Amalie is a beautiful 8-year-old short haired brown tabby cat that came to Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) in early June 2023. She was reported as a stray when employees at the Seattle Public Library High Point Branch reached out because, “A skinny, sickly looking friendly cat keeps trying to come inside.”
At the shelter, Amalie’s breathing was audibly loud and congested, and her nose was clogged with mucus. The shelter’ sent her to foster care and our’s Veterinary Services team jumped into action, putting her on a treatment plan which included multiple, short courses of antibiotics.
After a few weeks of no improvement, Amalie’s nasal passages were imaged using a CT scan to rule out a nasal tumor causing the infection. Luckily for Amalie, the CT and biopsy showed no signs of cancer! She did, however, have evidence of severe, chronic inflammation, especially in her left nasal cavity and frontal sinus. This chronic inflammation has caused the destruction of the internal tissues in her nose, which is irreversible. She had a nasal flush to help clear out some of the discharge which improved her “snuffiness,” but she will likely always have some degree of nasal congestion. Sadly, the inflammation also spread causing a urinary tract infection, dental disease, and arthritis/back pain. Poor Amalie!
Her medical issues are not unique, and many animals come to SAS with particular needs. Thankfully nowadays, with the support of Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF), the shelter had the support of a full-time Foster Coordinator to helps get animals into temporary homes to provide loving, around the clock care to animals like Amalie. With the addition of the Foster Coordinator, who supports a wonderful network of foster volunteers, plus donations from SASF to fund medical expenses, the team comes together to make a happy, healthy life for Amalie and so many more until their forever family is found.
Through it all, Amalie was always a happy and loving cat who couldn’t wait till the nearest person was seated so she could crawl up in their lap. However, even with her incredible personality, finding an adopter who was open to a cat with chronic respiratory issues was challenging. For months, adopters would apply to learn more but ultimately decline after reading her medical history and associated ongoing costs. In December, she was adopted to a great family, but unfortunately Amalie said “no” to living with the other cat in the home. She came back to the shelter and returned to her dedicated foster home.
As it turns out, a long time SAS volunteer lost their beloved cat in late 2023. Over the holidays, this volunteer stepped up to provide vacation coverage for Amalie, and absolutely fell in love. Over 7 months after her arrival at the shelter, Amalie was adopted, and the rest is history!
Your support makes stories like Amalie’s possible. Thank you for being a part of Amalie’s journey and for supporting the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation. Your generosity makes a difference in the lives of animals like Amalie every day.
Saltine is a silky smooth black and white guinea pig who was transferred to Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) from Everett Animal Shelter (EAS) in August of 2023. At the time, SAS had an empty critter room and EAS was overwhelmed with pigs. They took in Saltine and five other unrelated guinea pigs to help EAS with their capacity. SAS guinea pig foster lead volunteer fostered Saltine in hopes of bonding her to their resident pig, but it wasn’t working.
Her foster volunteer said that, “Saltine got so scared when she was around other pigs that she would attempt to bury herself under them, and then be upset that they were on top of her, and then bite, which would trigger cavy drama. Despite our best efforts, our younger pig was not having what Saltine offered. They did not even remotely tolerate each other and it did not improve over time. But, Saltine was clearly a stressed out piggie who needed to decompress, so we [continued to] foster her and set up a spare cage next to our girls. Over the subsequent weeks, Saltine came out of her shell, became first handle-able then downright cuddly. She was interested in our girls and they would talk to each other.”
Saltine had come a long way, but our critter foster team identified her need to bond with another pig or pigs to be happiest. Guinea pigs are a social species who thrive in herds, but it isn’t always an easy task. One of our talented Licensed Veterinary Technicians was already fostering a bonded pair of baby pigs – Kabocha and Munchkin – and in mid-December generously offered to try introducing Saltine to them. Our guinea pig foster lead reported: “There was some initial piggie conflict instigated by Saltine, but since [the foster parent] knows pigs and intervened right away, they were able to move beyond it and became a bonded trio. They were adopted a few weeks later!”
Guinea pigs are particularly friendly and cuddly in nature, and although they don’t tend to do well when housed with other types of animals, they are social creatures and need companionship, both with other guinea pigs and their human family. Guinea pigs do the best in groups of two or more other guinea pigs, most commonly being groups of sows (females), or one or more sows with a neutered boar (male). Less commonly, but still possible given certain circumstances, two or more boars can live together; in this case, the boars must have enough space, be introduced young, and no sows present.
