The 25th annual Furry 5K Fun Run & Walk was a heartwarming success! The event took place Sunday, June 9th, 2024 under beautiful sunny skies and cool summer morning temperatures, making it an ideal day for running, walking, and enjoying the company of countless adorable dogs. This year, over 1,300 enthusiastic participants registered, filling Seattle’s Seward Park with a sea of royal blue Furry 5K tee shirts, and dog tail wags and happy smiles all around.
Tracy Taylor-Turner once again excelled as the event’s MC. Seattle Animal Shelter Executive Director Esteban Rodriguez expressed heartfelt gratitude to all participants at the start line. Participants, both human and canine, were eager and ready to run. We saw some incredible performances this year, with many speedy runners and their pups achieving impressive finishing times.
In the months leading up to the Furry 5K, the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation volunteers, GFS Events, presenting sponsor Mud Bay, companies, individuals and teams all worked tirelessly to raise funds. In total, $133,653 was raised for the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation to support programs and so many pets in need through the Seattle Animal Shelter. What an amazing success!
The event is made possible each year by the support of our donors, volunteers, sponsors, and vendors. The Furry 5K has always been powered by volunteers dedicated to supporting the Seattle Animal Shelter’s veterinary needs. This year, over 120 volunteers contributed their time and effort to make this event a success. Whether you ran, walked, donated, led a team, shared a post on social media, or participated in any other way — thank you. Your support helps the Seattle Animal Shelter continue its amazing work.
Wizard of Oz – Owners: Danah, Nick and Sagan; Dog: Riley & Fawn
Best Owner/Handler Look-alike:
Puppuccino and Puppuccino Master – Owner: Yuki; Dog: Mochi
Most Creative:
Panda – Owner: Elizabeth; Dog: Blue
SPONSOR THANK YOU
Putting on an event like the Furry 5K requires a community effort, and our sponsors are a crucial part of that community. Their invaluable resources help us create a fun and impactful event that benefits animals in need. A special thank you to our presenting sponsor, Mud Bay, and to all our wonderful sponsors:
Mud Bay *presenting sponsor* Lotus Communication – HankFM & Northwest News Radio 97.7 ORIJEN Petfoods Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue Ruffwear BluePearl Pet Hospital Nintendo Animal Medical Center Seattle Just Food For Dogs Ahimsa Green Juju Petcurean Seattle Vet Assoc Open Farm Tilted Barn Metro Dog Seattle Portland Pet Food Co Red Barn Pet Products Alpha Martial Arts Animal Surgical & Orthopedic Center BarkWell Pet Boss Dog Brand Fuzzy Buddy’s Johnston Architects Natural Pet Food Group Pets Global Wellness Pet Company Lake Union Escrow Cascade Heights Veterinary Center TropiClean City Dog Club Bellevue Veterinary Emergency + Specialty Nucor
Love and Patience Win – Each year, at the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation’s (SASF) Furevermore Auction & Gala, we auction off our most prestigious prize, the Face of the Furry 5K. The award will be the poster pet for all of our Furry 5K material, and this animal represents all the shelter animals that the SASF Furry 5K helps every year. The Face of the Furry 5K gets an exclusive photo session with a professional photographer to capture their pet, and then a talented illustrator turns your pet into art! The Face of the Furry 5K illustration is used on that year’s banners, posters, and tee shirts worn by thousands of pet lovers who attend the Furry 5K Fun Run & Walk in Seward Park, WA.
This year it takes place on Sunday, June 9th and is the special 25th anniversary Furry 5K celebrating 25 years of helping Seattle’s pets. Everyone who registers gets a Furry 5K tee shirt featuring Fortis, the Face of the Furry 5K.
Meet Fortis, a dog who has fought hard and endured a lot to get here. Fortis was rescued from a serious case of neglect and abuse. His champion, who has been volunteering with the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) for two years, has had to learn to adapt to his traumatic past and mix of behavioral issues and medical struggles. “He’s like a lot of our dogs, where consistency, understanding who he is, and patience really helps.”
