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Animal Shelters Announce Changes Due to Coronavirus

March 20, 2020


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Several animal shelters in Western Washington have made drastic changes to their policies due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus.

Although the new policies vary from shelter to shelter, they do have some things in common:

  1. The shelters are closed to the general public.
  2. ALL SHELTERS ARE STILL ADOPTING OUT ANIMALS ON A LIMITED BASIS. Check each shelter for its specific policy.
  3. Most shelters offer limited services like reuniting people with lost pets.
  4. Most shelters are not accepting surrendered animals. If you need to surrender an animal, please keep it until the Coronavirus has passed.
  5. Due to limited adoptions, most shelters are extremely crowded and need people to foster animals.

Also, area shelters are extremely crowded due to fewer pet adoptions during the Coronavirus crises. Adoptions at the Seattle Animal Shelter are down 50%.

If you are planning to adopt a dog, please consider doing it now when you’re spending more time at home.

Here’s the list of shelters and their new policies. I anticipate that the shelters will make changes to the policies during the Coronavirus crisis. I’ll include these changes as I learn about them.

Seattle Animal Shelter

To protect the health and safety of our staff and customers, and to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19, Seattle Animal Shelter’s public-facing counters are temporarily closed to the public as of Monday, March 16. We expect to reopen March 23, but will continue to evaluate this timeline as the outbreak evolves.

We are available to help you over the phone or online during the hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and can be reached in the following ways:
• Phone: 206-386-7387(PETS)
• Email: SeattleAnimalShelter@Seattle.Gov
• Online Service Request Forms: http://www.seattle.gov/animal-s…/hours-location-and-contacts

More details:
• Pet licenses: Licenses can be purchased at www.seattle.gov/animal-shelter/license  

• Lost pets: If you believe your lost pet is with us, please call us first at 206-386-PETS. We will work with you to determine if we have your pet and schedule a time for you to come in.

• Found pets: Please do not show up at the shelter with a pet you have found. Call 206-386-PETS and we will assist you.

• Animal Control: Officers are still on duty, so if you have an animal-related concern please call 206-386-PETS for further assistance.

• Animal care: Rest assured, care of our animals is and will remain a priority for us. The animals at the shelter and in foster homes are continuing to receive our standard top-notch care. Our staff is still on site, and many animals have been moved to foster homes.

• Adoptions: We are still accepting applications for animals. You will find instructions in each animal’s listing (and if not, please be patient–we’re working to get them all updated). 

• Donations: At this time, we are not accepting material donations. But we always welcome and appreciate monetary donations. You can donate to our Help the Animals Fund here: http://www.seattle.gov/animal-shelter/get-involved/donate.

• Volunteers: We do not need additional volunteers at this time. (Thank you to those who have offered!) Should a special need arise, we will let you know.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding. And, again, know that the animals are in great hands!

Regional Animal Shelter of King County

Our number one priority at RASKC continues to be focused on delivering our mission of “Helping People and Pets.” We are honored to be of continued service to our communities, both in person when needed as well as online. You can access many of our services from the comfort of home.

  • Adoptions
    • Interested in taking a peek at pets seeking a new home?  We have you covered! Simply visit our adoptable animals page to begin the search. Once you have found them, visit the Pet Adoption Center in Kent and we will let you connect in our meet and greet room (for dogs) or provide an opportunity to meet cats in their feline condos.
  • Animal Control Response
    • We respond to non-emergency calls seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Animal Control Officers (ACOs) conduct investigations, enforce state and local laws related to animals, as well as educate the public about animal welfare, restraint, and licensing. For emergencies involving immediate threats to public safety or animals, please call 9-1-1.
    • Online Forms:
  • Found a Pet?
    • Does it have a tag? Call our license look up (206-296-2712) and you may connect with their owner by phone. No tag? If the animal is not aggressive and you would like to keep it in your home, check out the step-by-step helpful instructions on our found stray pet web page.
  • Lost a Pet?
    • Start off by taking a look at the stray animals on our website that are being cared for by our staff.  Also, add your pet’s information to our lost pets database. You will be notified by email if an animal matching your description is added to our database. While we make every effort to ensure that our information is correct, we recommend you check for your missing pet in person at the Pet Adoption Center in Kent.
  • Pet License
  • Looking for ways to help animals?
    • Support your local animal shelter or rescue! Whether it is RASKC or our friends nearby including Meow Kirkland, Auburn Valley Humane Society, Burien CARES, Seattle Animal Shelter, Seattle Feline Rescue, PAWS Lynnwood, Pasado’s Safe Haven, and many others, we encourage you to consider fostering and/or providing monetary or in-kind donations. All of these shelters and rescues need your support now and in the coming months especially. As you may know, kitten season is around the corner and many shelters, including RASKC, seek foster family help during this time. For more information on ways you can help make a difference, email us at pets@kingcounty.gov or visit our donations page for information on financial and/or in-kind donations that support pets at our shelter, in foster as well as in the community.  (See wish list/Amazon wish list)