They are also the most common creature found in the SAS critter program, and Saltine is one success story of many. Meet Robert, Lead Volunteer of Seattle Animal Shelter Critter Program, who handles many small animals like Saltine every day. Robert started volunteering with the Seattle Animal Shelter in 2007. At orientation, most people lined up to sign up for the dogs or the cats, and very few for the critters, so he went there. He’s worked in several positions: volunteer coordinator, intake, and head volunteer. He and the critter team (volunteers and fosters) work with a wide variety of creatures – guinea pigs, rabbits, canaries, pudgies, mice, rats, chinchillas, snakes, bearded dragons, turtles, tortoises, lizards, sheep, goats, pigs, and more; all are accepted and taken care of through the critter program.
Robert’s favorite moments are found seeing families come in and find an animal that completes their family. “Seeing a family come in with kids, who are meeting a guinea pig for the first time, it’s so fun to see them talk about it and bring them home.”
Half of the critters are stray and half are surrendered, and the main obstacle to the program is workforce. Nowadays, with grant funding from donations to the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF), the critter program is supported by a full-time Foster Coordinator, which helps bolster the team and get animals into temporary care homes. Fostering for the critter program is somewhat similar to the dog and cat program, with a few differences. Usually, it means bringing home the environment for the critter (rather than just your home), with specific sleeping areas and enrichment items.
Seattle Animal Shelter volunteer help is always appreciated – you can go to the shelter to volunteer your time there, you can foster for the shelter, and you can share the shelter’s @SeattleAnimalShelter social media photos, videos, and other posts.
What’s important to understand is that no matter what kind of creature you’re dealing with, it’s best to not just pass critters around from neighbor to neighbor — bring them to a shelter or rescue so they can rehome them properly. And know that every animal, no matter how small, deserves to have the appropriate environment, resources, and family.
Sparrow came into the Seattle Animal Shelter as a stray where she was running in the streets dodging cars and people. She was very nervous, and spent much of her time in a staff office during the day to try and decrease her fear, anxiety and stress levels as she was much more comfortable there than in a kennel.
After her stray hold time period had passed, and no owner came forward to claim her, she was picked up by a newer short-term dog foster parent who also volunteers in-shelter with the cats and is on the cat foster adoption review team. This foster has a very anxious older dog, Moose, who is selective about what other pets he gets along with, and so finding a good fit for his foster home is very important.
Moose’s person brought him in to the shelter to meet Sparrow first out on a walk and then in the play corral, and he took to her right away.
When they got home, Moose immediately helped Sparrow decompress from the shelter on the couch. And Sparrow, who as a stray was unknown how she would do around cats, did great with the resident cat too!
Soon Sparrow was returned to the shelter clinic to get spayed, and to meet a potential adopter who had seen her online and applied to meet her. Sparrow was already much more confident after her short time in foster, and the meet and greet led to an adoption!
Foster homes can decrease an animal’s length of stay in the shelter system, along with their stress levels. This story highlights the advantages of volunteers who participate on multiple teams at the Seattle Animal Shelter, and short term foster homes are integral to the shelter’s life-saving work!
Thanks to your donations and support, the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation is able to provide financial assistance to the shelter’s foster program, helping make happy adoptions like this possible.
At the Seattle Animal Shelter, many animals’ journeys to recovery are a collective effort, made possible by the support of compassionate individuals. One such tale is that of Eartha Kat (EK), a feline survivor, who came to the Seattle Animal Shelter after a traumatic encounter with a vehicle. In her path to healing, the shelter’s dedicated behaviorist – and Stevo the wonder kitten – played a vital role in her rehabilitation.
Eartha Kat arrived at the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS), displaying signs of distress likely caused by the accident. The impact left her with not only physical injuries but also significant emotional trauma. She exhibited fear and fractious behavior, hissing, swatting, biting, and retreating into her shell. The image below captures her state upon intake—a frightened soul seeking refuge within the confines of her kennel.
The Seattle Animal Shelter’s behaviorist relocated EK to their office to see if living in a more home-like environment would help EK feel more relaxed over time, as many cats show signs of decreased stress when not confined to a kennel. However, this was not the case for EK. Recognizing the delicacy of the situation, the behaviorist devised a comprehensive behavioral plan to address EK’s challenges including her fear of humans, and fear of human handling.
