We're Proud to Share Mid-Year Highlights!
We’re halfway through 2019, and proud to share the way your support has enabled us to provide innovative programs and services that are improving the lives of people and pets in our community!
January
Launched the Pet Protection Program, which provides temporary housing and care for cats when their owners need help due to illness, hospitalization, domestic violence, or job loss. We plan to include dogs in this program in the coming year.
February & March
Rescued 246 rabbits from a Poulsbo home, the most animals ever admitted to KHS from a single case. The heroic effort included assistance from adopters, foster parents, volunteers, and donors. 
April
Raised $74,000 from 486 donors – more donors than any other nonprofit – in the 2019 Kitsap Great Give, a huge demonstration of community support. Launched the grand opening of our new, 4,000-square-foot Dog Play Yard, named after generous donors Cody Allyn, David Ferguson, and Pat and Bob Barbarita.
May
Launched Kickin’ it with K9s , a phenomenally popular program that allows community members to take shelter dogs on day trips to parks, beaches and trails to reduce their stress levels, as part of a national study. So far, shelter dogs have gone on 315 outings with Kickin’ It volunteers!
June
Celebrated PetsWALK a month early to avoid the heat of July, and the event was more successful than ever, raising $60,000 for the animals in our care!
July
Crossed the $6 million mark in fundraising for our $8.5 million Pet Lifesaving Capital Campaign, and are preparing for Grand Opening of the new Pet Adoption Center in September!
Kitsap Wine Festival is Aug. 10 at Harborside Fountain Park in Bremerton, and we're learning that rescued pets hold a very special place in the hearts of many wineries participating in this year's festival. ( Get your tickets here! )

Owner and winemaker Jason Long of Long Cellars in Woodinville said he’s always had a fascination with goats and has made friends with 16 adorable goats whose lives were saved at the end of their dairy and breeding careers by Lucy Lotto of Phantom Farm in Stanwood. “Every summer a few of them visit Long Cellars ... so people can experience their silly antics and learn about how the rescue arrangement works,” Long said.

Jason's not the only vendor who has expressed love for rescued animals. Read about what other wineries participating in this year's Kitsap Wine Festival had to say about their love for rescued pets on our blog. Get your tickets now for the Kitsap Wine Festival!
Kitsap County Bans Sale of Puppy Mill Pets
Kitsap County Commissioners have approved a countywide ban on the retail sale of pets from large scale breeders, also known as puppy mills and kitten factories. The law goes into effect on July 22, 2020.

Animal welfare advocates, including Kitsap Humane Society Executive Director Eric Stevens, supported the ban to discourage the inhumane treatment of pets bred and born in large-scale breeding operations, frequently out-of-state, which are often overcrowded and lack appropriate veterinary care.

When the law goes into effect, pets sold in pet stores must come from animal welfare organizations such as KHS. The ordinance also prohibits pet shops from selling kittens and puppies under 8 weeks old.

The KIRO 7 TV news team interviewed Stevens in a news story about the ban. You can watch the video here. The story was also covered by the Kitsap Sun.
Kitsap Humane Society Animal Control officers never know what kind of call they’ll get – night or day. But Officer Amber Simons never expected to get an emergency call to rescue a dog stuck on a tree that was suspended 25-feet in the air after falling in a storm. Experienced in working complex animal rescues, she rushed to the scene.

So, what exactly happened?

While on their daily stroll a Port Orchard couple stopped to rest on a tree that had fallen and to let their dog, Skylar, off the leash to play. Skylar must have been excited for an adventure because she wandered too far up the tree and got stuck! Multiple trees in that area had collapsed due to a recent rainstorm and this tree was suspended perpendicularly atop another tree, approximately 25 feet in the air. After about an hour of trying to get her to come down, the couple placed an emergency call to Kitsap Humane Society for help.
So much progress has been made since September 2018, when construction began on our new Pet Adoption Center, opening soon! Here's the latest video of our construction progress.

We're also making progress on our Pet Lifesaving Capital Campaign fundraising, raising nearly $6.1 million toward our $8.5 million goal. If you're interested in making an investment in our new animal shelter, please contact Donor Relations Director Tom Weed or Executive Director Eric Stevens. They'd love to give you a personal tour.
Kitsap Humane Society is in need of foster parents!

This time of year, shelters across the state experience an influx of kittens, puppies and stray and injured animals, and foster homes are vital to ensuring they get the love and care they need.