While our shelter hours of operation remain the same, we have made modifications to ensure the health and safety of pets and people:

  • Partner Adoption Stores: We are temporarily pausing adoption operations at our partner stores. This will focus our resources at the Kent Adoption Center as we continue to help people and pets during this challenging time. We look forward to resuming adoptions at our partner stores as soon as we can.
  • Kent Adoption Center:
    • Cleaning — We use a hospital-grade disinfectant, widely used in the animal care industry, to clean kennels, floors and walls. We also routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the shelter workplace such as workstations, counter tops and doorknobs. That said, remember to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer beforeand after interacting with animals (good idea at home too).
    • Visitors and Potential Adopters — Our team will limit the number of customers in our front lobby and adoption areas to facilitate the social distancing so important in minimizing viral spread. We ask that for your safety, and others, to respect the recommendation of six feet of physical separation.

Thank you so much for your support of animals. We are continuing to the best of our abilities to help people and pets of King County during this public health emergency. If you need our help, please contact us at pets@kingcounty.gov or call us at 206-296-7387 (PETS). 

Seattle Humane Society

Seattle Humane has extended its closure to the public until further notice to support community efforts to reduce the spread of infection. 
This announcement comes as the shelter monitors new information concerning the coronavirus outbreak, as well as in response to recommendations from government and healthcare officials to promote social distancing interventions. 

“Seattle Humane is committed to doing its part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community, while also fulfilling our mission of saving lives and completing families,” said Interim Chief Executive Officer Paula Littlewood. “We will be looking at our current operation procedures and determining how best to connect our deserving shelter pets with loving families without exacerbating a public health situation. In the interim, our talented and dedicated staff and volunteers continue to provide exceptional care to all of our animals, whether they are here at our shelter or in one of our foster homes.”  

As the shelter’s primary goal remains finding homes for the pets in its care, it will offer a trial of limited adoptions by appointment only. Potential adopters can complete an adoption application online, and shelter staff will then contact potential adopters to conduct an over-the-phone advising session. Adopters will then be offered an appointment time where they can come meet the pet at the shelter. All potential adopters will be asked not to come to the shelter if they have experienced any coronavirus symptoms and will be asked to adhere to best hygiene practices. 

This adoption-by-appointment system will begin Thursday, March 12, for nearly a dozen large-breed mix puppies. These 14-week-old puppies were already scheduled for transport from Oklahoma before the coronavirus outbreak closure was announced. As this is a new model designed specifically for this unprecedented public health situation, the shelter will then evaluate how best to expand this adoption-by-appointment approach to incorporate the nearly 80 pets who would have otherwise been available for adoption if the shelter had remained open to the public. 

In the meantime, fewer than 40 pets remain on campus, where they are being cared for by a reduced group of staff and volunteers. The rest of the 150-plus pets in the shelter’s charge are enjoying offsite slumber parties within the organization’s network of about 900 foster homes. 

“While this situation is ever-evolving, one constant throughout is our commitment to providing comfort and care to vulnerable animals,” Littlewood said. “We are dedicated to ensuring that the dogs, cats, and small critters entrusted to us will continue to receive the affection and attention they deserve.”  