As an open admission shelter, SAS takes in any case. Whether an animal is seized, surrendered, or a stray, SAS is there to give that animal a chance. In some cases, like Fortis’, that means behavioral hurdles.
His guardian knew that adopting Fortis would come with a unique set of challenges, but was prepared to give him her all. “It’s not uncommon for some of our dogs to have a tough time once they’re adopted, for a while.” Fortis is not comfortable interacting with other people and dogs, and struggles with things like fear and separation anxiety. But he finds joy in playing with his favorite ball, barking at the TV, and hanging out with his person.
She cautions that it’s a challenge to take on a dog with these difficulties. “It’s not been easy, but I say, ‘We’re in this together, buddy. I’m not going to give up on you.’” She must set boundaries with their environment and people they meet to keep Fortis comfortable. “Love keeps me going, but if I wasn’t fortunate enough to have the resources and support system available to me, I don’t think I could’ve done this.”
Fortis’s person has learned that he will never be that dog that can walk up to someone and be pet, and that as his guardian, she has to be comfortable saying no. Taking on an animal means becoming their advocate in the world. The biggest eye-opener for her? “That this is going to be a different journey with him than it would be with another dog. And that journey takes a lot of attention to my environment, knowing in each situation how he’s going to react, and what I need to do to make that environment safe for him.”
“I love him with my whole heart, but it’s a lot of one-way relationship between the two of us,” she explains.
Managing expectations, understanding their needs, and accepting the unique journey is a big part of their story. What’s kept her going is a few crucial things. When she saw Fortis and what he went through, she knew she’d do anything to make his life better. “I thought, ‘I can do this for him.’” Having the ability and resources to give him what he needs, and knowing in her heart she was asked to do this, has helped keep her going through their ups and downs.
If it seems like a lot of work and commitment, it is. But thankfully, there are people like Fortis’s forever person willing to put her time, effort, and love into dogs like him. “I’ve been volunteering since I was very young and it’s always the dedication of the volunteers that is inspiring. It’s made me appreciate the volunteers where I work just that much more.”
It’s important to know what you’re taking on, but to also know that you’re changing a life.
To get your animal companion as next year’s Face of the Furry 5K, be sure to attend the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation’s Furevermore Gala later this year. Generous and passionate animal lovers bid to win the honor, all for such an amazing cause, supporting Seattle’s neediest pets.
There’s a dog I see multiple mornings a week running with its owner. While mom has a leash strapped around her waist, the retriever prances evenly alongside her, hair blowing in the wind, undistracted by squirrels, other dogs, or the faint scent of a dropped treat.
My dog, Sandy, is not like that.
Sandy, at 11 years old, enjoys a leisurely pace during her walks, pulling me backward if she misses a “message,” stopping at length on corners to think about which way to go, and sometimes just sniffing the air. She could do with a little training and encouragement to get a move on. And it could only benefit her brain (and her waistline) to change things up a bit.
So what better opportunity to kick off a wellness routine than prepping for the Furry 5K Fun Run & Walk (register here!) coming up June 9? Supporting one of the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation’s primary fundraisers while also getting healthier was a win-win.
To inspire humans to prep for 5K races, there is no shortage of “Couch to 5K” plans. So Sandy and I set out to get her from “Dog Bed to 5K.” But I wanted to be sure to do that in a way that was healthy and safe, and respected her inherent breed traits.
Fit with Fido volunteer Heidi Beck with one of her adoptable running companions from the Seattle Animal Shelter.
I started our journey by getting in touch with Heidi Beck, a retired Seattle real estate lawyer and the lead volunteer for Fit with Fido, the Seattle Animal Shelter program that pairs pups with running buddies to get them exercise and socialization via two-mile runs around SAS. Twenty-five years ago, Fit with Fido launched the Furry 5K to support the same values: Being outdoors and active is healthy for people and dogs.
