KHS Announces Lee Harper as Executive Director |
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Kitsap Humane Society is pleased to announce Lee Harper as Executive Director. Lee succeeds Eric Stevens, who will continue to serve the shelter in a part-time role as Capital Campaign/Project Director.
Under the direction of the KHS Board of Directors, with the assistance of Valtas, a local recruiting firm, and with input from shelter leadership, Lee’s hiring concludes a major and concerted, months-long effort to find the best match to lead the nationally and regionally recognized progressive animal welfare organization.
Officially starting April 5, Harper joins the shelter with more than a decade of experience leading the Phinney Neighborhood Association in Seattle as Executive Director.
KHS Board President Tina Chenevert shared, “We were so impressed with Lee’s excellent breadth and depth of experience in executive leadership, strategic planning, financial oversight, fundraising, and capital campaign experience, as well as her passion for community engagement, and her emphasis on collaborating with staff and volunteers."
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Kitsap Great Give is April 20! |
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Our community’s biggest day of giving is coming up on Tuesday, April 20!
And thanks to a generous anonymous donor, we have a $30,000 match, meaning your gift will go even further to help us serve as more than a shelter to people and pets who rely on KHS for critical, lifesaving support and care.
And as temperatures rise this spring and summer, we’ll see even more animals coming into KHS who will be counting on you!
Kitsap Great Give is an opportunity for non-profits across Kitsap County to raise critical funds to support their work.
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KHS Apparel Fundraiser Raises Over $10,000! |
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We are thrilled to announce that thanks to your help, our “Rescue, Love, Repeat” Apparel Fundraiser sold over 600 items and raised over $10,500 for animals in need at Kitsap Humane Society, more than doubling our fundraising goal! Wow!
Thank you to the more than 400 supporters who participated in this fashionable fundraiser for the animals. Funds raised will help Kitsap Humane Society continue to care for thousands of vulnerable animals and find them loving homes.
Apparel is expected to start shipping straight to your doorstep between April 6 - 14. Be sure to show us how you’re sporting your KHS apparel by tagging us on social media!
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Showing Our Appreciation during Animal Control and Care Appreciation Week |
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Animal Control Appreciation Week is April 11 - 17, and every day, our Animal Control team serves as guardians of 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.
Director of Animal Welfare and Animal Control Sarah Moody-Cook shared, “The level of dedication, expertise, and compassion that our Animal Control officers bring to the job is truly inspiring. Even during a pandemic, our officers are out in the field every day helping pets and people in need, and embodying KHS’s goal to help build a more humane community for us all.”
The team responds to thousands of calls a year from citizens and plays a crucial role in providing legal documentation for criminal cases involving citizens.
A far cry from “dog catchers” for the “pound,” our Animal Control and Care Officers make a difference daily, led by Chief Officer Chase Connolly (center-right) and including officers (l-r) Officer Dunlap, Officer Buck, and Officer Goode. We’re so grateful to each of them as they compassionately and dutifully serve and save.
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Volunteer Appreciation Week is just around the corner and will look, as we’ve all come to expect over the last year, a little different. 2020 was full of many challenges. COVID-19 arrived as an uninvited guest, making itself way too comfortable, unpacking all its things, and certainly overstaying its welcome. Like many other non-profits, our organization relies heavily on volunteer support to achieve our mission and continue doing lifesaving work not just for the animals in our care but for our community of animals.
Though our work looked a bit different this past year, we still had critical tasks to accomplish. Keeping our staff and volunteers safe while also acknowledging the many ways we needed support from our community was truly no easy task, and we had to make some hard calls. This meant limiting the number of volunteers to about 25% and, in turn, limiting volunteer opportunities down to just the most critical areas of support. While we know this year was more of a "see you later" rather than a "goodbye,” our shelter hasn't felt the same without the regular population of hearts and hands that work alongside staff each day.
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Because of this difficult transition, we've relied very heavily on a core group of dog walkers, transfer team members, laundry liaisons, dishwashing darlings, and crate cleaning warriors to carry us through this tough time. Day in and day out, they worked tirelessly to be sure the shelter, staff, and most importantly, the amazing creatures in our care were given every opportunity for success. This meant A LOT of extra work, earlier days, more elbow grease, and longer hours.