During this closure to the public, the shelter is postponing the following services: Pet Resource Center appointments, Humane Education events, public veterinary appointments, dog training classes, media segments, and fundraising events. Additionally, the donor reception, “TLC in ISO,” originally scheduled for April 2, will be canceled and rescheduled for a later date.  

NOTE: According to numerous health organizations (including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the American Veterinary Medical Association), no animals in the United States have been diagnosed with the virus, and zero data exists to suggest that dogs or cats (or other pets) can contract or spread Covid-19, also known as 2019-nCoV. 

“There’s no evidence to indicate that domesticated animals play any role in disease transmission for Covid-19,” said Dr. Jessica Reed, veterinarian and chief medical director at Seattle Humane.   

Bottom line: Practice social distancing and snuggle your pets. 🙂  

PAWS

A letter to the community from PAWS CEO Heidi Wills

Dear Friends,

While taking extreme precautions in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, PAWS is continuing to provide lifesaving care to cats, dogs and wild animals. We have many cats and dogs available at PAWS Companion Animal Shelter in Lynnwood and PAWS Cat City in Seattle and encourage adoption with some essential changes to the process for the safety of our community.

Effective March 16, 2020, PAWS will take the following measures with the public in order to protect human health.

Call ahead to PAWS Wildlife Center – If you are bringing an injured wild animal to the PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynnwood, please call prior to coming in at 425-787-2500 X817. We are ensuring that drop-offs are conducted one at a time to comply with social distancing guidelines.

Cat And Dog Adoptions by Appointment Only – The PAWS Companion Animal Shelter in Lynnwood and PAWS Cat City in Seattle’s University District are open for adoptions by appointment only. If you wish to adopt, which we encourage, please look on paws.org first.

If you are interested in adopting an animal you see online, please complete an adoption questionnaire for either a cat or dog and call 425-787-2500 x 800 to schedule an appointment. For cats who are available for adoption at PAWS Cat City, please call our onsite team directly at 206-782-1700to schedule an appointment.

Stray Animals – PAWS will continue to accept stray animals from the eight jurisdictions we serve: Edmonds, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Shoreline and Woodinville. If you are looking for your lost animal, please check our website. If your missing pet is in our care, it will be on the website in a manner of minutes. Please call ahead to schedule an appointment to redeem your pet at 425-787-2500 x 800. 

Owner Surrender -We will continue to accept owner relinquished pets on an appointment basis.  Please call 425-787-2500 x 801 or visit our website to learn more about the process.  

Education Classes Cancelled – All classes are cancelled for your safety and that of our staff. We will resume regular education and outreach programs when it is safe for all to do so.  

PAWS is focused on the care and well-being of the animals, staff, volunteers and members of the public visiting our facilities: PAWS Companion Animal Shelter in Lynnwood, PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynnwood, and PAWS Cat City in Seattle.

The CDC and the World Health Organization have cautioned all of us to avoid unnecessary human contact and use social distancing in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. It is our civic duty to follow the advice of the experts who are familiar with the pattern of disease migration.

We thank you for your understanding and want to assure you that the animals at our facilities are receiving top-notch care during this particularly challenging time for our greater community.

Kitsap Humane Society

During this time of social-distancing, Kitsap Humane Society will be experiencing lower than normal adopter traffic, which means that we are at risk of running out of kennel space for pets in our community. Because of this, we are looking to animal lovers in our community to help prevent the intake of shelter animals in the following ways: 

– If you have found a stray pet, please make all attempts to reunite it with its owner before bringing it to the shelter. Tips on reuniting lost pets can be found here: https://www.kitsap-humane.org/programs-serv…/lostfound-pets/

– If you have a pet you need to rehome, please consider privately rehoming your pet before contacting the shelter about surrendering your pet. Tips on private rehoming can be found here: https://www.kitsap-humane.org/progra…/surrendering-your-pet/

– If you do need to surrender your pet, all surrenders require an appointment. Please contact our Admissions Department at 360-692-6977 ext. 1123 or admissions@kitsap-humane.org  

– If you have recently adopted a pet that you need to return to the shelter, please note that we are now requiring appointments for all returns. Please contact our Admissions Department at 360-692-6977 ext. 1123 or admissions@kitsap-humane.org  

Thank you for your patience and understanding and for helping us serve the stray pets of our community. 