“It gives the dogs a chance to explore their neighborhoods and really satisfy their urges to sniff and mark and see other dogs. It’s stimulating for their brains as well as their bodies,” Heidi said. “It’s also great for the humans. We get our own workouts, our time outdoors … and that’s how we get our dog fix.”
Each dog is evaluated by shelter staff before being placed in the Fit with Fido program.
“When we select dogs we work closely with the shelter staff and vets to make sure the dogs are physically able to run, and also behaviorally ready. For example, we don’t take out dogs younger than 1 year old, and we don’t take senior dogs. A couple of really athletic dogs have recently been taken off the list because they were too skinny,” Heidi said. And dogs with “smooshed” faces or potential for hip issues might not be good candidates.
So our vet was my next stop. Aside from slightly high cholesterol, Sandy’s bloodwork showed she was in great health, and overall physically good to go. Our doctor advised caution with ball-launch toys that could stress her body by doing too much too fast.
Heidi advised starting slow when introducing your dog to a more rigorous fitness regimen.
“They are exactly like us,” Heidi said. “Even a husky isn’t naturally going to be an amazing runner. They need to get in shape,” she said. “When we take a dog out for the first time we are winging it. Jog slowly – does he keep pace? Does he run way ahead of you? We’re completely allowing the dog to show us how fast they want to run and whether they even want to run.”
Then, we had to make sure we were geared up. Being out of the house longer and managing different environments meant preparation.
Click to view Runner’s World’s 6-week 5K training schedule. The principles for this plan also apply if you’re starting a training regimen for your dog — ramp up slowly and make sure to rest!
“When you take the dogs running, bring poop bags, a collapsible water dish, reflective vests and lights on the collar in the dark,” Heidi said, and bring treats to get your dog’s attention when needed. She also noted volunteers don’t take dogs out when it’s icy or run them when it’s hotter than 75 degrees.
Since Sandy is a borderline senior, my goal isn’t to get her to come in first place at the Furry 5K. I just want her to be able to go the distance comfortably, and even to have three-mile walks be something we can do regularly together.
Whether you have a similar intention or you want to really increase your pup’s athleticism, there are a few rules, according to Runner’s World and the American Kennel Club:
Increase distance and speed slowly. Add short spurts of jogging or faster walking to walks.
Interval training or cross training can be helpful, something like chasing a ball or walking up hills (thankfully there’s no shortage of those here).
Create a fun cue for your dog so they know when it’s time to pick up the pace.
Keep an eye out for injuries. Just like in people, overused muscles can get sore or joints can act up.
So far, Sandy and I have increased our daily walk from a little less than a mile to consistently working in two-mile walks, and even walked around Green Lake recently. I’ve noticed that her pace depends a lot on time of day, too, so I try to schedule long walks early in the morning or late in the afternoon when she seems her peppiest. Sometimes she’ll be moving so quickly that I have to trot to keep up with her, and I wonder if in fact I’ve sold her short and really should be supporting her shot at a blue ribbon.
Either way, the increased time together has benefits for both of us.
“I just find it really hard to run without a dog,” Heidi said. “I find it really boring. With a dog at the end of the leash, you’re being entertained, you’ve got a companion and you share the joy of running around in the outdoors.”
Thank you to presenting sponsor Mud Bay for their incredible support of the Furry 5K Fun Run and Walk! Together, we’re making a positive impact on the lives of Seattle’s animals.
Keeping a pet happy and healthy shouldn’t mean sacrificing something else. It shouldn’t require negotiating other responsibilities, or simply going without.
The Seattle Animal Shelter Vaccine Clinic on February 15th, 2024 in the International District Community Center allowed 130 local families (and their 231 pets) freedom from that choice.
The clinics are part of “The Best Chance Program,” an initiative funded by the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation, thanks to our compassionate supporters. Their donations at our 2023 Furevermore Auction & Gala and its Fund-a-Need were dedicated to giving pets their best chance at living healthy lives.