How many hours, you may ask? 12,378!
The phrase "thank you" truly does not feel adequate! Most of this work was fulfilled without us having to ask, and even when needs did arise, they were always met with an eagerness to be of service. We know that it has been tough, emotionally draining, and exhausting at times, but we also know that we could not have made it through without you all.
So, this year our appreciation feels a little deeper. Every one of the 12,378 volunteer hours that were logged is also entrenched in our sincerest gratitude. We have emerged from this year more resilient, thanks to the generosity of service unmatched by our volunteers. We are eager to say goodbye to this viral houseguest, so we can get back to business as usual and welcome all our friends back home!
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Adorable Adoptable
Meet Rockie!
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This month's adorable adoptable is Rockie! Rockie is a 2-year-old Boxer/Hound mix who always has the biggest smile on his face! This big fella loves to run around and is sure to show off how good he is at zoomies. Besides being a track star, Rockie is a pro at fetch— he moves at lightning speed to catch whatever you throw for him! And if that isn't talent enough, Rockie also has "sit" and "down" under his belt. Because Rockie has a lot of energy, taking him on long walks, runs, and hikes would be a great tool for tiring him out by the end of the day! While outdoors, he loves to sniff around and examine everything nearby. After a day of fun, Rockie will curl up next to you on the couch for snuggles and lean his whole body against you. If this adventurous, cuddly dog sounds like the perfect match for you, submit an adoption application today! |
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Volunteer Spotlight
Meet Jaime Gregerson!
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Jaime started fostering for KHS back in October of 2020 and she hit the ground running! Within this short period of time, Jaime has fostered a wide variety of critters including a rabbit, two litters of puppies, and a litter of kittens.
Jaime’s first foster was a sweet rabbit named Charlie, who was brought into KHS as a stray and nervous around people. After being in foster with Jaime, he returned a confident, sweet rabbit and quickly went on to find his forever home. Most recently, Jaime fostered a young puppy who needed some extra TLC and close observation after he experienced head trauma at just four weeks old. We are happy to report that because of Jaime’s attentive care, he is a thriving, silly, and growing puppy!
“We love working with Jaime in the foster department and look forward to her detailed updates about how her fosters are doing including all the sweet photos that accompany them,” said KHS foster coordinator. “We are excited to continue working with Jaime further as we head into kitten season and watching her grow as a foster parent.”
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Thank you so much for everything you do, Jaime. Foster parents like you make the lifesaving work we do at KHS possible! |
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Staff Spotlight
Meet Elizabeth Hubbard!
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This staff member makes KHS look good! Please meet this month’s staff spotlight, our Graphic Design and Marketing Coordinator Elizabeth Hubbard, who recently celebrated her third year working at KHS!
Even though she now works remotely on the East Coast, the effects of her excellent work are felt strongly here in Kitsap. “One of my favorite parts about working at KHS is seeing my work out in the world, spreading the word about Kitsap Humane Society! It’s so rewarding to see something I’ve created effect and compel people to continue to support the shelter and, in turn, save lives!”
Her supervisor shared, “Elizabeth is passionate about helping animals and people, and that shows in all of the exceptional work she creates for our adoption lobby, website, our different events, fundraisers, emails, and mailers - the list goes on! We’re so lucky to have Elizabeth on the team!”
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Indeed, we are! Thank you, Elizabeth, for the work you do to change lives daily! |
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Community Spotlight
Dee Fitzgerald State Farm
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This month we’re highlighting our animal-loving friends at Dee Fitzgerald State Farm located in Port Orchard! Dee Fitzgerald State Farm has been a supporter of Kitsap Humane Society for nearly 20 years and continues to support our lifesaving efforts by sponsoring a variety of our fundraising events. We are thrilled to have them as our Shelter Adoption Sponsor for the entire month of April!
Dee Fitzgerald State Farm is dedicated to helping people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. From all of us here at KHS, thank you for your continued support and for helping us continue our critical work for animals in need!
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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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