We're Celebrating a 99% Lifesaving Rate!
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Kitsap Humane Society is proud of its incredible lifesaving rate, which
averages around 96 percent annually. It’s one of the highest in the country for an open-admission shelter of our size.
Well, guess what?
Our lifesaving rate for the month of October soared to nearly 99 percent!
This was achieved despite construction underway on our new Pet Adoption Center, adjacent to the current shelter.
“Being in a shelter is stressful for many animals, especially dogs with fear and behavioral issues,” said Director of Animal Welfare Sarah Moody-Cook. “We know that chronic stress can cause a precipitous decline in health and behavior that can make it much harder for pets to be adopted. So reducing the stress they may experience while in our care is crucial to supporting them successfully.”
Thankfully, diligent preplanning and new programs embraced with enthusiasm by Kitsap Humane Society staff and volunteers have staved off extreme stress among the animals in our care.
In addition to sound blankets, classical music, food puzzles and other stress-busting measures, many dogs are getting daylong “field trips” with car rides to parks and plenty of treats, and sleepovers in cozy homes with lots of TLC. All of this is in addition to our foster program, daily walks for dogs, and socialization for kitties.
The outcome? We’re seeing our accelerated emphasis on well-being and good health result in higher save rates, shorter lengths of stay, and more pets adopted into loving homes!
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Time-Lapse Video Shows
New Shelter Construction
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So much progress has been made since September, when construction began on our new Pet Adoption Center opening in summer of 2019. Every month in Shelter Tails, we'll share a new video to update you on our construction progress.
We're also making progress on our capital campaign fundraising goals, raising $5.5 million toward toward our $7.5 million goal. We've still got $2 million to go! If you're interested in making an investment in our new animal shelter, please contact Development Director
Tom Weed or Executive Director
Eric Stevens. They'd love to give you a personal tour.
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Waiting for the Right Family: Meet Tamora
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Watch the video and please share it widely. We know that Tamora's forever family is out there -- please help us find them!
If you're interested in Tamora, please contact
[email protected]
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Happy Tails: Fats Got Adopted!!!
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It took more than a year, but
now he's in a home of his own
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Remember Fats? This goofy 4-year-old pittie mix arrived at our shelter in August of 2017. During his time at Kitsap Humane Society, he spent time in our offices being showered with love and attention.
While Fats was with us, he seemed to be favoring one of his legs, and X-rays revealed he had degenerative joint disease in his knees. After surgery with a specialist, months of physical therapy, and
nearly 450 days in our care, Fats was finally adopted!
His new mom is an orthopedic nurse and knows how to keep his knees comfortable as he ages. He is spoiled with lots of dog beds, yummy treats, a big yard to play in, and his new name is Domino. Have a happy life in your new home, dear Domino!
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Gift Ideas that Support the Animals
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Caring, compassionate and generous -- that's how we describe friends like you! This holiday season, we have lots of great holiday events and gift ideas for the animal lovers on your list, and best of all, each one supports the animals in our care.
Holiday events: Get a massage for your pup and photo with Santa at the
Z Bones Holiday Partay
this Saturday, Dec. 8 on Bainbridge Island, and join us for the last
Santa Paws
of the season
, this Sunday, Dec. 9 at
Haselwood Kia
in Bremerton!
Gift Certificates: Treat the animal lover in your life with a KHS Gift Certificate, good for pet adoptions, swag or low-cost spay/neuter, microchip and vaccination services for those who qualify.
Giving Tree: Each ornament on the tree lists a pet and an item we need at the shelter, from pet food and toys to harnesses and paper towels. Learn more on the
KHS Blog.
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Adorable Adoptable
Meet Haven
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Meet Haven! Haven was brought to our shelter by our Animal Control officers in August in response to a horrific hoarding case.
After spending months in foster care, Haven is ready for his forever home. He's a calm 4-year-old Terrier mix with a beautiful cream-colored coat. Haven enjoys snuggling on the couch with his foster family, and happily wiggles and dances around when they come home from work!
Due to the horrendous living conditions from which he came, Haven is quite nervous with people and is fearful of walking on a leash. He's in need of a patient and loving adopter who will help him feel safe and trusting. Will you open your home and heart to a special dog in need?