Behavioral Plan: – Direct supervision within the office – Desensitization to human interaction – Pairing with a calm social cat or kitten to offer comfort beyond human touch – Urgent foster solicitation
To pair EK with a calm social cat, fortunately SAS had a single older kitten in the shelter. Enter Stevo the wonder kitten! Stevo seemed to immediately understand his assignment. He located Earth Kat where she was hiding and made himself into a perfect loaf next to her without invading her space.
Stevo eventually helped EK be confident enough to come out of hiding, and soon the pair were spending time comfortably napping on the behaviorist’s desk, supervising the comings and goings of SAS staff and volunteers. It was soon time for SAS’s foster coordinator to enlist a foster home volunteer for her, as EK was feeling much better about humans near her. After a short time in foster, EK was successfully adopted!
The heartwarming transformation of Eartha Kat, from a scared and traumatized feline to a more trusting and content soul, illustrates the invaluable role the shelter’s behaviorist and companionship play in animal rehabilitation, and the foster coordinator’s role in helping pets transition to a foster home from where they can be successfully adopted.
Donations to the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation make the SAS dedicated behaviorist and foster coordinator positions possible, and facilitates these transformative connections. Thank you for being a part of Eartha Kat’s journey and for helping animals in need.
The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF), in tandem with our sponsors, promotes the love and welfare of animals. Your generous donations have helped SASF support the Seattle Animal Shelter’s programs including foster homes, veterinary care, animal behavior, and more. To honor this, we have three heartwarming success stories: Nutmeg, Maxine, and Lemon Shark!
Beginning with an adorable kitten, Nutmeg, who arrived at Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) with her four littermates at about ~4.5 weeks old as strays in late September. They were nervous and a bit hissy, but with a little time in foster care, Sagan, the SASF-funded foster coordinator, knew they’d become social kittens. Due to their age and timing, Sagan tagged them for the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation annual gala, Furevermore, and sent them off to foster knowing that they’d be celebrities at the event.
Foster parent, Archana, did an incredible job with this litter of kittens. One month later, it seemed Nutmeg enjoyed being handled by at least a hundred humans at Furevermore! Sweet Nutmeg stole the heart of an attendee, who adopted her on the spot. A couple of days later Nutmeg was spayed and was sent to her forever home! Foster home support in conjunction with adoption or promotion events is one way SASF helps SAS in matching people and pets.
As if that wasn’t heartwarming enough, 11-year-old miniature Schnauzer, Maxine, arrived at Seattle Animal Shelter in May of 2023. While in the shelter, she had a slight cough, but was so lovely that she was adopted before she could be examined by SAS veterinarians. Unfortunately, her new owner took her to a vet who said she had kennel cough, and she was then returned to the shelter.
Upon further investigation, Maxine was diagnosed with a grade IV/VI heart murmur, congestive heart failure, and Cushing’s disease, which caused some urinary incontinence. Surprisingly, these complications didn’t seem to slow her down, and she was known as an energizer bunny around the shelter! Despite Maxine’s energy, these complex medical issues did indicate a shorter lifespan, and the Seattle Animal Shelter vet team was not sure how she would respond to treatment. Maxine required a foster parent to help SAS assess her quality of life, and in June a new foster volunteer, Mary, raised her hand.
Maxine and Mary had a long journey through medication trials, adjustments, and extensive testing which were all made possible by the shelter’s incredible Veterinary Services team. As Maxine’s health issues became more manageable, some new behavior needs started popping up. Maxine exhibited some resource guarding, reactivity, and needed to be re-potty trained after her incontinence was under control. SAS Shelter Behaviorist, Tina Hope, consulted with Mary and helped lay a good foundation for working through these behaviors. Tina also facilitated a referral for Maxine and Mary with one of the shelter’s training partners, Companion Animal Solutions, who provided additional tailored plans for Maxine.
Although Maxine is a beautiful dog and doing well medically and behaviorally, she was having a tough time finding the best family for her! She got lucky in late October, when her perfect adopter came along, and they fell in love. The Seattle Animal Shelter was happy to provide her new home with a multi-month supply of medications and additional training to support Maxine’s transition to her new home. Sometimes it can take several months to ensure a paws-itively perfect match, but it is always worth it!
Our last story is Lemon Shark, a sweet German Shepherd Dog who was surrendered to the shelter after her owners lost their housing. Lemon Shark had experienced generalized anxiety since being hit by a car as a puppy. Lemon Shark came into the Seattle Animal Shelter demonstrating behavior challenges such as barrier reactivity, reactivity on leash, generalized anxiety, and she had previously bitten a human. In the shelter she was highly stressed, and visibly anxious.