The initiative establishes accessible wellness and vaccine clinics, as well as giving pets and their owners their best chance at a healthy human-pet bond by providing necessary supplies. The clinics will be held monthly for a year in a variety of neighborhoods selected based on data collected by the shelter.
“Setting a vision for our organization of being a more community-centered organization, that falls in line with providing access to that care,” said Esteban Rodriguez, the Division Director for the Seattle Animal Shelter. “A lot of community members are struggling, whether it’s their living day to day, paycheck to paycheck, and when you’re looking at the cost of going to a regular vet to get those vaccines, it’s costly.”
The free, drop-in clinic in February opened at 11 a.m. and was full by 11:45 a.m., after people in a line that started hours earlier had made their way to the check-in desk. Once inside, they were seated in rows of folding chairs and individually engaged in a pre-check, where an SAS staffer asked some preliminary questions.
The room was full of extremely well-behaved pets, sitting quietly at the feet of their owners or calmly in carriers. Everyone was dressed up against the cold, with many pups in sweaters and one even cozily snugged up against his owner’s chest under his jacket.
One very patient “patient” was Blanca, a 2-year-old Pit Bull Terrier whose parents heard about the clinic through a posting at the property where they lived.
“It’s so important to have pets, and these vaccinations make sure they’re healthy,” said Blanca’s mom, Variana Vega. “I had pets growing up and they are great companions; they help you clear your mind.”
Across the room, Thor, a 4-year-old Poodle mix, was going through his intake. His owner, who asked not to be named, said she was dealing with financial difficulties and was grateful for the shelter’s resources.
“I need help that’s not biased, that’s friendly, that I can trust, and where I will walk away with my head held high,” she said.
Building those relationships and trust is central to the goal of these endeavors, Rodriguez said.
“To stay true to the type of organization that I want, you have to involve the community. So what better way to do it? You’re providing (for) a need that’s out there,” he said.
Clinic attendees Hedge and Moon Metreyeon brought their 2-year-old Border Collie/Staffordshire Terrier mix, Lochness, noting the rising costs of veterinary care were impossible to keep up with.
“We all just want them to be healthy and happy, but to have it be something that’s out of reach is soul crushing sometimes because you’re like, all I want is to be able to take care of them,” Hedge Metreyeon said.
For Rodriguez, this value the clinic is bringing to families is the most fulfilling part.
“What I kept hearing over and over and over again is that this is a blessing, this is something we truly needed, this does something amazing for my household because we don’t have the money or we don’t have the support. For me, that’s what makes me happy,” he said.
After visiting the medical tent, visitors were guided through the supply area, where they were able to select from a variety of supplies like food, crates, leashes and collars.
“People are leaving here with what they need to be a better planned pet owner in the city of Seattle,” Rodriguez said. “And that’s important to me because you start to build community. You start to build relationships. Eventually we’re going to be asking these same people that are coming to these events to be part of our volunteer program, part of our foster program.”
In this community, support and kindness just create more of the same.
Programs like the vaccine clinic are made possible by generous donors. If you would like to support the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation, you can donate here.
Our first annual Love Unleashed: A Valentine’s Day Fur-raiser was a smashing success! Animal lovers from all over Seattle came together to support a great cause, the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation. Both the venue and our hearts were filled to the brim as every seat filled with our compassionate community.
Catch a glimpse of the fun in our video & photos below!
A huge thank you to everyone who attended and spent time with our adorable adoptable animals. Like Koa, a perfectly behaved Shar-Pei mix, who captured hearts with her gentle demeanor. Or Frog, an adorable 4-month-old puppy, melting hearts with his two front leg casts and happy wiggly kisses – Frog has since found his forever home! And let’s not forget the adorable bonded bunny pair, Popcorn and Breakfast, who charmed everyone with their fluffy cuteness. See all the Seattle Animal Shelter’s adoptable animals here.
