Submitted by Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County.
In response to exceeding kennel capacity, the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County is waiving adoption fees for adult dogs, adult cats, and all critters from June 12-16. The shelter is currently caring for nearly 200 animals in its facility plus an additional 347 in foster homes.
“In the last two weeks, over 500 animals have entered our care,” says Leslie Dalzell, chief executive officer at the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County. “We have doubled and tripled kennel occupancy, and even set up temporary crates, yet we simply cannot keep up with the overwhelming number of animals entering our shelter. To continue to provide for animals in need, we’re turning to our community to help create life-saving space in our shelter.”
Community members can help by adopting an adult dog (2 years and older), adult cat (6 months and older), or a critter of any age during the shelter’s adoption promotion. Every adoptable animal has had a wellness exam from shelter staff, has been spayed or neutered, has received initial vaccines, and is microchipped with national registration. To view all available pets, visit the shelter’s website at www.thehumanesociety.org/adopt.
“When the community adopts from our shelter, it enables us to extend our services to animals in dire need who truly have no other options,” states Dalzell. “Additionally, community members can play an active role in reuniting lost pets with their families. A significant number of lost pets are found less than a mile from home, and many lost pets brought to shelters never make their way back to their families.”
For lost pets, the shelter has implemented 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, preventing them from entering 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.
Recommended steps to take when finding a lost pet 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 their 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/donate.
