KHS as well as all the furry friends you help us tend to.
You're Invited!
We invite our community of supporters to attend our Tuesday, April 26 Kitsap Humane Society Annual Meeting.

From 7-8 pm, you can meet Kitsap Humane Society Board members, hear updates, and see some of the behind-the-scenes workings of Kitsap Humane Society’s team.

This annual meeting will take place virtually. To register to attend, please contact Courtney Hood at chood@kitsap-humane.org.
Adorable Adoptable
Meet Comet!
Meet Comet! Comet is a fluffy 10-year-old male tuxedo kitty with sparkling green eyes. This gentle soul loves his quiet time and would love to go home with a patient adopter who can allow him to bond with them at his own pace.

Because young kiddos can be overwhelming, Comet will do best in a home where any children are over the age of 10. Are you the special person who can allow Comet to come out of his shell and blossom? Come adopt him at the shelter today!
Volunteer Spotlight
Meet Emily Wolff!
Say hello to a real coast-to-coast foster rockstar, Emily Wolff! Emily is a newer KHS foster but came to us with great prior dog fostering experience from her former home base on the East Coast where she was active with two foster organizations. When she moved to our neck of the woods, she knew she wanted to continue fostering dogs--and we're so glad to have her on our team! 

Emily first gave puppy fostering a whirl with us, and while she absolutely rocked it, she'll be the first to admit it wasn't really her speed and that adult dog fostering was really where her heart was at. Emily recently fostered goofy, squishable Amos, a young boxer mix who really needed a foster home to stretch his legs in, and was instrumental in helping him find his new family.

Amos had a history of resource guarding against other dogs in his previous home, so one of the big fundamentals that Emily helped Amos work on was being able to safely and appropriately share space with another dog. In addition to utilizing her prior skills and background as a dog foster, Emily also worked with our Behavior Team at KHS to tailor her approach to working with Amos. Using good management techniques and gradual introductions, Emily was able to help Amos feel secure and comfortable enough to share toys and even some snackies with Zoey, Emily's roommate's dog.
Emily also helped Amos brush up on his crate training and other general good boy skills! She's proved to be quite the adept dog trainer!

During his time in foster, thanks to his diligent foster mom, we learned so much about Amos and how to set him up for success in his next home. Whether a dog is in foster for a few days or a few weeks, this glimpse into what they are like in a home environment makes a huge impact in our ability to find their ideal adopter. 

We deeply appreciate that Emily is always up for embracing the unique challenges that fostering can present and is always a delight to interact with. We look forward to working with her again soon!
Staff Spotlight
Meet Paula Rimmer!
Put your paws together for Paula! Joining our team in 2019, Paula brought with her decades of experience in philanthropy, grant-writing, and a huge passion for non-profits.

Today, she serves as our Grants Manager, utilizing her phenomenal gift of translating mission-driven work into compelling cases for support from our generous granters!

She says, “I research and write grants to meet our needs! I work in the Development Department, and grants are just one of the many ways we raise support for KHS’s pet lifesaving mission.”

Paula’s favorite part? “There are several! I love learning about animal welfare and being a part of a movement that seeks to create a more humane world. It gives my life meaning to be a part of a big idea and a mission. It’s wonderful to see and hear my colleagues care for animals and share their knowledge. How we care for and value senior pets - is a big one for me. Finally, being in fundraising, I get to help support the work we do. It is so satisfying and humbling and joyful!”
Her manager shares, “In her time at KHS, Paula has forged many key relationships across the shelter so that she can better understand the importance and impact of every service we offer to the community. Paula has tremendous talent and is often recognized by grant reviewers for crafting the clearest, most compelling, and well-written grants they’ve ever read. I love having Paula on the Development Team - her energy and expertise help move our work forward and I learn from her daily!”

Thanks for being a part of the team, Paula! We’re so glad you’re here!
Community Spotlight
The Partners Group

We'd like to recognize one of our favorite animal-loving paw-tners, The Partners Group! As the largest independent brokerage firm in the PNW, The Partners Group is dedicated to helping individuals and businesses across the nation through their consulting, insurance, and financial services. Plus, they are passionate about making a difference in their communities and inspiring others to do the same.
 
As the Presenting Sponsor of our Pints for Pets Beer & Cider Tour, The Partners Group is certainly making a difference for Kitsap Humane Society! Thank you to our friends at The Partners Group for their generosity and support!
April Events
Many Thanks to Our Grand Shelter Sponsor:
Kitsap Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; Tax ID: 91-0728353