We’re immensely grateful for the incredible support of Stoup Brewing – Capitol Hill, who generously donated $1 for each pint sold. Thanks also to our two very special vendors joined us to make this evening even more special, and donated their proceeds: Puddles Barkery and Power Yummies! Thanks to their generosity, many hundreds of dollars were raised for the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation, providing vital support for Seattle’s pets in need.
To all who attended, drank pints for pets, and supported our cause, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your presence and generosity made Love Unleashed a night to remember. If you couldn’t attend, you can still show your support here. Let’s continue spreading love and compassion for our furry friends in need!
We’re looking back and appreciating a year full of advocacy, fundraising, and rescues. Animals were saved, life-saving funds were raised, and family members were adopted. The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) couldn’t have done all of this without the continued participation and support of our community, so as we look back – we thank you!
The Team:
SASF raised funds that allowed for two Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) staff positions to enhance pet care and foster support at the shelter: Tina Hope, SAS Behaviorist, and Sagan Lain, SAS Foster Program Coordinator. These two full-time shelter staff positions play such a key role in programs like in-kennel enrichment, behavior modification, and providing dedicated support to foster volunteers connecting them and foster pets to the resources they need to thrive while they wait to be adopted.
The Numbers:
Some fundraising highlights: Our amazing two and four-legged supporters turned out in high numbers for our annual Furry 5K Fun Run & Walk in June, ultimately raising $118,000 for the shelter. During the run, 587 runners and 737 walkers (and their furry friends) showed up in support!
We also had a record-breaking Furevermore Auction & Gala in October where we raised $250,000. During the gala, a wall-to-wall screen of adoptable pets was shown, and special highlights included an auctioning off of unique experiences and appearances by some special furry friends, including foster dog Koa. And to end the season on a high note, Giving Tuesday in November turned out to be our best one yet.
All those funds raised by SASF translate directly to programs providing even more animals with the support they deserve while in the care of the Seattle Animal Shelter. The table below shows the Seattle Animal Shelter foster numbers over the years, a testament of the value Sagan is providing in her Foundation-funded role.
The Stories:
Throughout the year, SASF continued to support the Seattle Animal Shelter in their ongoing work to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome animals. Dogs like Moon, whose story of emotional support and medical intervention to a happy rehoming can be found here; animals like chocolate brown pup Tarsier (now Olive) who needed patience and encouragement to get her confidence – and now enjoys the life she deserves with her adoptive family (story here); and chickens like Chips and Ice Cream, who were rescued during a Furevermore Ride-Along experience, and now get to enjoy peaceful grazing in their adoptive family’s backyard (story here); and tortoiseshell kitten Nutmeg, who was adopted at Furevermore.
Our shared efforts have transformed the lives of countless animals and pushed our community towards an even brighter future for our animals. We’re grateful and proud of our community and the lives changed this year and look forward to 2024’s opportunities to do even more.
Join us 💖Love Unleashed: A Valentine’s Day Fur-raiser! 🐱🐰
📅 Thursday, February 8th 2024 🕔 5:00 – 8:00 pm 📍 Stoup Brewing – Capitol Hill, 1158 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122
This love-filled evening is your chance to snuggle with adorable adoptable dogs and bunnies while sipping on delightful pints at Stoup Brewing – Capitol Hill. We’re thrilled to announce that Stoup Brewing, the event sponsor, is generously donating $1 for each pint sold during the event! 🍺
All donations from the event will go to the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation, supporting programs for pets and families in need through the Seattle Animal Shelter. 🐶💖
But that’s not all! We will have two very special vendors who will be joining us to make this evening even more special. Including Puddles Barkery and Power Yummies!
Bring your friends and join us for Love Unleashed at Stoup Brewing Capitol Hill on Thursday, February 8th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm!