Everett Animal Shelter

Everett Animal Shelter is committed to keeping our community safe. At this time, that means restricting general admission to our shelter, which will also help our staff and volunteers remain healthy to continue to care for our animals.

ADOPTIONS: We will be conducting adoptions on a case by case basis and are not allowing visitors for general animal viewing. If you are interested in adopting, first view our available animals online: 

https://everettwa.gov/161/Adopt-a-Pet. If you feel there is an animal that would be a good fit for your home, please fill out an application and email it to eas@everettwa.gov. A staff member will be in touch to discuss next steps. Applications can be found here: https://everettwa.gov/161/Adopt-a-Pet

STRAY ANIMALS AND LOST & FOUND: We are currently limiting animal intakes. If you have found a stray pet, please call our main line at 425-257-6000 or file a found pet report online: https://everettwa.gov/…/Animal-Service…/Found-Pet-Report-113.

If you think your lost pet may be at the shelter, please check the website at https://everettwa.gov/171/Lost-and-Found-Pets and call 425-257-6000, our staff will return your call as soon as they are able.

Please also check these Facebook groups: Lost Dogs of Snohomish County: https://www.facebook.com/groups/914574938584267/, Lost Cats of Snohomish County: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1448930835375879/.

PET SURRENDER: At this time we are not able to accept owner surrendered pets. If you have questions, please call 425-257-6000. Our staff will return your call as soon as they are able. We are also not able to accommodate private euthanasia requests at this time.

DONATIONS: We are still accepting donations and need community support now more than ever. To make a financial donation please visit our website: https://everettwa.gov/170/Donate.

We are still in need of donated pet food but will not be allowing donations of supplies to be dropped off at the shelter. The best way to help the animals at this time is through online financial support or our Amazon Wish List.

PET LICENSES: License purchases and renewals can be done online: https://everettwa.gov/2264/Pet-Licensing. If you have licensing questions please email us at petlicense@everettwa.gov or call us at 425-257-6000.

We appreciate your flexibility and understanding during this time and we assure you that our homeless animals are still receiving the same loving care as always. Thank you!

Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County

The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County is actively monitoring the spread of COVID-19. At this time, the shelter is open and fully operational. 

Please be aware, we are accepting owner-surrendered pets by appointment only. The shelter is asking for pet owners in the community who are not facing an immediate crisis to hold onto their pets for up to a few weeks and schedule a surrender appointment for a later date. Pet care counseling tips and re-homing resources can be found here: http://ow.ly/ox0850yPx4B.

The shelter is taking steps to ensure the safety of animals and people both in the shelter environment and in the community:

✔ At busier times, we may ask you to wait in your car for a staff member to assist you.
✔ Our senior management team is consulting daily to address the threat of COVID-19.
✔ We are ensuring all work-spaces are sanitized several times a day.
✔ All employees and volunteers are asked to thoroughly wash hands several times a day, and stay home if they are sick.

Here’s how you can help:

🐾 Adoptions needed: We currently have over 165 pets in our care, and it is crucial that we add enough capacity to continue serving as a lifeline for pets in our community. If you are ready to open your home to a shelter pet in need, now is the time:  http://ow.ly/czym50yPx5F.

🐾 Fosters needed: The shelter is also looking for emergency fosters who can take home a pet if we reach critical capacity. The Society will need fosters for all types of pets, but housing for medium and large dogs and pets with medical issues will be most needed. Get involved: http://ow.ly/8p8D50yPx5Y.

🐾 Friends needed: We need your help now more than ever. For as little as $1 a day, you can help ensure the shelter continues to save the lives of animals in our community. Become a Friend: http://ow.ly/WC8750yPx6d.

Joint Animal Services (Thurston County)

In light of new developments regarding COVID-19, Animal Services (AS) has made the decision to close to the public until March 31 to support community efforts to reduce the spread of infection.

