Work Has Never Been so Fun…or Generous!

Big news in the neighborhood! Homeward Pet Adoption Center was just accepted into King County’s Employee Giving Program for their 2017 Annual Giving Drive! Last year, King County employees pledged $1.92 million to more than 1,000 participating organizations.

We are thrilled to be part of such a well-respected and generous program right here in our very own community. As you read this, Homeward Pet is scheduling presentations and participation in their Nonprofit Expo events so we can get the word out. We can’t wait to share heartwarming stories of our adoptable pets with the passionate employees of King County.

If you are a King County employee and would like to be part of the fun this fall, you can search for Homeward Pet through their online giving portal at http://bit.ly/2xun7uv.

Homeward Pet’s King County Employee Giving ID number is 9861.

What’s Black and White and Cute All Over?

Panda is a Staff and Foster Favorite! “It’s quite pleasant just to watch her being her, racing around leaping from chair to chair when the mood strikes her, glued to the window watching the birds, sunning herself on the screened porch, occasionally playing soccer with a ping pong ball. She’s about as low maintenance as you can get and we really enjoy having her share our home right now!” – Alethea, Cat Foster Volunteer 

Precious Panda is a petite black and white tuxedo kitty with the softest fur you’ll ever pet! Panda is shy and bashful in new situations, but give her some time to settle in and she will show off her affectionate side. She absolutely loves being pet, and if you scratch that special spot right above her tail she will raise her rear-end up in the air to show her appreciation. And you’ll know you’ve won her over when she bumps her head into you to ask for more love! Panda is looking for a quiet and predictable home with humans who can let her acclimate at her own pace. Panda has never lived with dogs before but she has met other cats and didn’t mind their company. A quieter home with just teens and adults would be best suited for this shyer gal. Call us to set up a time to meet this adorable little girl- with a little work on self-confidence, she will be a shining star!

**Panda is currently in a foster home. Please contact us directly to learn more about Panda, and to schedule a time to meet her**

You Helped Clear the Shelter!

On Saturday, August 19th, Homeward Pet joined 900 shelters across the country for the 3rd annual Clear the Shelters adoption drive. The event, sponsored locally by KING 5 and Rover.com, was focused on encouraging people to consider adopting their next pet, with many of the participating shelters reducing adoption fees for the day. Thanks to our generous supporters at this year’s Fur Ball Auction, we were able to offer fee-waived adoptions, sponsored through our Pay It Forward program.

It was a busy, exciting and tremendously successful day for our cats and dogs. Nearly 100 families visited and toured our shelter, with 30 available animals finding homes. In all, 79,664 pets were adopted nationally during the 2017 Clear the Shelters adoption drive.

And while the numbers are impressive, finding a good fit for each homeless cat or dog brought us the most joy. Like Neeka, a 2-year old, 73 lb. Shepherd mix adopted by the Lantz Family:

“Neeka has been with us for three weeks now, and we can’t imagine life without her! After just two days of acclimating with our other dog Finley, they are inseparable! I’ve never seen Finley so happy. She is an absolute sweet heart and can’t get enough hugs and kisses from her human brother and sister. We feel so blessed to have her here, and for her to fit into our home with such ease. She is such a happy sweet girl! Thank you for your time and hard work to ensure these special animals get into forever homes.” – The Lantz Family

September Sponsor Spotlight – Doggy Haven Resort!

This month’s Homeward Headlines Sponsor is Doggy Haven Resort, our longtime supporter and partner! As you make your  holiday plans don’t forget to schedule vacation time for your dogs. Doggy Haven Resort offers a variety of services like doggy daycare, boarding and so much more.

We recently caught up with Doggy Haven Resort Owner, David Boyd and he shared a bit more about the services they offer. Here is what he had to say:

Doggy Haven Resort, a local full-service dog resort for boarding, grooming, training and daycare has been a Homeward Pet partner since 2010.

Doggy Haven is for socialized dogs who desire to be with their canine friends. Our skilled staff, many of whom have been with us for the last decade, are well trained in dog behavior. In addition, we have ongoing staff training programs through “The Dog Gurus” with Robin Bennett, renowned dog behavior expert. We social test each dog for appropriate activity. Our facility offers four separate play yards so that dogs can be graded for activity level and size. Each dog has its own room for rest, meals and sleep time. Remodeled to enhance our capacity and cleanliness in 2014, we offer heated floors, air-conditioning and a rapid air exchange system to ensure your dogs’ health. Classical music is played at night for the calmest nighttime environment.

Our training facility is in a separate 2500 square foot field house, sometimes called the “doggy dome”. Our trainers are CPDT credentialed and one, Mikkel Becker is the co-author of 6 books, national speaker and advisor on animal behavior to veterinarians. The field house provides space for dogs to be far enough apart while in small class sizes of up to 8. The field surrounding the training area is used for outdoor training and play time in the warmer months.

Our three groomers each have a minimum of 10 years’ experience and all are tuned into dog handling to ensure the lowest stress grooming experience possible. The bathing and grooming we do is all backed by a money-back guarantee.

Dogs come to see us on a daily basis for daycare, so that they can play and not get into trouble while their “parents” are away at work. We love dogs at Doggy Haven and invite you for a tour, during our regular tour hours of Tuesday and Saturday from 1-3 or other times by appointment.

Doggy Haven, because your dog deserves the best!

You can learn more about Doggy Haven Resort here.

Volunteers Wanted!

During the upcoming holiday season, the Homeward Pet Food Bank will distribute over 100,000 pounds of pet food to families in need in our community, helping 1100 families every week keep their beloved cat or dog at home.  We currently have volunteer openings for Donation Room Attendants to help sort incoming donations for use in-shelter, in foster care, and to send to local food banks and community organizations through the Homeward Pet Food Bank.  Help Homeward Pet keep animals in their homes – it’ll bring out the Santa Paws in you!  Click here to learn more about volunteering with Homeward Pet.

Hungry, Hungry Kittens!

Please donate to our Fall Kitten Food Drive and help us feed these furry, eating machines!  With nearly 300 kittens adopted so far this year, 50+ in foster care right now – and more on the way! – we could use your help. We need to collect 48 cases of canned kitten food to ensure that we have enough on hand to care for homeless kittens at the shelter and in foster care, through the end of the year.  They’re not picky, but they seem to like Merrick, Fancy Feast, Wellness, Innova, NutroMax, Pinnacle, and Blue Buffalo best. Donations are accepted at Homeward Pet daily, from 9am – 6pm. Thank you!  If you prefer to make a monetary donation to feed hungry, hungry kittens, click here.