Each year, the staff, volunteers and Board of the Seattle Humane Society identify a Fund-A-Need project that will make a life-saving difference for the animals in our community and allow us to expand our work to bring more people and animals together.
Check back for Fund-A-Need 2008 Information
Please take a moment to see how past Fund-A-Need support has helped improve our services:
Each year, the Seattle Humane Society identifies a Fund-A-Need project that makes a life-saving difference for the animals in our community. This year, we are asking for your help to create an important fund to rescue dogs from other shelters who need a bit more veterinary care.
 |
Tucker After Surgery |
There are hundreds of caring dogs who are killed in other shelters every year because they need just a little more medical attention than many shelters can provide. These are good and loving dogs that would make excellent pets, yet they are suffering from common injuries such a broken leg, and infected cut or a bite wound from another animal. For a few hundred dollars of medical attention each, we will be able to rescue and treat these dogs and make them available for adoption.
Tucker was slated for death at a municipal shelter because of a cancerous-looking growth on his throat. Our staff brought him to the Seattle Humane Society, where our veterinarians determined the growth was not cancerous, but was damaged salivary glad that needed to be surgically removed. Tucker recovered quickly from the surgery, and now he is in a home of his own.
And dogs like Mercedes, who was hit by a car. After surgery and treatment, Mercedes is recuperating and getting home care from one of our great foster volunteers. When she’s ready, we’ll find her a person of her own to love.
We hope you’ll help us create MANY more happy-ending stories by raising your paddle higher than ever and pledging generously to the 2008 Fund-A-Need.
Thank you!!
NOTE: The 2008 Fund-A-Need is for extra medical care for dogs. We would love to find that special cat lover to help us start a similar fund for cats.
Last year, we
asked you to dig deep to help us purchase a 33-foot custom-built mobile
vehicle equipped to safely transport 20 animals. Thanks to your generosity, we didn't just reach, but exceeded our goal!
Our bright yellow, 33-foot MaxMobile proudly features beloved companions, names and sentiments from our donors and has been out in our community, and has been well featured in the news. This custom-built mobile adoption, education, and disaster relief center enhances our life-saving adoption program and allows us to bring Humane Education programs to outlying communities. It also enables us to expand our ability to respond to community disasters by transporting displaced animals to safety until they can be reunited with their families.
Adoptions:
The MaxMobile visited local stores throughout the
holiday season loaded with loving dogs, cats, and even
a few rabbits for on-the-spot adoption. Already Max has helped us to find loving homes for the animals in our care.
“We are committed to finding a home for every loving animal that comes through our doors,” says Brenda Barnette, CEO. “With our brand new MaxMobile, we’re finally able to bring our wonderful pets to the community.”
 |
Humane Teens Make a
Difference |
Education:
Many schools do not have the funding to offer field trips
so students can visit our campus. With the MaxMobile—
a classroom on wheels—we are now able to bring our
animals and an interactive learning experience to the
schools. These outreach events will allow us to reach an
entire school rather than one classroom during a visit.
Service learning is vital to school curriculum because it gives students connections to the community and allows them to engage in real work that makes a difference. The MaxMobile is partnering with classrooms in the area to help them plan and implement projects with our shelter.
The MaxMobile becomes a mobile classroom that enables kids to make a direct connection between their project and the animals who benefit. They tour the vehicle, see the shelter animals and take a virtual tour of our facility on the LCD screen. They also learn about the different ways they can help the shelter animals.
We are currently piloting a program with a group of students from Tyee High School in Sea-Tac. Students met some special emissaries to learn about the Seattle Humane Society, and brainstormed service project ideas. The MaxMobile will now go to them to hear about their projects and celebrate their success.
Disaster Relief
Through a partnership with the local American Red Cross,
we are committed to provide free shelter and care for pets
whose families have been displaced from their homes due
to disasters. We are proud to be the organization that the
local American Red Cross chapter calls on in times of
need.
The MaxMobile is equipped to safely house and transport animals to allow us to be at the site of any emergency to protect the animals during an immediate crisis and transport them to the safety of our shelter where they can be housed until their families can take them home.
In 2006, we asked for your help to start a behavior program to help us to expand our ability to save more animals lives. By improving the adoptability of the animals in our care, educating staff and volunteers to better provide a thriving environment, and providing support to adopters to find the right match and follow-up support to help people live successfully with their pets, we are now able to save more lives and ensure their success.
Advanced Behavior and Enrichment Programs
With increased focus on assessing behavior issues with our animals and meeting their need for additional training and behavior modification, we are now able to reduce stress in animals in our care and keep them happy and healthy. Our volunteers and staff work with animals using calming techniques, play groups, and behavior modification for issues such as impulse control, resource guarding and under-socialization.
Staff and Volunteer Training and Resources
Our staff and volunteers receive professional training to increase their knowledge of animal behavior and calming techniques, which improves our quality of adoption advising, animal handling, and for those caring for the animals in our shelter to provide animals with techniques that improve their adoptablility and success in their new homes.
Meet Your Match™
Meet Your Match™ assesses and matches the “canine-ality” of dogs or "feline-ality" of cats with prospective adopter's personalities. Rather than our adopters being attracted by a cute face or the color of a dog’s coat, Meet Your Match™ provides a strong foundation for the human to canine or feline bond to develop, making it easier for adopters to go home with the perfect match.
This innovative program was designed by Dr. Emily Weiss, a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. Dogs and cats go through tests to see how friendly, playful, curious, energetic, or motivated they are, and then given a color that overall describes whether they are a laid back "Couch Potatoe", a curious "Busy Bee" or several other types. This allows adopters to see past a set of loving eyes hoping to go home with them, and instead see whether or not the dog or cat will fit in with the family, and likewise helps our animals find families who will appreciate them for who they are.
New Pet Parent Support
Regular play-group sessions where adopters can learn about common adjustment or training issues. Allowing adopters to meet as a group and learn from our training and behavior staff helps when questions arise after the adoption of animals.
Community Education
With the assistance of the Behavior Program Manager, our training classes have grown significantly. With more people bringing their dogs for training, a more lasting bond is created, and people are able to get the knowledge they need to address behavior problems that may arise. In addition, our website and handouts have been improved to include additional resources and information to help people live successfully with their pets.