In response to a surge in dog intake, the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County is waiving adoptions fees for adult dogs from March 12-17. Currently, the shelter is caring for over 120 dogs at the shelter plus an additional 39 in foster homes.
Community members can help by adopting a dog during the shelter’s adoption promotion. Every adoptable dog has had a wellness exam from shelter staff, been spayed or neutered, received their initial vaccines, and is microchipped with national registration. To view all adoptable dogs, visit the shelter’s website at www.thehumanesociety.org/adopt.
Other ways to help:
For lost animals, the shelter has an appointment-based intake system in alignment with guidelines from veterinary experts, nationally recognized animal welfare organizations, and disease control experts. The consent-based system reduces the high volume of animals at the shelter at one time and allows the shelter to provide owner reunification support for lost pets while preventing them from entering the shelter.
To aid in creating space, the community is encouraged to take the following steps when finding a lost pet:
- Provide the pet with a temporary home, if possible.
- Walk the dog around the area – most dogs don’t wander far from home!
- Have the pet scanned for a microchip at your local veterinary clinic.
- Post online and put up signage around your community to help locate the owners.
- Call the shelter to give our staff a description of the pet for it to be included in our found pet records.
Information on what to do when finding a lost pet and how keeping a lost pet out of a shelter environment is most ideal can be found at www.thehumanesociety.org/lost-pets.
For those not ready to adopt, the shelter welcomes new foster volunteers to foster large-breed dogs, offering temporary homes to ease kennel overcrowding. Foster volunteers also aid staff in understanding the dog’s behavior in a home, enhancing our ability to match them with adopters. To learn more about fostering, visit www.thehumanesociety.org/get-involved/foster.
Additionally, the community can help by donating to support the shelter’s lifesaving medical efforts and to continue caring for the many pets in need: www.thehumanesociety.org.