As the busy holiday season approaches and we start prepping for presents, get-togethers, and festive traditions, it’s also important to look to those in need. Many animals in our community are relying on our help to receive behavior and medical care and find their forever homes. Consider adding the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) to your gift giving list this season to support our vital work with animals – animals like Rio.
Rio, a small yellow canary, came into the shelter displaying several behaviors in a repetitive fashion. The Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) Behaviorist Tina provided Rio with some options to begin practicing alternate behaviors to break up her repetitive behaviors. She started by moving Rio to her office so that she could observe her throughout the day and track how often Rio was performing these behaviors.
Tina found that Rio spent almost all her waking hours stuck in a loop. Fly to water, dip head in water, fly to perch, rub head and beak on perch, fly to second perch, rub beak and head on perch, fly to food bowl, pick up and drop food without ingestion, repeat.
Tina explains that many people might not think that these subtle behaviors are concerning, often because our experience with birds is restricted to captive birds. We may not understand the scope of their natural behaviors because we have altered their environment.
Ultimately Tina concluded that Rio was trying to cope. She was likely experiencing social pain from not having other conspecifics around. Mirrors can be helpful to some bird species and individuals (not all), but in Rio’s case it made all the difference. By altering her environment (her birdcage) to include daily novel toys, a mirror, and playing canary songs for her, SAS was able to see a reduction in the frequency of these repetitive behaviors within just a few days. Rio was much happier!
Thanks to Tina’s dedication and SAS resources, Rio was adopted and is now called Bi Bi.
Please consider giving a gift online at https://www.seattleanimalshelterfoundation.org/how-to-help/donate/ and give an animal like Rio a new chance at life. With your support, Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation can continue to fund ongoing and new programs at Seattle Animal Shelter to rescue, heal, and adopt out animals in need.
There’s an agency in Seattle that can help with your animals if you’re in a crisis, will support you in an unsustainable situation with your pets, and offers resources and supplies to underserved communities.
It’s called Animal Control.
Seattle’s Animal Control is a world away from the stereotype of dogcatchers and “the pound.” They focus on outreach and safety, and work to keep families together.
“This role has evolved so much over the last decade and the decade before that and the decade before that. If you look at the horrible history of where this profession started and where we are now, it’s unrecognizable,” said Animal Control Officer Patrick Lynch. “The role is going to continue to change. That’s part of the reason we need to be innovative, to adapt in a way that’s helpful to the community. As the community needs change, we’re going to change as well.”
The approach to calls is always on finding positive outcomes.
“Our goal is always to keep pets and people together, and when that’s not possible we have services. We encourage people to come to us when they need help,”
Seattle Animal Shelter Deputy Director Jocelyn Bouchard.
The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation’s biggest fundraiser, Furevermore, this year funded a new SAS initiative called “The Best Chance” program, which will support continued outreach to underserved communities through the sharing of care, information and resources with the goal of creating more open, trusting relationships – and keeping animals safe with their families.
“Our primary focus is animal welfare and public safety,” Officer Lynch said. “Those are the two most important things. There’s a lot of overlap between those two issues.”
Animal Control responds to calls about everything from a barking dog to alleged abuse cases. Officers talk to complainants and try to get clarification, “try to see what they are seeing,” he said.
A recent case Lynch handled involved a man who lived in an apartment with 10 dogs. His original pet was unspayed, and one litter led to another, which led to him struggling to take care of more dogs than he had the capacity to. Because of issues including barking, he was on the verge of getting evicted. He needed help but didn’t know where to turn.
“He’s been told no his whole life. Why would anyone say yes to taking care of his pets?” Lynch said.
It took a while to build trust but Lynch eventually was able to get the man to agree to surrender seven of the dogs and keep three, which were spayed, microchipped and vaccinated, and returned, and also got him sufficient supplies. The other seven dogs were adopted.
“At the end of the case, every single person said, ‘I never thought that this kind of outcome was a possibility.’ Even the apartment managers who were actively trying to evict this person. They weren’t going to call Animal Control because (they thought), ‘That’s going to be far worse than what I’m trying to do.’ ”
These kinds of cases and interactions have a deep impact on the wellness of the community.