Due to these reasons, the Seattle Animal Shelter’s behaviorist, Tina Hope, created a well-rounded plan for Lemon Shark which included behavior medication, desensitization and counterconditioning with treat tosses through her kennel to reduce barrier reactivity, office time to practice calm behavior, loose-leash walking training to reduce pulling and darting on leash, desensitization and counterconditioning to reduce reactivity on leash, and specialized counseling with her future adopter to prevent future bites. After spending some decompression time in the office with Tina, where she enjoyed playing with puzzle toys purchased with SASF grant funding, Lemon Shark showed a better ability to begin learning.
Finally, Lemon Shark was adopted, with her new family continuing her training at home. When the Seattle Animal Shelter followed up with them, they reported that, “Our biggest progress has been with working on “look at me” and making eye contact to try to keep the communication open when we encounter difficult distractions like new people or other dogs. She is so intelligent, and I can safely say that I have fallen head over heels in love with her!” With Lemon Shark’s training through SAS’s behaviorist and wonderful volunteers, she was able to find her best friends fur-ever.
The amazing accomplishments of Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation are a direct result of the love for animals that we share with our donors! With the generous donations we receive, we provide life-changing resources to the animals at Seattle Animal Shelter. Success stories are only made possible with contributions from our readers and supporters. Please click here if you are interested in supporting the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation!
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.
Some dogs have more challenges to overcome than others. Meet Rocco. Not only was he born a black Pit Bull mix, but his life circumstances led him on a challenging journey including landing at the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) twice. Initially arriving as a stray in late 2022, he was unfortunately returned in 2023 due to landlord restrictions forcing his adopter to give him up.
Back at the shelter, Rocco was overwhelmed. Cowering in his kennel, quiet and still, he gave visitors a nervous stare and required experience handling to be taken out for the daily walks provided to all dogs at the shelter.
Shelter staff doesn’t give up easily and had Hope and a plan for Rocco. That’s hope with a capital H, as in Tina Hope, the SAS Behaviorist! A staff position made possible by generous donations to the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF). Over the next two and a half months, Tina and team worked tirelessly to ease Rocco’s sensitivities and reactivity, providing him with relaxing moments in the outside dog corral (construction funded by SASF) and in staff offices.
As Rocco’s behavior improved, Tina coordinated with the SAS’s Foster Program Coordinator Sagan (another position funded entirely by SASF donations), to expand their foster home recruitment outreach to more volunteers. They found a match! Megan, a regular SAS dog walking volunteer, offered Rocco a short-term foster home.
Once home with Megan, Rocco’s transformation was remarkable. Megan shared updates of Rocco’s calm demeanor, playful antics, and his newfound love for cuddles. Despite his past challenges, Rocco’s stress melted away in foster care, and he seamlessly adapted to Megan’s active lifestyle.
Megan continued to be supported by SASF-funded resources and classes, addressing Rocco’s reactivity, and turning their morning hikes into a delightful routine. Short-term turned into long-term, and finally Megan decided she couldn’t bear to part with Rocco and adopted him!
She sent a lovely card to SAS to celebrate the good news:
Rocco’s incredible journey highlights the transformative impact of love, patience, and dedicated support – made possible by your donations to SASF and the wonderful team of staff and volunteers at the Seattle Animal Shelter.
Now is the perfect time to make a meaningful impact and support Seattle’s animals in need. By donating to a 501c3 nonprofit like the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation before year’s end, you not only help create positive change for pets like Rocco, but you may benefit from a tax deduction when filing your 2023 taxes. Thank you for your support!
Giving Tuesday is coming up and Seattle’s animals would appreciate having your support this year! For those who may not know, Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving or generosity, and in 2023, Giving Tuesday falls on November 28th. Giving Tuesday is an opportunity for us all to consider how we can help support the causes we care about—and here at the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF), we want to utilize this important day to promote animal welfare and care!
This year, our goal is to raise at least $5,000— and the first $2,500 donated will be matched by generous supporters!
Your donation helps pets like Pandora. Pandora was rescued by the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) with her three tiny kittens from under a highway. Sadly, her babies were incredibly sick. They tested positive for Feline Panleukopenia, a highly contagious virus that is so often deadly to young and immune compromised animals. With such severe symptoms and little to no chance of surviving, to alleviate their suffering, SAS veterinary staff made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize the kittens.