This announcement comes as the shelter monitors new information concerning the coronavirus outbreak, as well as in response to recommendations from government and healthcare officials to promote social distancing practices. 

“Animal Services is committed to doing its part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community, while also fulfilling our mission of saving lives and completing families,” said Hock. “In the interim, our talented and dedicated staff and volunteers continue to provide exceptional care to all of our animals, whether they are here at our shelter or in one of our foster homes.” 

As the shelter’s primary goal is to house, care for, adopt, and reunite lost pets in its care, AS will continue to offer some services on a limited basis and by appointment only. These services include: adoption, reclaiming of lost pets, and dropping off stray animals.

AS is asking people to avoid surrendering healthy pets, following the guidance provided by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). NACA is advising animal shelters to take extra measures to reduce shelter intake to mitigate the short and long-term effects of COVID-19. 

Following these guidelines, Field Service Officers will continue to answer high priority and emergency calls. Those calls include injured or sick stray animals, cruelty and neglect complaints, bite complaints, dangerous and aggressive dog complaints, and more.

“Our main focus at this point is on reducing the overall number of animals housed at the Shelter,” Hock said. “We’ve had higher-than-usual intake and fewer outcomes for the past 10 days and we anticipate that trend worsening. It’s a predictable pattern that occurs any time people feel uncertain or worried. Because Animal Services operates at or near capacity, reducing intakes and not lowering adoptions/reclaims is essential to avoid overcrowding in the Shelter.”

“The change will mostly impact the owner surrenders,” Hock said. “About 50% of the pets who enter AS are given up by their owners. We are asking owners who are not facing an immediate crisis to hold their pets for up to four weeks, and to surrender at a later date. For any pet owners who need to surrender immediately, we will still take their pets during a scheduled appointment.”

Animal Services will continue to adopt out animals by appointment as long as it is safe to do so. “We encourage anyone who has been thinking about adding a new addition to their home to come and adopt one of the wonderful cats, dogs, rabbits, and other animals we have available. Many of these animals are posted on our website https://jointanimalservices.org/available-pets/ so people can see who is here. We encourage people to call and set up an appointment before coming in to meet and adopt the pet,” Hock said. 

People who can’t adopt can make a donation to Animal Services. To learn more about ways to donate, please go to https://jointanimalservices.org/donate/. Critical items can also be purchased directly from the shelter’s Amazon Wish List and shipped directly to Animal Services. 

Found a stray pet? Animal Services is also asking people who find friendly, stray pets to consider fostering them until the Shelter can resume normal operations. Pets typically stay pretty close to home when they go missing, so this helps get pets home much more quickly, without having to endure the stress of the Shelter. Stray finders can file a found report with Animal Services, take the pet to a vet clinic or the Shelter to check for a microchip, and hold the pet to give the owner time to locate it.

For information about local impacts of coronavirus on humans and guidance for keeping yourself and others healthy, please follow the dedicated page on the Thurston County Health. 

Department website: https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/phss/Pages/coronavirus.aspx.

Metro Animal Services

We’re all improving our social distancing skills these days! In order to keep providing healthy support for pets in our service area, Metro Animal Services has made some adjustments.

The shelter is conducting business by appointment only: please call 253-299-PETS to make an appointment to visit the shelter. You may even be able to get your questions answered over the phone and save a trip. Please refrain from visiting the shelter or your city hall to purchase or renew licenses in-person at this time: they can be done online at https://metroanimalservices.org/i-have-a-pet/license-my-pet/.

Thank you for your understanding as we continue to serve you and your pets during these unusual circumstances.

Auburn Valley Humane Society

Auburn Valley Humane Society are joining with the CDC, State of Washington and King County in additional efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 for the health and safety of the public, staff, and volunteers. Effective Tuesday, March 17, and until further notice, the AVHS Shelter will be open for limited services by appointment.

Walk-in customers will be cared for as space allows between appointments. Shelter staff will increase cleaning and sanitizing procedures between patrons. If you are interested in an appointment for our limited services, please call 253-249-7849.

The Thrift Store will also follow these guidelines by allowing no more than 15 patrons in the store at a time with a 15-minute time limit for shopping. Thrift Store staff will also increase cleaning and sanitizing procedures between patrons.