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Volunteer Spotlight
Meet Juliet Shields
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This month, our Volunteer Spotlight falls on Juliet, a dedicated volunteer and foster parent, who brings full compassion and commitment to everything she does here at the shelter.
Since becoming a volunteer in 2016, Juliet has dedicated nearly 400 hours to walking dogs and providing enrichment and love for our canines while they wait for their forever homes. Juliet is now one of our advanced handlers, who helps work with stressed and scared dogs, as well as being a kind and knowledgeable resource to our newer dog walkers.
Juliet has also opened her home as a foster parent to dogs needing extra care. She specializes in taking home shy pups who require a little TLC, as well as helping dogs undergoing medical or surgical recovery.
As a foster parent, Juliet brings a level of reliability and diligence which has come to
be her trademark. Her behavior knowledge has helped us to gain insight into the
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behavioral need of dogs who are most fearful.
KHS, and our canine residents, are so fortunate to have Juliet on our team – thank you Juliet!
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Community Spotlight
Mattress Ranch
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We love Ted Sadtler and our friends at
Mattress Ranch.
They're a community-minded, family-owned business that believes in giving back. Every year, when they film their TV commercials, they do several to promote Kitsap Humane Society and other nonprofits.
And do you know what happened? OUR PHONES RANG OFF THE HOOK! People really responded to Ted's suggestion that they donate their cars to help the animals.
So far this year, we expect car donations will generate $50,000 for the care of animals at KHS.
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Next time you stop in, please let the folks at Mattress Ranch know how much you appreciate their heart for animals!
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Did You Know? We're Your Local Humane Society,
Not a Branch of Any Other Group
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As animal lovers know, there are humane societies in many communities, and even a national Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), that lobbies on behalf of animals (but does not shelter animals) in Washington, D.C.
But did you know that NONE of these humane societies are related to Kitsap Humane Society? It's true!
Kitsap Humane Society is your local humane society, and provides a safety net for animals in need in our community and beyond. We're your local shelter.
"Humane society" is a generic term to describe an animal welfare organization, and most are local, independent nonprofits like ours. There is no national umbrella organization, as is commonly assumed.
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This is an especially important message to share at holiday year-end, when we depend on donations from supporters like you to fund our lifesaving operations. When you donate, make sure you're supporting your
local humane society!
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Giving Appreciated Stock to KHS
is a Win-Win for You and the Animals
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You’ve worked hard, saved diligently and are ready to enjoy your retirement years. Maybe you’re also looking for a way to give back to the organizations and causes that have been important to you. Consider making a gift from your IRA.
If you’re 70½ or older, you can use the IRA charitable rollover to make a tax-free gift to Kitsap Humane Society. This law allows you to transfer any amount up to $100,000 directly to a qualified charitable organization without paying income tax on the distribution.
When you use the IRA charitable rollover to make a gift to KHS:
- Your gift will be put to use today, allowing you to see the difference you’re making.
- You pay no income taxes on the gift. The transfer doesn’t generate taxable income or a tax deduction, so you benefit even if you do not itemize your tax deductions.
- If you have not yet taken your required minimum distribution for the year, your IRA charitable rollover gift can satisfy all or part of that requirement.
If you're interested in donating securities to KHS, please get in touch with Tom Weed, Director of Donor Relations.
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Other Giving Opportunities
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Donate with a deduction from your paycheck!
Whether you choose to donate $2, $5, $10 or more per paycheck, or to make a one-time contribution, your donations help us Rescue, Rehabilitate and Rehome nearly 7,000 at-risk pets each year.
Federal employees:
Military and federal employees can give through the
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) of Cascadia.
The KHS CFC number is #93746.
If you live on Bainbridge Island, please donate to Kitsap Humane Society via
One Call For All
.
Look for the red envelope in the mail, or make your gift online.
If you're a Fred Meyer shopper, please link your rewards card to Kitsap Humane Society through the
Community Rewards program
.
Our organization number has changed to CW739, so please update it if you haven't already. The more you shop, the more is donated to KHS for the animals in our care!
If you're an Amazon shopper, please make your purchases through
Amazon Smile
!
When you make a purchase, .05 percent is donated to Kitsap Humane Society!
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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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