I have an animal : Low Income & Senior Services
Community Services
The Seattle Humane Society provides services to keep people and pets together in King County. Low-income senior citizens can receive a supplemental supply of pet food. People disabled by AIDS can receive pet food, supplies, grooming and veterinary care.
Pet Food Bank
The Seattle Humane Society Pet Food Bank is a program to collect donated pet food for seniors and low-income community members. We want to ensure that frail community members will not have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their pets.
More people than ever need this service as they struggle to meet their basic expenses during this troubling economic time. The Pet Food Bank serves about 750 low-income and senior clients every month.
More than 10,000 pounds of food every month is donated by community groups, grocery stores, pet food companies and compassionate individuals. Our volunteers pack, load and deliver this canned and dry pet food to local senior centers, low income housing complexes, food banks and individual homes each month.
Ways you can help!
1. Donate canned or dry cat and dog food. You can leave a donation for the Pet Food Bank at the shelter on Eastgate Way, anytime!
2. Hold a pet food drive in your community or at your church, synagogue or business.
3. Become a volunteer "barrel buddy" and let us put a collection barrel for pet food in your business—we’ll stop in and collect the donations regularly.
For more information, you can call our Community Outreach Coordinator at (425) 649-7566 or email her at Maureen@seattlehumane.org.
Pet Project - Helping Clients with AIDS
Pet Project, an offshoot of the Pet Food Bank, provides services to individuals disabled by AIDS. In addition to providing economic relief, the program supports the unique power and healing that comes from the connection between people and pets, especially since clients may be housebound and have limited social contact or energy for daily tasks.
Pet Project matches volunteers one-on-one with clients, handling most of their pet care needs on a monthly basis, and enables clients to keep their pets while spending their limited resources on food and other living expenses for themselves. All services and supplies are donated or purchased with donated funds. Pet Project services include:
- Free pet food and cat litter delivery
- Free pet items such as beds, scratching posts
- Free basic veterinary care at our bimonthly clinics
- Free basic grooming services
- Free pet care information
Individuals disabled by AIDS should contact Pet Project at (425) 649-7566 to be considered for Pet Project services. Other organizations that support people disabled by AIDS should also contact Pet Project if you are interested in collaborative efforts or partnerships. Pet Project is funded in part with a grant from the Pride Foundation.
Visiting Pet Friends Program
Did you know that petting a cat can lower your blood pressure? Research shows that companion animals have a beneficial effect on health, lowering blood pressure, instilling a sense of well being, and otherwise improving physical and mental health.
Our Visiting Pet Friends program makes the healing power of animals companionship available to all people. Currently, Seattle Humane Society volunteers and their companion animals visit hundreds of seniors and people with disabilities in retirement homes and health care facilities throughout King County. Residents enjoy seeing, petting and interacting with dogs, cats, rabbits and even birds who have been specially selected for their gentle temperaments.
To learn about the healing power of companion animals, read articles on the findings from medical studies on the Delta Society's website. If you would like to arrange to have a Visiting Pet Friends team visit your facility, please call (425) 649-7566.