Parking Hog!

Our own Peggy Noll and her sidekick, Dottie, were spotted enjoying the sun while consuming a very valuable parking space in front of our neighbor, John L Scott… all in good fun of course!

Kitten Cuddles

Our own Dr. Jenny, was spotted having some fun kitten cuddle time during her exam.

Bad to the Bone or Misunderstood

Turn on your TV and you’re sure to see something you’ve witnessed a million times before: dog stereotypes. Thanks to the media, we now know that Golden Retrievers are the epitome of loyalty, Pit bulls are the stuff of nightmares and Jack Russell terriers are great for teaching kids how to read. It might even surprise you to know just how many of our preconceived notions regarding dogs are informed solely by the TV.

Are these TV stereotypes always accurate? Of course not! In fact, the truth behind some of these breeds might surprise you.

It pays to know the truth behind a breed, whether you’re looking to adopt a dog or just broaden your understanding of man’s best friend. Hollywood can only tell us so much. Check out this informative guide that will help would-be owners distinguish between fact and fiction.

Click here to view.

Happy Tail – Red!

It’s been three months now with our new family member, Red. I cannot tell you how much we adore and love him.  He is such a great dog who has opened up and let us into his heart.

Being my first own dog, Red has motivated me to learn all about dog behavior and communication.  The set of training classes at Doggy Haven offered with Red’s adoption was so wonderful and gave me a great toolbox to work with Red.  I have learned to read Red’s body language and know what to do to avoid any conflicts or problems. We are working on building his confidence around other dogs, and he has shown some good behaviors!

Red is adored by our family and friends. He comes into the office with me a couple times a week and gets lots of love and attention (and treats!).  When we are not on a jog or walk seeking out rabbits, squirrels and the perfect bush, Red loves to lay around the backyard or inside the house, close to his humans. He’s a great companion dog.  He has grown quite fond of sweet potatoes and hot dogs!

Thank you so much for being a great facility and for connecting me with Red!
– Linda

Happy Tail – Oliver (formerly Dave Navarro)!

Oliver (whose name was Dave Navarro, which was too much of a mouthful for us ;)) is doing amazing! He is a happy cat who spends every day cuddling and playing! He loves to play together and will bring you toys when he is ready for playtime.  And he loves watching the birds and squirrels from the window.

Candace

Happy Tail – Ziva (formerly Strawberry)!

I would love to share my experience with my best friend Ziva (her name was Strawberry). We adopted Ziva on January 10th and she has been the biggest joy ever!  I can’t believe how easily she settled in and boy oh boy, she loves to jump in my lap for all the great tummy rubs (also ears!).  We are still working on socializing. She does really well outside of the home. When she is in the shopping basket for instance, everyone wants to pet her and she does not mind at all. She does not socialize with other animals at this point. She wants to chase anything that walks, runs or flies!  We are taking advantage of the training classes.  I am hoping that she will benefit from this class.

Ziva came to us with allergy issues. I am happy to report that after several veterinary visits and trial and error in her medications that she seems to be responding to the new medication we started just this week! Her hair has grown in very well, even her poor hind legs that were completely hairless. I have even had her groomed and trimmed twice.

I tell anyone who asks where she came from that Homeward Pet is the only place one should go to adopt a forever friend. I cannot tell you enough how impressed I was with the whole adoption process. Every animal that you place in a forever home are very lucky to have had your care.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Judy and Ziva

Thanks to our Volunteers!

When you visit Homeward Pet, the first welcoming face you’ll see is one of our volunteer Receptionists (like Jan, pictured).  Through our lobby doors, there are another nearly 400 friendly, animal-loving volunteers who come in every week to help us care for our dogs and cats, do laundry, perform administrative tasks, walk dogs, host off-site events, scoop litter boxes, assist in the clinic, and more.  Lots more.

We’re closing in on our 27,000^th adoption, and our volunteers are vitally important to every single adoption we do, every cat and dog we place into a new home, and every adopter who finds a new four-legged family member at Homeward Pet.

We are constantly surprised, honored and humbled by the overwhelming support we have received from our dedicated volunteers.   We can’t say it enough, but we want to make sure we acknowledge our amazing volunteers during National Volunteer Appreciation Week:  THANK YOU!

The Simple things…

Found this bright new receptacle for my recycle when I arrived today. Thanks to our amazing volunteer, Char!

I love that the simple little things that happen here in the shelter – can put a smile on my face and make the day all the better!

Terri Inglis
Executive Director

Homeward Headlines – April Sponsor

Meet this month’s Homeward Headlines eNewsletter sponsor… Martha Faulkner, RSVP Real Estate Broker and true animal lover!

Martha has been a dedicated volunteer at Homeward Pet since 2007, walking our shelter dogs every Sunday morning. While on the Board of Directors, she was instrumental in helping the organization grow and relocate to our new, beautiful facility. Her four legged family currently consists of two adopted cats, Sammy and Morgan, as well as two canines, Libby and JoJo, all Homeward Pet alumni.