Pandora when she first came in to the shelter
Pandora needed an immediate foster home to keep her quarantined away from other cats and to improve her chances of staying healthy. An amazing volunteer, Heidi, graciously took her as a foster. With close counseling from SAS’s Foster Program Coordinator (a position made possible by donations to SASF), the SAS Behaviorist (another position funded thanks to SASF donations), and the dedicated cat foster lead volunteer, Heidi supported Pandora and helped her affectionate nature shine through.
Pandora, after some time in foster
Pandora was then listed on the SAS website and found an adopter! All the behavior notes and strategies were shared with the adopters to help her succeed in her new home. Soon, Pandora was choosing to be on the bed with her new kitty sibling. Quite a collaborative adoption success story!
Pandora settling into her new home
On this Giving Tuesday, please consider being one of our matching donors so we can meet our $5,000 goal and can continue to create animal success stories like Pandora’s. We appreciate any level of support!
Shelter teams pull together to see through the hardest cases
The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation strives to support each animal that comes into the shelter by funding programs above what the city can provide, whether it be behavioral, medical or environmental. The Foundation’s support helps the most in-need animals receive the care and nurturing they need in order to live their most fulfilling lives and be surrounded by love! We are happy to share these updates on animals that came through the shelter in 2023, overcame challenges thanks to the amazing team at the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS), and graduated to their forever homes.
Moon
Moon afterMoon before
Sweet Moon came into the shelter as a stray with a challenging medical issue that was making her very self-conscious. She was dealing with incontinence, which had soaked her fur and created a situation where she didn’t want to eat or go for walks, or meet new people.
The SAS team started by spending time with Moon to better assess her needs. She had office time with SAS staff behaviorist Tina, and it became apparent that Moon needed medical and emotional support. Her physical needs were immediately addressed by getting her medication for her incontinence and a full grooming session. Getting all 80 pounds of her into the tub was not easy but she was a trooper! She was very patient and even happily accepted the not-so-great hairstyle she left with. Moon also needed surgery to remove mammary masses and get spayed, so after that was completed the team gave her space to relax by sending her home with Tina for support and to build trust in new people.
This girl was a quick learner and after just a few days with Tina she was feeling much more confident and ready to move to a new adoptive home. To make sure the transition was smooth, Tina spoke with the adopters directly about Moon’s needs and the new family’s animals. They had been wanting to adopt a husky for some time, but many facilities will not allow huskies to go to homes with cats. Thankfully, Moon had spent time with dog-savvy cats in Tina’s home and was more than prepared for this new environment.
Moon seamlessly found her place in her new family, and is even respecting her new feline sibling.
Harbor
Harbor had a tumultuous and confusing introduction to the shelter. He had been lost with his sister and found shelter in a stranger’s yard. The kind people who found him called Seattle Animal Shelter and Harbor was able to be safely contained until the shelter arrived, but tragically his sister ran away in fear, leaving him isolated from his support system.
When Harbor arrived at the shelter, behaviorist Tina noted he was fearful of humans and the environment, and he was placed in the quieter wing of kennels and put on a plan that included office time for desensitization and dog play sessions to build his confidence.
He learned fairly quickly that shelter staff were kind and Tina continued to help him make progress by introducing him to Millie, another SAS dog. Millie accepted her role as auntie with patience and grace, helping Harbor learn to walk on a leash without pancaking and engaging in fun playtime with him.
Soon thereafter, Harbor moved into a foster-to-adopt home. While this new environment was a much better fit for him, Harbor had a hard time being left alone. This separation anxiety was concerning to his new parents, who weren’t sure whether they were equipped to handle the challenge. But SASF was able to support them with a grant-funded trainer, and with the tools they needed his new family was able to move forward with adopting Harbor … now Dempsey!
Diego
Diego returned to the shelter after a challenging misunderstanding. He had bitten his owner but behaviorist Tina suggested the situation had likely arisen from misreading of body language, handling sensitivities, and fear. Shelter staff discussed the situation, saw Diego’s potential and committed to making this boy available for adoption again.
When Tina met with the pup she found him to be quite a “silly, bouncy boy” and renamed him Diego Maradona, after the much-beloved Argentinian soccer player. She considered how to make accommodations for him so that he could engage in activities safely and while learning new skills.
Diego was fit with a harness that would make it easier for walkers to clip a leash on him without getting their hands near his head or neck, and he took part in playgroups to help maintain his social skills. The team of staff and volunteers worked together on improving Diego’s foot-mouthing behavior on walks by clicking for calm and/or redirecting him to a toy.
