'A Good Dog' is Home After 332 Days at KHS |
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After 332 days in the care of Kitsap Humane Society, Louie, a handsome Catahoula hound mix who struggled with fear issues, was adopted!
Louie came to KHS from an overcrowded shelter in Texas through our Rescue Me program, with the help of our rescue partner Three Little Pitties. If he hadn’t been transferred to KHS, Louie wouldn’t have had a second chance.
Louie was adopted out and then returned – twice – due to his first family’s concern about his rough play with their older dog, and his second family’s unexpected move overseas.
We’ll never know what happened to Louie in Texas. But during his stay at KHS his stress escalated, and he demonstrated severe “stranger danger” and could be unpredictable with men and other animals. A dog like Louie can be difficult to rehome, because many potential adopters with the skill, experience, and training to care for Louie had other pets in the home. The same was true of many of our foster volunteers.
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Louie with his adopter, Gail Wilcox |
Louie could be so sweet and affectionate, though, and a group of roughly eight volunteers became good friends with him. He loved it when they came to walk him and was bright and happy in their presence. When construction got underway for the new canine behavior training center on campus, staff and volunteers knew he needed a break from the shelter and hoped to learn more about his behaviors in a home setting. His friends worked with staff to come up with a foster plan. |
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Like shelters all over the country, Kitsap Humane Society was forced to halt some public services when the state’s COVID-19 shutdown was ordered in March. We were forced to lay off staff, closed the shelter to public viewing of animals, halted spay/neuter services to preserve PPE and maintain safe social-distancing guidelines in our surgery areas, and limited our intake of pets transferred in via our Rescue Me program.
We’re happy to announce that we are reopening our low-cost spay/neuter services on a limited basis starting Aug. 10! If appointments are full, don’t be discouraged. More appointments will open each week. Details here.
Other program updates:
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Strays: KHS accepts stray pets seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. When the pandemic struck, we encouraged people to try and reunite lost pets with their owners as a first step -- rather than bringing them to the shelter -- but we never turned pets away. Please help us spread the word that KHS is here for strays who need help getting home! Details on lost and found pets here.
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Feral Cats: Feral cats are admitted to KHS on a space-available basis. Email CommunityCats@kitsap-humane.org for details.
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Cat Fix Day: Monthly service for low-income clients is cancelled until further notice due to limited spay/neuter capacity.
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Trap-Neuter-Release: Temporarily unavailable due to limited spay/neuter capacity.
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Rescue Me Transfer Program: Prior to the pandemic, KHS transferred in more than 1,700 at-risk animals a year from under-resourced shelter partners. Transfers were suspended in March due to COVID but have resumed on a limited basis, and we’re so happy to give these animals a second chance and forever homes!
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We've been having so much fun chillin' with shelter dogs in the new dog behavior and training play yard this summer! We thought you might like some tips for summer fun with your dogs, too. Our canine and behavior training staff and volunteers like to bring out the wading pool, toys and treats to help shelter dogs feel cool, relaxed and happy, and you can do the same. |
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Pools Not every dog is fond of water, so take your time introducing your dog to the pool and never throw a pet in the water or force them to get in. One way to introduce them to the pool is to sit in it yourself with a treat in your hand. If they join you, make it fun by playing tug or by tossing their favorite squeaky toy. You can also offer them a nice cold floating popsicle with kibble inside -- recipe below! If your pet isn’t fond of the pool, you can slowly introduce her to water play from a garden hose. You may find she likes to chase after the stream of water or take a cool drink from the hose!
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Popsicles Nothing says summer like an ice-cold treat, and it's easy to make iced popsicles at home. Just fill a container with some water and let some kibble soak a bit before popping it into the freezer. You can also add apple and carrot slices and dog biscuit pieces. If you do this in a larger bowl and continue to add layers of water and treats over the ice, you can create a multi-layered concoction that provides cold water and treats for hours.
Protection If you have dogs who stay outside in a fenced back yard during the day, make sure they have a cool, shady place during the day, with a water bowl that
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Registration Opens Aug. 17!
Get ready for a night of VIRTUAL festivities and fun! The 27th Annual Animal Krackers Presented by Peninsula Subaru is Friday, Oct. 16, 2020 from 7 to 8 p.m. You'll get chance to go behind the scenes at the shelter at this year's benefit auction, which raises lifesaving funds for shelter pets and is the highlight of our year!
Our first-ever live-streamed Animal Krackers will be a two-part party with an Online Auction and a Live Event. The Online Auction will be open from Oct. 12-16 and will include unique items and experiences for your bidding pleasure.
Our Live Event will be live-streamed (yes, LIVE!) on Friday, Oct. 16 from 7-8 p.m. and will include one-of-a-kind experiences that you won’t want to miss! You'll also get to meet some of the animals in our care and learn more about the lifesaving work at Kitsap Humane Society -- work that is done all because of YOU! Since you can enjoy Animal Krackers from the comfort of your home, the whole family can join the fun!