Foster parents are of great importance as they allow us to expand the capacity of our services to help vulnerable pets, by placing those pets in private homes. Pets who need foster care include animals who are stressed in the shelter environment, newborns who are nursing with their mother or who are orphaned and need to be hand-fed, pets recovering from illness or surgery, and pets who need behavior support.

As a foster parent, you’ll have a profound impact on the lives of animals by temporarily providing them with a comfortable and loving home until they are ready for adoption. Ready to start fostering? Complete and emailing a foster care application to foster@kitsap-humane.org, then attend one of our foster care orientations!
Watch the video and please share it widely. We know there's a forever family out there for Mr. Darcy -- please help us find them! If you're interested in Mr. Darcy, please contact Ashley at acipolletti@kitsap-humane.org
Animal Krackers Tickets Now on Sale!
Want to Donate a Special Item or Experience?
Do you own a restaurant? Are you a season ticket holder? Does your friend have a cabin by the river?

If you have access to gift cards, overnight stays in unique locations, or tickets to plays and shows, we want to hear from you!
 
We are collecting cool experiences and desirable gift cards and items for Animal Krackers Presented by Peninsula Subaru as well as our Online Auction . We have BIG GOALS this year to raise even more to help continue this lifesaving work.
 
We can’t do it without your donations! If you have something to donate for Animal Krackers or our Online Auction, email Kim at  kcizekallen@kitsap-humane.org
 
And if you’re as excited about Animal Krackers as we are, registration is NOW OPEN! Tickets sell out quickly so don’t delay!
Adorable Adoptable
Sammy is a sweet 4-year-old brown tabby with a friendly and cuddly personality. This sweet boy has been searching for his forever home for over 100 days! He has been super snuggly, affectionate, and playful here at the shelter and loves it when you talk to him in a sweet and gentle voice. He will even headbutt your hand for more and more pets if you stop petting him – it’s adorable.

This cute kitty is extra special because he is living with feline diabetes, but it doesn’t seem to slow him down one bit! Cats with diabetes can live happy lives; he will just need routine checkups with your veterinarian to make sure he continues to feel healthy and happy. Sammy cannot wait to find a forever family who will give him all of the love and cuddles he deserves.

Can you open up your heart and home to this sweet boy? If so, come on down to the shelter today to meet Sammy for yourself!
Volunteer Spotlight
Ann and Adriana
Both Ann and Adriana are new volunteers but have already shown how dedicated they are to KHS and the animals!

You will often find them spending the whole day helping with laundry and dishes, even finding time to snap a selfie. When they aren’t helping with laundry and dishes, they are walking dogs and finding other ways to help KHS.

Thank you, Ann and Adriana, for all that you have done for KHS. We are excited to see you grow as volunteers.
Ann and Adriana
Employee Spotlight
Donna Llewellyn
Working in animal welfare as a transfer coordinator is no easy job, but Donna Llewellyn always maintains a positive attitude and manages the stressful demands of her role with grace and poise.

Donna’s supervisor, Sarah Moody-Cook, compliments her on having a collaborative and team-focused spirit.

“She’s always willing to help other departments, she’s always willing to help volunteers, and she really goes above and beyond to build strong relationships with our transfer partners,” Sarah said. “Even if it’s something completely unrelated to her job, she’s always willing to step-in and help.”

When asked why supporting animals in need is important to her, Donna shared that she believes “companion animals are incredible sources of unconditional love and supporting animals in need creates an environment for
compassion not only with animals, but with people."

She can personally attest to that statement as she has adopted from Kitsap Humane Society an affectionate cat named Zune.
Community Spotlight

Our friends at MRJ Constructors have a heart for shelter pets, a commitment to their community, and a passion for achieving excellence through the highest standards.
 
MRJ Constructors  is one of our Animal Krackers Gold Paw sponsors, as well as a key partner and builder of our new Pet Adoption Center! We can’t wait to move our animals into this new building with improved housing and a much better customer experience!
 
“Quality workmanship, attention to detail and cost savings are the cornerstones of MRJ’s well-presented approach to project management and field supervision.” We couldn’t agree more! Thank you, MRJ Constructors, for partnering with us in our remodel and for joining us as a Gold Paw Sponsor at Animal Krackers. Registration for Animal Krackers on Sept. 28 is now open! Hope to see you there!
Many Thanks to Our Grand Shelter Sponsor:
Kitsap Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; Tax ID: 91-0728353