Diego made such progress that he was adopted in February into a new family. He is living his best life now, a happy boy and with lots of room to run.
Zissou
Zissou came to the shelter during what was probably the hardest time of her life. This pup had been hit by a car and her leg was broken in multiple places, leading to amputation of the limb. Zissou came to foster to give her time to heal.
This little girl’s challenges were layered: She was fearful of new people and also terrified of cars because of the traumatic incident she had survived. So the team decided to take it slowly and help her build confidence and trust with people while she recovered, and then work with her on her fear of cars.
Zissou’s plan focused on mental enrichment while she was healing, and then desensitization and counterconditioning. She demonstrated a severe fear of cars, so Tina adjusted their walk times/routes to times with fewer cars around, and began helping Zissou learn that someone would help keep her safe. Tina also worked with Zissou on being in public places, where there was plenty of room for her to be around humans without needing to interact with them.
All of Zissou’s hard work paid off when she was adopted into her forever family and went home with a little chihuahua mix brother who is helping her continue to build confidence and face the world’s challenge
Marble Cake
Marble Cake beforeMarble Cake after
Miss Marble Cake, a senior American bulldog, was a ball of stress when she was found in an alley, scared and confused. She came to the shelter more sour than sweet, showing fear-based aggressive behaviors like avoiding, growling and barking.
The team saw an opportunity to work with Marble Cake to reveal her true personality through behavioral intervention. She was able to broaden her social circle and spent time in offices for additional support and love. Soon enough this little gal was notorious for her hippity hoppity happy dance!
Marble Cake’s transformation had her adopted soon thereafter, but it wasn’t quite a perfect fit. Her new home was in a high-rise in a busy area of the city, and she was fearful of leaving the apartment. The team provided support and training recommendations but ultimately the adopter and SAS decided it was too much to ask of Marble Cake to continue to live in a situation that was so stressful for her. Sometimes the kindest thing for these pups is recognize that an environmental change is ultimately what they need.
And for Marble Cake, that ended up being the best decision ever, as it led to her meeting her true forever family. Marble Cake is now Myrtle, and thriving in her new home and enjoying many adventures in the water, far from the bustle of city life.
In recent years, the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation has been able to fund the expansion of the behavior program and the ongoing success of the medical program. These programs are foundational to the success of animals leaving care and has a profound impact on their overall wellbeing.
Today, Lachy is healthy, and you’d never guess what happened! Unfortunately, Lachy fell out of a four-story window. Although he survived the fall, that was the beginning of his recovery period. He was diagnosed with pneumothorax (air in his chest), multiple rib and pelvic fractures, and he was non-weight bearing in one of his hind limbs. After time at the vet, he was transported to the Seattle Animal Shelter a few days after his accident.
Senior veterinarian at the Seattle Animal Shelter, Dr. Watlington, was able to provide us with more details of Lachy’s medical condition. When he arrived at the shelter, he was very sweet and easy to handle. His pelvic fractures were non-surgical. He was put on exercise restriction and pain medication to help manage his discomfort. The shelter’s behaviorist, Tina, did a wonderful job identifying his enrichment needs. Lachy is a Belgian Malinois, a very high-energy breed, so he needed a bit more stimulation in his kennel since he wasn’t going on long walks or able to play. Being confined was a tough situation for this active boy. On top of being active, his foster parent said, “He’s driven, smart, affectionate with his people, guards the house, good with other dogs. He picks things up super-fast…Things like advanced obedience, agility, nose work etc.” After some time, Lachy was sent to a veterinary rehabilitation facility for a consultation, and it was concluded that his pelvic fractures were healing very well. He was able to move to a foster home to continue his healing in a more peaceful environment for about two months.
Since Lachy is a breed that is both active and smart, his foster family mentioned, “He’s a really good dog for someone that wants and knows how to work with driven guarding and working breeds. If I was able to fully have the choice, he would not go to first time dog owners or to someone that lives in an apartment downtown or someone that wants a “normal house” dog.” Belgian Malinois are known for being highly obedient and protective, which means Lachy needs extra room for activities!
While in foster, his foster parents did only on-leash activity for a month with slowly increased walk time. As activity increased, Lachy’s foster family started to explore more of his interests, “I learned today that he LOVES water, from a kiddie pool in our yard. He’d be the best hiking and alpine lake swimming buddy!”
Luckily, this good boy was adopted last week and has gone to a loving home. We are proud of our animal success stories here at the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation, and we owe a lot of thanks to our amazing sponsors for making these types of stories possible!