As a RSVP Real Estate Broker, Martha shares her love for the animals by donating 10% of her commissions to Homeward Pet. Her new website proudly promotes her dedication to the animals and Homeward Pet by listing our shelter as one of her charities of choice! Martha truly believes that ‘Everyone Needs a Home’.  Check her out: www.homes4petlovers.com

In addition to walking, caring and contributing to the animals of Homeward Pet, Martha is now a member of the Washington Federation of Animal Care & Control. She passionately advocates for Homeward Pet with animal related state legislation.

When asked why she continues to give so much of herself to the animals. Her reply; “We have a responsibility as humans to care for all other beings in the world. This is my way of helping”.

If you are looking to buy or sell a home, contact Martha!

A Community of Compassion

Spirit arrived at Homeward Pet on an ordinary day in December. However, his physical state was anything but ordinary. Just five months old, Spirit had a compound fracture in his right hind leg which had gone untreated for some time. Unfortunately, our veterinary team knew the only chance for Spirit to live a happy, healthy life was to amputate his leg. On December 8, Spirit underwent surgery and was placed into foster care where his recovery could be closely monitored while he healed.

Over the next few months, Spirit received checkups at our in-house Dunmire Veterinary Clinic, and was given acupuncture from Dr. Sarah Perigo, DVM to help relieve pain and discomfort. At first, his recovery was slow. He spent a majority of his time curled up on someone’s lap, preferring to sleep most of the day. But with proper care, a special diet, and the love and encouragement of foster volunteers and staff, he quickly regained his strength and has had a full recovery.

As for Spirit’s happy ending, he found it right there in his foster home. Spirit developed an unbreakable bond with his foster parents and was officially adopted in March. Spirit’s family regularly sends us updates. “He is doing really well and is a happy healthy boy. I think he has adopted the name Linus. Our older cat has taken him under his wing, and Spirit adores him. He is such a sweet and funny boy and we couldn’t love him more!”

Spirit’s journey brought together a big group of dedicated animal-lovers, including those that contribute to the Whoopi’s Fund Special Needs Program, volunteers, foster care providers, shelter staff and partner veterinary clinics.  Thanks to this community of supporters – your community! – Spirit now has a long and fulfilling life ahead of him.

Learn how you can directly help animals like Spirit here.

A Victory for Animals

On April 1, the first day of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, Governor Inslee signed into law HB 2644, which helps animals seized during a cruelty case investigation, and holds pet owners responsible for the cost of care if their animals are seized due to cruelty or neglect.  The goal is to minimize the amount of time animals have to stay in the shelter to (1) help maintain their ability to be adopted and (2) reduce the cost incurred by the shelter housing the animals.  The new law requires an owner to post a bond for the cost of the care of seized animals within 15 calendar days.

It’s Volunteer Appreciation Week!

Thank You to all of our outstanding, hard-working, dedicated, passionate volunteers.  Every day, 365 days a year, rain or shine, through busy lives and family obligations and your own animals to love and look after, you make time to help the dogs and cats in our care and do a million other important jobs to keep our shelter going…and always improving. We appreciate everything that you do to support Homeward Pet, spread the word about our shelter and, most importantly, care for our homeless animals until they find their new homes.  THANK YOU!!!

Blending Friendships

Join Our Coffee Club!  For every one-pound bag of coffee purchased, Enmar Coffee Company will donate $2.00 to Homeward Pet Adoption Center!

Click here to order today:  Aramigo 100% Colombian Coffee

Enmar Coffee Company is a family business committed to enriching the lives of individuals, families and communities that produce, process, sell and consume their products.  Their founder’s have been in the business of growing and selling 100% Colombian coffee worldwide for over 100 years with a priority of improving the lives of farm families in Columbia.

Their mission is to make a positive impact wherever they operate and to help build a brighter, more peace-filled future.  Their priorities focus on helping children, supporting the humane treatment of animals and being good stewards of our environment.

They act on this mission by sourcing and selling the highest quality, 100% Colombian coffee and using their resources to support organizations that share their vision and values.

Learn more about Enmar Coffee Company here.

Happy Tail – Earl!

Earl is happy and doing great.  He’s the perfect cuddly kitty addition to our family.  He made himself at home right away. 🙂

-Sarah & Eric

Jill’s Morning Walk

Our adoptable 6-year old Hound, Jill, enjoyed getting an early morning walk so she could get her face all wet in the dewy grass.  Thanks to Dog Behavior Team volunteer Stacy, for giving Jill a chance to explore, and sending this picture in.  Read more about Jill, and all of our Available Dogs & Puppies.

Kittens Are Coming!

At Homeward Pet, there is one sign that Spring is here: Kittens!  Last year, we took in, cared for, and found new homes for over 400 kittens.  With your donations of kitten food and supplies, we can help even more this year!  We are currently in need of canned and dry kitten food, cat litter, KMR powder (milk replacer for bottle babies), cardboard scratchers and more, so that our foster families can give our kittens a great start.

Visit our Amazon.com Shelter Essentials page for the complete list of necessary kitten supplies.  You can purchase items directly from the list, and have them sent to Homeward Pet; or, use the list as a shopping list, purchase essential kitten supplies at any of our pet store partners, and bring them into the shelter any day, 9am-6pm.  Thank you!