Celebrating 115 Years in 2023 |
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We are so excited to be celebrating 115 years of serving as more than a shelter in 2023! Throughout the year, we plan to share milestones, tributes, and impactful memories with our community - and we want your help! If you have a memory, photo, or information to contribute, please contact Victoria Gingrey, Director of Marketing at vgingrey@kitsap-humane.org or 360-692-6977 x1206
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KHS Canine Behavior & Training and Access to Veterinary Care Program Supported by Recent Grants |
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KHS is honored to be the recipient of two generous grants from Washington State funders who are investing in crucial KHS programs aimed at increased animal lifesaving and support for pets and the people who love them.
KHS awarded $45,000 “Everyone Is on the Behavior Team” grant by the Gary and Carol Milgard Family
The Gary and Carol Milgard Family is taking an integrated care approach with their “Everyone is on the Behavior Team” grant which brings Veterinary Medicine, Shelter Operations, and Animal Behavior together for an interdepartmental evaluation and action plan for dogs who would benefit from learning new skills in order to better prepare them for adoption. This $45,000 grant supports KHS staffing and allows us to infuse behavioral support into every aspect of a dog’s experience at KHS. Robust behavior and training are key building blocks that sustain and increase dog lifesaving, grow the success of foster, and support adopters and dog owners in the community. KHS is deeply grateful to the Gary and Carol Milgard Family for their generosity and partnership to support the canines in our community.
Cowlitz Tribal Foundation Statewide Fund awards KHS $50,000 for Access to Veterinary Care Program
This November, the Cowlitz Tribal Foundation Statewide Fund granted KHS $50,000 for our Access to Veterinary Care program, an initiative created to meet urgent community demand and expand access to veterinary care for households experiencing difficulties by providing affordable vet care options. These funds will also be used with the opening of our new Russ & Linda Young Veterinary Lifesaving Center and Community which is expected to open in Fall 2023. KHS is dedicated to serving families with limited incomes in our community who have nowhere else to turn, and this grant makes that possible.
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Dec. 9-11 is Best Friends National Adoption Weekend!
Check out our adorable adoptables here.
WHEN: Friday, December 9 – Sunday, December 11, KHS is open for adoptions 12 – 4 pm.
WHERE: Kitsap Humane Society, 9167 Dickey Road NW, Silverdale 98383
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Winter Pet Safety Tips
It’s that time of year! The snow has started falling and so have the temperatures. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Limit time outside to short, supervised potty breaks to keep your pets safe and warm.
- Consider your pets age, breed, size, and coat length. Not all pets are able to withstand cold temperatures.
- Keep community cats in mind by providing shelter, warm bedding, and water that is not frozen.
- Watch for signs of hypothermia including shivering, anxiousness, and appearing lethargic. If you see these signs get your pet to a warm place and contact your local vet.
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There's Still Time for Holiday Shopping!
Looking for some last-minute holiday gift ideas for the animal lover in your life? Look no further! When you shop with us, your purchase helps pets in need! Here's a few ideas:
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Our 2023 Calendar makes the perfect stocking stuffer!
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Shop our merch for the perfect warm and stylish gift!
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This holiday season, give the gift that keeps on giving by making a donation to Kitsap Humane Society in honor of an animal-loving friend or family member.
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Make your giving go even further this holiday season by checking out using Amazon Smile! Simply choose Kitsap Humane Society as your charity of choice, and a portion of your purchase will be donated to animals in need!
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Construction Timelapse for September-December 5
A little cold never bothered us anyway! Construction continues on the much-needed Russ & Linda Young Veterinary Lifesaving Center. Currently, the center is scheduled to open in Fall 2023. Please pardon our dust as we continue, and thank you for your continued support of this much-needed treatment facility.
If you've not yet seen or would like to witness two months of progress in just a few short seconds, please watch our September-December 5 time-lapse!
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Join us for our Final Santa Paws of the Year! |
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year – and Santa Claus is coming to West Hills Kia on Sunday, Dec. 11 from 11 am - 3 pm for our last Santa Paws event of the year! Bring the whole crew for a jolly good time taking family photos with Santa!
This festive event costs $20 per family and includes one family photo with Santa that will be emailed to participants digitally after the event. Animals aren’t required! Pictures are first come, first served. All proceeds benefit animals in need at KHS!
Please note: All dogs must be on a leash, and all other animals must be safely contained.
A huge THANK YOU to KHS longtime volunteer, Jeff Berger, who is volunteering his time once again to be Old St. Nick for Santa Paws. Plus, our fabulous photographer Mary Eklund of Four Foot Photography.
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2023 Partnership Opportunities Available |
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Align your business with a beloved local charity! Kitsap Humane Society is looking for corporate partners for our 2023 event season! KHS is proud to be one of Kitsap’s most trusted and respected charities, with a high level of brand recognition and broad community engagement. Dozens of local businesses and corporations have benefited from partnering with Kitsap Humane Society as an event sponsor, and you can, too!
If you're interested in our 2023 partnership opportunities, please email Events & Outreach Manager Jessi Reynolds at jreynolds@kitsap-humane.org.
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Adorable Adoptable
Meet Domino!
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In just a few weeks, Domino will have reached his one-year mark here at KHS, and while he has spent most of that time in an amazing foster home, Domino would love nothing more than to have an adoptive home of his own for the holidays!
In his time with us, we have learned that Domino loves tennis balls, is a 65-pound lap dog, loves going to the beach, has a talent for "sitting pretty," will nap in an outdoor lounge chair at any chance he gets, does the best sploots, will never let you go to the bathroom alone, has the most endearing personality, and so much more! Let's get Domino adopted before the holidays!
