Shelter Tails: Construction Update, Santa Paws & More

Construction Update: We're Open

and Keeping the Animals Calm & Happy

Construction is underway on our new Pet Adoption Center, and we're open, adopting animals and providing services as usual! You may notice lots of cars parked on Dickey Road outside the shelter, but don't worry: we've got staff and volunteers parking there so there's plenty of room in the parking lot for customers like YOU!

Construction crews and bulldozers have been moving massive piles of dirt around for weeks as they prepare to pour the foundation for the new building, which opens next summer.

The trucks and heavy machinery make quite a ruckus, but thanks to lots of preparation our shelter dogs are doing well, said Animal Welfare Director Sarah Moody-Cook. The Cattery is not as close to, or affected by, the construction noise.

Here are some of the steps we've taken to ensure that noise, vibration and stress is minimized for animals, particularly the dogs, whose kennel walls are adjacent to the construction site:

Heavy sound-proofing blankets (shown here by Moody-Cook) with vinyl on the exterior and quilted fabric on the interior, are hanging on the outside walls of the existing shelter, significantly blocking noise from reaching dog kennels.
Thanks to generous foster volunteers, more dogs are spending time in foster homes during the construction – a 50 percent increase in dog foster placements over last year.
Volunteers are taking dogs on sleepovers and shelter breaks lasting one to three days. This gives dogs a chance to relax and sleep well in a home setting.

Read more on the blog

Waiting for the Right Family: Meet Verne

Watch the video and please share it widely. We know that Verne's forever family is out there -- please help us find them! If you're interested in Verne please contact [email protected]

Learn about Verne!

Santa Paws is Coming to Town!

The holidays are right around the corner! Get into the festive spirit by adding one of our Santa Paws events to your holiday calendar!

You, your family, and even your pets can have professional photos taken with the man in red. We have the best Santa in town and he'll be at three locations around Kitsap.

Our earliest event -- perfect for holiday cards -- is Sun., Nov. 18 at Kitsap Humane Society. On the weekend of Dec. 1-2, Santa Paws is at Bay Hay and Feed on Bainbridge Island. And on Sun., Dec. 9 , he'll be at Haselwood Auto Group.

Each event is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the $20 cost includes a digital photo download. Come say hi to Santa, get your photo taken, and support shelter pets! All proceeds go to the animals in our care. Head to our Facebook page for more information!

Adorable Adoptable

Meet Maggie!

This month’s Adorable Adoptable is Maggie!

Maggie is a sweet senior pit bull/Boston terrier mix who is about 8 years old. This girl is absolute best friends with everyone she meets!

She loves going for walks and playing fetch with a tennis ball, but her favorite thing is cuddling up on the couch with her person!

Maggie enjoys playing with dog friends and is always happy, wiggly, and smiley.

Learn about Maggie!

Volunteer Spotlight

Meet the Nunez Family!

This week's Volunteer Spotlight is on the Nunez Family! Tera (mom), Kayanna (16), and Zachary (14), started their partnership with Kitsap Humane Society when they fostered their dog, Layla May (previously called "Daphne").

Tera says that it was fostering and then ultimately adopting Layla May that inspired them to do more to help dogs in need at KHS. Now the Nunez Family comes every single Sunday morning, bright and early, to walk dogs and wash laundry and dishes!

Tera, Kayanna, and Zachary are not only wonderful with nervous and timid dogs, but they always arrive with huge smiles on their faces and a willingness to help out wherever they are needed most.

They are experts in laundry, so they can often be spotted giving pointers to newer volunteers.

Kitsap Humane Society is very fortunate to have them as volunteers. We love you, Nunez Family!

Volunteer with us!

Community Spotlight

Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island

Kitsap Humane Society is thrilled to announce the receipt of a $100,000 matching grant from the Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island! The funds will support the capital campaign to build a new Pet Adoption Center on the site of our current campus.

The grant was awarded in June and by September KHS had met the match, primarily with donations from generous current and past volunteers.

The Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island has supported Kitsap Humane Society in the past, namely with grants in support of animal care, such veterinary surgical equipment and "kitty condo" housing for cats.

We are immensely grateful to the Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island!

So many ways to give this holiday season!

Donate to KHS 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 Smil e ! When you make a purchase, .05 percent is donated to Kitsap Humane Society!