“That man had an eviction hearing and didn’t get evicted. He was able to show he was capable of making these big changes. He understood that if something comes up he can rely on SAS to give him that compassionate outcome he would need,” Lynch said. “For other parties, they all now know moving forward that we can make a positive difference in a way that is beneficial to everybody. And hopefully as time goes on … when a person wants a dog, he’s not going to get an unfixed dog from the internet. He will adopt from us.”
In Officer Lynch’s mind, these small interactions are the foundational stepping stone toward bigger change.
“Something that I try to do, and I can only do it case by case, is change people’s minds as to what we are here to do and how we can help.”
The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation funds programs and services that support animals in need like this throughout our community. To donate, click here.
The Shelter Behaviorist role, crucial to many animals’ success at the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS), was created thanks to and continues to be made possible by the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF). Tina Hope took on this position at SAS in July 2023. Recently we talked with her about her work at the shelter and in the community, the importance of improving human and animal relationships, and how it impacts the animals she works with.
Tina and Kafka
What is a behavior success story that you were a part of recently?
T: Kafka! He’s a 110-pound Giant Mastiff mix dog who was surrendered to us in February, due to his owner losing their housing. He had some resource-guarding tendencies, and he had one minor bite on his record, due to a bandage being changed on his arm. The owner wasn’t quite sure how to manage the resource-guarding, and they were having trouble finding housing with a dog his size. When he came in he was very fearful and had intense barrier reactivity (which can sometimes go away as soon as you open the door), and touch sensitivity. Understandably though, he was intimidating to a lot of people. I started working with him through the kennel, tossing treats to him, and got him to be less reactive to the kennel barrier. I opened the door, asked him to go for a walk, and we went for a walk. He was very wary of me so it took a couple weeks for me to be able to touch him, but by the end of it he would climb up and sit in my lap (even though he didn’t fit). He was adopted in September by two folks who he immediately took to.
While he was here, Kafka actually helped another dog named Merci. Merci was a victim of significant physical abuse and was very anxious around humans. In my work I’ve often found that some dogs who are victims of abuse will feel more confident and comfortable in the presence of another dog. He gave her space, he let her come to him, he helped us introduce new people to her on paired walks. I don’t know that we could have helped her come around as quickly as we did if it wasn’t for him. He’s a success story and he created another one too.
What’s your background in animal welfare? Have you worked for other shelters/rescues before?
Tina: I’ve been working professionally in animal welfare training and husbandry for about 18 years. I started my professional career with horses, but I’ve worked with a number of species including dogs, cats, fish, guinea pigs, goats, birds, reptiles, pigs, and more. Prior to moving to Seattle, I worked at a high-intake shelter in California, the Municipal Shelter for the City of San Jose. There were a lot of differences between sheltering in California and Seattle as far as what challenges we faced on a daily basis, although some of the problems remain the same. When I started there we had about a 50% positive outcome, which was very low, and during my 8 years on the team we were able to build the positive outcome rate to 89% by the time I left. Part of that was I developed their first behavior program, and coordinated rescue transfers, including large transports of dogs to Southwest Washington Humane Society, in Vancouver Washington. So I came up here during a drought in California, it was green and pretty, and found that Seattle was for me.
What’s one of your biggest challenges in your work?
T: One of the biggest challenges is the lasting impacts we see from systemic racism, ableism, and classism, and how humans and non-human animals are treated, viewed, and often dismissed by the organizations that have been established to provide support. We are still operating as a punitive institution from the Animal Control perspective, so trying to bridge that gap to being more of a community support organization is our challenge. We’re really fortunate to have our Director Esteban because he’s leading the charge, getting those things in motion. You wouldn’t necessarily think that it impacts Behavior but it definitely does, because we see animals coming in that maybe don’t need to come in, ones that we potentially could have diverted a surrender if we were able to provide some behavior training or support, so it really all trickles down. So we’re working on creating more of a community organization that is here to help keep animals at home unless of course those homes are mistreating them.
