Our May Foster Spotlight recipient doesn’t remember quite when their love of animals began, but their mother sure does! When Elliott would get lost in a crowd as a child, all her mother had to do was look for the nearest dog.
“And 99 percent of the time that’s where I would be,” she says. “I don’t remember any particular moments, but it seems the obsession started early.”
El went professional with her love of animals following a long time volunteering with Seattle Humane, later becoming one of our animal care associates. She left that position to attend the University of Washington, but says she still wanted to stay involved in some capacity.
“I have volunteered and worked at Seattle Humane in various capacities since I was thirteen, and I’ve finally hit the point in life where I’m able to foster,” she says. “I also have amazing roommates that make it possible for me to work and foster while being a full-time student. None of this would be possible without them; I appreciate them endlessly!”
Elliott began fostering with Seattle Humane in October 2024, and she is currently caring for adoptable Elodie Grace, a senior pit bull mix who came to the Pacific Northwest on a rescue flight out of California during the Palisades Wildfire disaster. El considers Elodie Grace high on her short list of foster favorites, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t excited about seeing her go home soon.
“I know there’s a general consensus in the fostering community that saying goodbye is one of the hardest parts, and I agree, but It’s also my favorite part!” she says. “It’s such a relief to see an animal that you love walk away from the shelter system and start a new, happy life!”
Finding foster homes for large dogs is no easy task in an urban area, so El’s preference for offering love and care to the big guys (and girls) is a huge bonus for the foster team.
On top of fostering, El is talented dancer and enjoys the fiber arts (crocheting, knitting, embroidery), and she is about to enter her final year of undergraduate study at the UW with plans of becoming a social worker.
While Elliott focuses on making space for her foster pets, she also enjoys sharing her home with her roommates 6-month-old cat, Paul Hollywood, a Seattle Humane alum.
El has this advice for anyone thinking about fostering: “It’s hard, but so worth it! Make sure you have a support system and ways to take care of yourself when the going gets rough. And always keep enzymatic cleaner on hand!”