Registration opens Aug. 17, 2020.
Registration is FREE but is required to bid on items.
Your participation in our gala will provide lifesaving care and support for the more than 6,000 animals who come through the doors of KHS every year. We hope to see you online at our 2020 event!
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Adorable Adoptable
Meet Champ!
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This month’s adorable adoptable is Champ! Champ is a happy 5-year-old Pittie mix with a sleek black coat and a big blocky head. Champ is always wearing his best accessory – his smile!
This boy is tons of fun and loves to go on walks and hikes, or just hang out in the yard playing fetch. But Champ’s absolute favorite thing is to snuggle! He adores lounging on the couch next to his person and soaking up all the snuggles! Champ is good with other large dogs and is house trained and crate trained. If Champ seems like the perfect pup for you, make an appointment to adopt him today!
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Volunteer Spotlight
Meet Eileen Harnett!
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Eileen has been an exceptionally dedicated volunteer at Kitsap Humane Society for eight years. During this time, she has contributed just over 3,447 hours of service with a special affinity for the small dogs. Eileen recently made the tough decision to retire from volunteering at KHS. She will be sincerely missed by the staff and volunteers.
Eileen reminisces, “I became a volunteer after many months of coaxing by my daughter Heidi - I told her I didn't need 20 dogs in my backyard. She assured me this wouldn't happen.” Her daughter, the late Heidi Harnett-Wakefield, was a longtime volunteer at KHS and is the namesake of the new canine behavior & training center. Although Eileen has only has one dog of her own, she has touched the lives of hundreds of small dogs during her time as a volunteer at KHS. Eileen’s most rewarding work with the small dogs has been “getting to know each of them and their personalities, quirks and seeing them settle in and look so excited on my next shift.”
Staff have noted over the years that she has been one of the most passionate advocates for small dogs at the shelter. Eileen is never hesitant to speak up for the dogs’ needs. As a Lead dog walker, Eileen has always been vehement about making sure every small dog gets walked and they return to a clean kennel. She has also taken an active role in identifying which dogs might need a bit more TLC like grooming and enrichment. Eileen has truly given the dogs the time and attention they need and deserve.
Not only is Eileen an amazing champion of
small dogs, but also an incredible KHS volunteer team member. Throughout her time
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Eileen and her sidekick Mariah send their love and doggie kisses |
here, she has developed strong personal and working relationships with other volunteers and staff at KHS. Eileen speaks of her KHS friends fondly, “I value their friendship more than anything.” Additionally, Eileen has been an excellent mentor at KHS in helping to train and onboard new volunteers: “The dedicated hearts of the volunteers is what kept me coming back.”
Eileen, although we are sad to see you go, we thank you so much for your many years of service and dedication to KHS! We wish you all the best!
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Staff Spotlight
Meet Holly Faccenda
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This month’s Staff Spotlight is on Holly Faccenda! Holly started working at Kitsap Humane Society in March 2019 and first joined our team as the volunteer coordinator. Earlier this spring, Holly made the transition to foster care coordinator and has been hard at work placing hundreds of kittens into loving foster homes so far this year!
Holly is passionate about animal welfare and previously worked at Lifeline Animal Project in Atlanta and the Tacoma Humane Society. Holly has a deaf pittie named Opal and four rescue cats - Willie, Mary, Q-Tip, and Dusty. When asked about Holly, her supervisor said, “Holly is such a joy to have on our team! She is always positive no matter how hectic her day gets, and she always puts the animals first!” Thank you, Holly, for all you do for the pets of KHS!
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Community Spotlight
MRJ Constructors
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MRJ Constructors have been supporters of Kitsap Humane Society since 2017 and are proud sponsors of this year's virtual Animal Krackers.
In addition, they have worked their magic on the KHS campus by bringing our vision of a new Pet Adoption Center to life. Plus, they've renovated our canine behavior and training spaces to help KHS continue to provide exceptional care for animals.
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MRJ Constructors provides outstanding workmanship, attention to detail, and exceptional project management services. Thank you, MRJ Constructors! |
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Many thanks to our Powerful Partner, PSE, for their support of our lifesaving mission.
PSE reminds customers to stay informed and protect themselves from fraud. Scammers can be threatening and clever in using new, deceptive tactics.
What do to about scams:
PSE never asks or requires customers who have delinquent accounts to purchase a prepaid debit card to avoid disconnection.
PSE customers receive several communications related to bill payment before any disruption in service.
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When it comes to bill payment calls,
PSE’s vendors DO NOT call after noon on Saturdays and do not make any calls on Sundays; any calls during those periods are red flags.
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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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