As this behavior program continues to grow, we’re hoping to get to a place where adopted dogs and their families can come back and do training classes, and maybe an internship program for at-risk youth. I’m big on sharing the knowledge and getting everybody involved if they’re interested. And for me it’s important that we are reaching into communities that we haven’t historically served or had positive relationships with, and building that up.
What drew you to the animal behavior field?
T: Animal and human behavior has always fascinated me. I grew up in California, and when I was 7 or 8 years old I would exhaust my mom by always asking her to go to the animal shelter, Santa Cruz SPCA. I would sit in front of their kennels and just talk to them. I had my own dogs (I like to say I was raised by pitties), and ever since I was a small kid I was really interested in animals and just felt this very strong connection with them. I’ve always wanted to be able to better communicate with them and better understand their needs. We ask them to live with us, we ask them to do things that aren’t species-specific behaviors, and I wanted to get a better understanding of the ways they think and how we can help improve our relationships with them.
Animal shelters in particular I really enjoy working in because it gives the opportunity to reach folks and animals on a grander scale. In my day I get to talk with volunteers, my co-workers, members of the community, and help them all better understand their animals and the animals they’re interacting with. As far as working with the community, it’s really great to be able to start a conversation where this person feels like they’re doing everything wrong, and end the conversation with them feeling empowered and they have the tools to be a good pet parent.
Tina at the Seattle Animal Shelter with a fuzzy friend
It seems like it’s a real calling for you! It also seems like so much of this work is about improving the relationship between the humans and the animals – it’s not just a human training an animal, it’s the relationship, connection, and how you’re understanding each other.
T: Definitely. We tend to forget the human side of it, but until we help the humans heal, we can’t really help them help the animals they’re working with.
Why is behavior training important?
T: Training really helps build that bond between the human and the animal. It’s a give-and-take of trying to understand what the other being wants. You can gain that trust and bond with cohabitation, but training helps form that language between the two of you on a deeper level, so you can coexist more harmoniously.
What is one of your most eye-opening or teaching moments in your work?
T: When I first started in sheltering, I was helping a person who wanted to surrender their dog for some behavior reasons and also wanted to adopt a dog back-to-back. I was upset with them, went to my supervisor to talk about it, and she told me something that still resonates with me today. She said, “Let’s start with they showed up here today, and that was the right thing to do. And then we can figure out what’s happening with this dog that they think they can’t hold on to. Then move on from there.” Once I gave them that space to talk, I learned it was more that the dog wasn’t getting along with the children at home, he was showing significant fear, and they were worried he wasn’t having his best life. Once I gave them room to tell their whole story, it all made sense, and I knew they did do the right thing by bringing this dog in. If they hadn’t, he probably would’ve eventually bit the kids, since he might feel he had no other choice in communicating. That was a turning point for me in the way that I realized that I’m not here just to help these animals, I’m here to help these humans too.
Seems like having that empathy for the humans in that situation actually turned around and helped the dog as well, because it benefits both parties to find the right fit.
What would you say to people interested in animal behavior/animal behavior training?
T: It’s important to keep your mind open if you’re interested in animal behavior because there are so many ways to approach and operate in the field and help animals and humans at the same time. I think if you’re just starting out volunteering with the species you’re interested in working with, try things like volunteering at your local shelter, aquarium, and local groups to get a better idea of what part of behavior you’re interested in. There’s a lot you can do within this field, and it’s important to cut out the misinformation, be a good student, do your research, and think about the impact on the animal that you’re working with. Make sure that you are allowing them their autonomy and allowing them to choose to participate in the training or not, and not forcing any training on them.
The SAS Animal Behavior team and training program is financially supported by donors of the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation. Visit the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation‘s website to donate.
