| February is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month!  Seattle Humane is teaming up with animal welfare organizations across King County with the goal of spaying and neutering over 4,000 pets this month. And to help reach this ambitious goal, Team Seattle Humane will spay/neuter 600 pets in the coming weeks!
Spaying and neutering your pets has a direct impact on the number of animals that enter the shelter system, not to mention long-lasting positive effects for their individual health, like preventing life-threatening infections of the uterus called pyometra. Pyometra is more common than you think. In January alone, Seattle Humane treated five dogs and three cats with pyometra. Without lifesaving surgery, these pets would not be with their families today.
One of these pets is Lucy, a 103-pound, 8-year-old Mastiff mix. Lucy’s family noticed that she wasn’t feeling well–she wasn’t eating and drinking a ton of water. They quickly took her to an emergency vet, where she received an ultrasound and was diagnosed with pyometra. Lucy’s family knew she needed surgery or she would soon succumb to the life-threatening infection, so they turned to Seattle Humane for help. Our veterinary team was able to get Lucy in for surgery the next day and spay her, removing the infected uterus. Lucy was a champ through her surgery and able to be reunited with her family the very same day. Learn more about our Spay/Neuter Clinic and see if your pet qualifies to receive low-cost surgery. Fond Farewell to Dr. Reed
After eight years with Seattle Humane, Dr. Reed is moving to Cornell University as their Associate Clinical Professor of Shelter Medicine & Director of the Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program. We are thrilled that she is being recognized for her talents in such a fitting next career step and will be positively impacting thousands of future veterinarians. Roses are red, violets are blue, and we’ve got the best Valentine’s Day present for you!  This Valentine’s Day, whether you're in love or down in the dumps, we've got just the thing for you!
Show your love for our shelter pets this Valentine's Day with an assortment of gifts for that special someone in your life or that toxic ex you're ready to flush from your memory. With a gift of just $5, you can send a Valentine's Day e-card featuring shelter pets to your sweetie or give a tasty treat to one of our sweet shelter pets. For a gift of $20 or more, we'll write your least favorite person's name on a heart-shaped poop bag that one of our shelter dogs will graciously fill up, or we'll write their names on paper hearts and put them in a litter box where our friendly felines will shower them with praise.
Even better than receipts, we'll be sharing the love on social media. We hope pets at Seattle Humane can help you celebrate Valentine's Day in the best way possible!
Get your gifts today. Looking for more ways to give back to Seattle Humane’s furry friends?  Consider joining our volunteer team! Volunteers are a part of every department at Seattle Humane, and you could be our newest teammate!
We get so many requests for help, and as our client numbers grow, so does our need for volunteers. If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves on behalf of animals in need (and their humans!), we’d love to see you volunteering as a pet food packer or driver for the Pet Food Bank or keeping the veterinary clinic supplies safe and sanitized and safe for its furry residents! Learn more about our volunteer roles and how to get started here.
Interested in fostering? We’re actively recruiting foster parents for large dogs, puppies, and more! Learn more about the types of animals we need more foster homes for, and how to become a foster parent here. Foster Spotlight: Rob Lavroff and Ashley Parkurst  We are so excited to be shining a light on our amazing foster parents Rob Lavroff and Ashley Parkurst this month. Rob and Ashley are always ready to help when we reach out to them about vulnerable pets in need of fostering, and they’ll often offer to pick them up the same day. Even several medications and specialized medical care doesn’t seem to faze them! Fostering is a family affair for Rob and Ashley. Not only is this couple dedicated to providing loving care, but their beloved pets, pup Delano and cat Julius, get in on the action as well. They started fostering for Seattle Humane in October 2022.
Read more about Rob and Ashley’s dedication to pets in need. Featured Pet: Rudy  This 5-year-old playful purr machine is ready for a new start. Rudy lived with another cat in his previous home. For the first several years, they got along very well, however Rudy started to become very stressed by the other cat. It is likely that Rudy could get along with another cat in the future, though he should have a very slow and controlled introduction. Rudy came to us terrified and extremely stressed, but he’s been r elaxing and healing in a wonderful foster home and is ready to meet his new family. If you know of someone looking for a cuddly companion, Rudy could be the one! More than a Shelter: Seattle Humane visits SeaTac Community Center  We partnered with the SeaTac Community Center to host a free neighborhood clinic in January, which was made possible through the PetSmart Charities Incubator grant. Over the course of the day,11 clients with 14 dogs and two cats received the veterinary care they needed. The vet team administered 28 vaccines and thanks to the grant, we were able to offer fully subsidized spay/neuter surgeries to 11 pets.
One patient that stood out was Lulu, who came to the neighborhood clinic for her rabies and DHPP vaccines, plus pet supplies. She initially had strong opinions about being at the vet but allowed Dr. Friedman to administer her vaccines while her person cuddled her. Lulu, who was only recently adopted, came to her family with matted fur and the family was also hoping for some grooming help which we were able to provide. Free of mats and up-to-date on her shots, Lulu left the clinic with a pep in her step and wagging tail! We will see Lulu again in February for her spay procedure at Seattle Humane! Raise Your Heart & Hand for Pets at Tuxes & Tails  Join us for a fur-tastic night at Fremont Studios for Seattle Humane’s Tuxes & Tails gala on Saturday, May 18, 2024. It’s the can’t-miss paw-ty of the year – full of adorable animals, dinner with friends and a chance to raise your paddle during our famous pet runway show. Tickets and tables go on sale March 1.
Learn more at TuxesandTails.org or contact our events team at tuxes@seattlehumane.org with questions. We look forward to seeing you there! Board Member Spotlight: Cristin Flynn Goodwin  Cristin Flynn Goodwin has spent her illustrious career helping clients manage their way through crisis. She joined the Seattle Humane board in June 2023 and looks forward to helping Seattle Humane establish best practices in disaster relief and to be a beacon of hope for the community. She is a proud German shepherd mom and is currently hosting a three-month-old German shepherd puppy who’s afraid of people and loves to chew on expensive things.
Learn more about Cristin’s passion for pets and giving back to the community. Upcoming Events and Classes Pet First Aid and Disaster Response Saturday, February 24 | 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Seattle Humane, 13212 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98005 Would you know what to do if your dog suddenly choked on a bone? What if your cat ate a toxic substance like chocolate? Do you have a plan for your pet in the event you need to evacuate your family from your home? These topics and more will be addressed in our Pet First Aid and Disaster Response workshop as we discuss how to provide temporary, urgent care to cats and dogs until they can reach a veterinary or emergency clinic. Cost: $85. Register here! Spring Break Workshop for Young Teens Tuesday, April 9 | 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Seattle Humane, 13212 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98005 Young Teen workshops are for youth currently in grades 5-7 to socialize with other animal lovers while learning about how animal shelters operate and working on service activities together. Earns three hours of community service. Cost: $105. Register here! Wiggle & Wag Storytime Saturday, March 16 | 1–2 p.m.
Seattle Humane, 13212 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98005 Bring your little ones to the shelter on select Saturdays to play and learn together. We’ll read a story together, work on a craft, and practice respect and appreciation for pets. Wiggle & Wag Story Time is for 3-7 year-olds and there is some “wiggle room” for older or younger siblings. Adult supervision is required. The cost is $15 per family. Drop-ins accepted as space allows. Register here! |