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WHEN: Friday, December 9 – Sunday, December 11, KHS is open for adoptions 12 – 4 pm.
WHERE: Kitsap Humane Society, 9167 Dickey Road NW, Silverdale 98383
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Volunteer Spotlight
Meet Jeff Berger!
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When we think of Santa, we think of somebody who is jolly and nice, spreading cheer wherever they go! Here at Kitsap Humane Society, we have a special connection with our own Santa Paws, who brings joy and love to the animals here at the shelter as well as within our community! While he dons the typical Santa gear during the holidays, our Santa spends time with us year-round and is also known to us as Jeff Berger. Jeff started volunteering with KHS 22 years ago, and since then has devoted over 1,600 hours to the shelter, spending time with our cats, assisting in vet services, and becoming our beloved Santa Paws every year!
Jeff is a devoted Cattery Lead, providing valuable insight into ways we can provide the best care for our cats, often working with our more shy and fearful or highly-stressed cats due to his experience and skills! He also is a wonderful support system for new volunteers that are learning about our cats and socialization, providing guidance and knowledge whenever he can.
With his long tenure and rich history at KHS, Jeff is known by many to be kind, caring, and beyond helpful.
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“He is an incredible advocate, always happy to stop and say hello, and obviously loves what he does!” remarked a KHS staff member when talking about Jeff’s service.
Whether you know him as Santa or as a wonderful cat snuggler, Jeff is one of a kind and brings so much to KHS that we are incredibly grateful for! Thank you for all of your amazing contributions to KHS Jeff! The staff, volunteers, and community appreciate all that you do!
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Employee Spotlight
Meet Ashley Llapitan!
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Recently celebrating her one-year anniversary at KHS, meet Ashley, our Behavior Manager! In her role, she not only oversees our Behavior & Training program but also our Adoptions team. Her focus is on developing enriching programs to benefit the animals in our care, our team caring for the animals, our adopters, and our amazing community.
Her favorite part? “I get to do incredible stuff every day, whether it is seeing an animal get to go to their adoptive home or making a breakthrough with a fearful dog-- there is something good in every single day.”
Ashley, along with five other KHS staff members, recently visited the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center in North Carolina, learning alongside national leaders in the behavior and training field. The results have been incredibly fruitful, including “P.E.” for pets! And if you’ve had flashbacks to high school gym class, you’re exactly right! That’s physical education for pets!
“I was so fortunate to be a part of a group of staff that got to go to the Behavioral Rehabilitation Center, where we saw many things that benefit shelter animals. One of the easy wins we felt like we could quickly integrate into our care was PE. PE is a fun way for people and animals to connect while giving shelter dogs the space to have a fun outlet for energy. Not only are we encouraging our staff to participate, so that they can build a bond with our shelter dogs while doing some fun enrichment for the dogs, but we are also adding it to our adoptions. We hope to help adopters build a bond with shelter pets and help show the benefit of different forms of enrichment.”
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At work and at home, Ashley is surrounded by animals, including her own crew which includes two big dogs, a 20-year-old cat she has had with her since fostering her at 6 weeks old, chickens, three goats, and her newest family member, a blind mini horse named Natty!
Ashley hopes the community knows that “KHS is committed to rescue, rehabilitation, and finding amazing homes for animals in need. Every single day I come to work with the mindset of working towards our mission and building our programs to benefit our animals and our community. We are working every single day to find better ways to support our animals, community, and staff.”
Thank you, Ashley! And congratulations on one incredible year at KHS so far! We can’t wait to see where you go from here!
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Community Spotlight
Mary Eklund of Four Foot Photography
This month we're putting our paws together for our fabulous volunteer fur-tographer, Mary Eklund, owner of Four Foot Photography!
Mary is a long-time volunteer who has been taking photos for our Santa Paws events since 2016 and has generously offered to do it again this year. If that was not enough, she has gone above and beyond and offered to do this year’s Kitsap Humane Society 2023 Calendar. Her experience and love of animals show in her beautiful photos. A big thank you to Mary for her amazing support and dedication!
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Puppuccino Pal Spotlight
Jessica Neice of Evergreen Home Loans
Please meet our December Puppuccino Pal Sponsor, Jessica Neice of Evergreen Home Loans! Jessica is a Loan Officer at Evergreen Home Loans in Silverdale. She started in the mortgage industry in 2020 after working in retail banking for nearly 10 years. In her current role, she specializes in educating the community on home financing options.
“My passion is helping people become homeowners,” said Jessica. “At an early age, I realized the importance of financial stability and I have spent my career learning about money management. I want people to know that homeownership is attainable. With my background in finance and personal life experience, I aim to help everyone reach their home financing goals!”
When asked why she chose to support the pets in need at Kitsap Humane Society through our Puppuccino Pal Sponsorship, Jessica said, “My husband and I are animal lovers. We have two rescue animals from KHS, a border collie mix named Cinder and a calico cat named Luna. The unconditional love we share for them is truly special. The veterinary care, training, and adoption center at KHS has made our lives even more fulfilling. So, we give back in any way that we can, whether it’s volunteering our time, donating to the cause, or promoting their adoption site.
“I strongly believe that pet ownership can enhance one’s quality of life. Many times, renters either cannot afford a large pet deposit or pets are simply not allowed. Owning a home enables the freedom to make pet-ownership a reality. Not only are you building wealth through homeownership, but you are creating a better life for you, your family, and your furry friends.”
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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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