AVHS will follow CDC guidelines for social distancing and will increase the cleaning and sanitizing procedures for the AVHS Shelter and Thrift Store.

“Infectious disease experts and multiple international and domestic human and animal health organizations agree there is no evidence at this point to indicate that pets become ill with COVID-19 or that they spread it to other animals, including people” provided by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association).

Many of AVHS team members will be working from home to minimize the potential contact of the virus and continue the efficient management of shelter activities.

If you are interested in adopting, please first check our website to view our adoptable animals: https://www.auburnvalleyhs.org/adopt-a-pet-1.

If there is an animal you are interested in, you may make an appointment to meet the animal and to adopt the animal. Only those animals listed on the website will be available.

Arrangements will be made hourly from 11 am to 5 pm. We request that potential adopters be in good health and to apply hand sanitizer upon arrival to the building.

If you need to license your pet, we encourage you to complete the process online: https://ift.tt/3989q3S or visit one of our license partners who are open to the public. https://ift.tt/2J0ZRJC

All scheduled SPOT (our low-cost spay/neuter program for low-income residents) appointments are canceled and will be rescheduled to a future date when it is safe to do so for the animals and the staff involved.

Our dedicated staff will be providing exceptional care to all of the homeless and abandoned animals in our care. During these difficult times, AVHS is committed to providing comfort, exercise, and shelter to these pets. Our dedicated foster volunteers will continue to care for the nursing kittens and puppies in our care in their own homes. If you are interested in fostering a pet, please send us an email.

Until further notice, AVHS will also postpone all volunteer assignments, outreach, and offsite adoption events, humane education programs and events, dog and cat care trainings, volunteer orientations, and fundraising events. If you have questions, please email volunteers@auburnvalleyhs.org or call 253-249-7849.

Unfortunately, until further notice, and to keep AVHS staff safe, we will be unable to accept donations of supplies at the Shelter and Thrift Store.

If you can, please consider making a small monetary donation today to keep the vital lifesaving services we provide continuing in the future.

Homeward Pet Adoption Center

Homeward Pet is currently closed for regular adoption hours and doing adoptions by appointment only. To adopt an animal from Homeward Pet at this time, please follow these steps:

1. Complete and submit an online Dog or Cat Application. Look at our Available Cats and Available Dogs and identify an animal you would like to meet, taking into account all relevant factors (your other pets, family situation, the animal’s activity level, etc.). Fill in all of the mandatory fields and the specific animal, or type of animal, you’re interested in adopting. Applications will be considered in the order received. However, priority will be given to adopters who are interested in a specific animal.

CAT ADOPTION APPLICATION
DOG ADOPTION APPLICATION

2. One of our Adoption Counselors will call you for a counseling session over the phone. During this conversation, you’ll learn more about the animal and our Adoption Counselor will help you determine if this animal would be a good fit for your family and living situation.

Counseling sessions will take place Wednesday – Friday, 12 – 2 pm and 3 pm – 5 pm.

3. If you and the Adoption Counselor agree that an animal is a good fit for you, the Counselor will make an appointment for you and your family to come in and meet the animal.

In-person appointments for adoption will be on Saturday and Sunday between 12 pm and 4:30 pm.

*Note: Completion of the application is the first step in our adoption process, and does not guarantee adoption.

Before submitting an application, please read our animals’ profiles on the Available Cats and Available Dogs pages, consider what is included about each animal’s history with other dogs or cats, our recommendation for an appropriate age for kids to live with that animal, and what we know about that animal’s behavior, temperament, medical issues or exercise needs.

Because of the limited number of appointments, only submit an application for an animal when you are able to meet all of those recommendations and believe that you can provide an appropriate home.

If you have already visited Homeward Pet (in the past 90 days) and have an application on file, you can email adoption@homewardpet.org, let us know that you already have an application on file, and include the name of the specific animal you’re interested in.

Through this process we hope to provide a safer environment for our visitors, staff and volunteers, and continue to help our animals in need. Thank you for your understanding.

NOAH

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