Summer is almost here – and with it comes the greatest need for foster parents in the Cat Program at the Seattle Humane Society. Fostering gives many cats and kittens their first chance to really bond with a person. And taking in a foster cat is a rewarding experience that can lead in unexpected directions.

New foster mom Sharon, and her daughters (whose foster orientation I wrote about last month) have their first set of three foster kittens. Sharon says it has been a great adventure and that she and her family will definitely be taking in more kittens after this crew is old enough for adoption.

Sharon says that the kittens like best to play in her daughter Rachel's room, on top of Rachel if they can. "The other night she [Rachel] was laying down in her room doing her homework," says Sharon, " One kitten (Ashlee) was laying on her legs, another (Dippey) was snuggled in her hood on my daughter's back sleeping and the third one (Smokey) was playing with her pencil as she wrote."

But don't think foster care is just for kittens.

Bear

Bear is one of many cats whose life has completely turned around due to his experience in the foster program. He came to the Seattle Humane Society last February, rescued from a home with more than 40 cats in residence. He was skittish, scared and under-socialized. By mid month, he was out in foster care at 'Aunt Julie's Kitty Kamp'.

Julie has graciously given me permission to publish her progress reports on Bear, so that anyone thinking of becoming a foster parent can get the inside scoop. What follows below is excerpted directly from her reports to Cat Foster Coordinator Ashley Heller. You can read the entire file here. I can't thank Julie enough for being willing to share her experience as a foster parent.

Lynn
lynnseattlehumane@gmail.com

Letters from Aunt Julie's Kitty Kamp:

February 27th

He was very shy and skittish for the first three days, but he's really coming around. Starting to talk a bit and seek out attention. He explores the toys but is not yet extremely active with them. He sniffs and drags them around, but no high energy yet. He knows and uses the scratching places.

He has a very soft purr, although he's let it get a little louder/stronger the past two days. And he's got a wonderful "chirp" when he wants something. He meowed most of the way home in the car. But now he's all about "chirp" when he's trying to train me to do something or get something for him. It can be tough to train humans.

I'll just keep working with him. Encouraging him to explore more during the day, and encourage play. It's great fun to already see him from being afraid of my touch, to now he seeks me out (when I'm ready for sleep of course) and is ready for his social attention loving petting scratching behind the ears talking time ... all night long. Little night owl he is! But he's quite the gentleman. I swear spiders make more noise than he does. When he leaps up on the bed I only know because I see him, or feel him trying to put my hand to work.

March 15th

Bear is developing and/or showing his personality in leaps and bounds every day.

He now thoroughly enjoys human attention, particularly of course being petted and cooed over and told repeatedly how handsome and fun and nice and special he is.

He's learning or remembering how to play, and is even playing on his own .. entertaining himself. And he cracks me up, many times every day.

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It's an easy guess that Meadow's early life gave her every reason to distrust humans. Her story started as the type that makes animal lovers cringe. But thanks to the intervention of some concerned citizens, King County Animal Care and Control, the Seattle Humane Society and the Jindo Project, Meadow's life has moved from despair and uncertain survival to one with every chance of a 'happily ever after' ending.

From February till early April, this beautiful white Jindo dog lived between an office park and an apartment building in Federal Way. Clearly, she was in trouble – even from a distance, it was apparent that her collar, which was attached to a short twisted length of chain, was actually imbedded in her neck.

Neighbors left food out for her and tried to coax her to safety, but she refused to get close to any humans, including the King County Animal Control officers who tried to catch her. Her story was featured on KOMO TV news.

Finally, an Animal Control Officer left food containing tranquilizers out for the dog. Meadow took the bait and after she fell asleep she was transported to the Seattle Humane Society for surgery. The collar was removed and she was spayed and micro chipped.

At first, Meadow refused to eat. Veterinary and kennel staff at the Seattle Humane Society went to great lengths to tempt her appetite. After a few false starts, warm chicken and rice got the job done.

While the Seattle Humane Society's Dog Behavior and Socialization program does wonders for many of the shelter's residents – working with the dogs on everything from basic obedience to resource guarding – it was apparent to Behavior Program Manager Emily Keegans that Meadow needed more intense socialization.

Keegans says that while Meadow did make immediate progress at the Seattle Humane Society, it was obvious that she would make even greater strides outside of the loud kennel environment. "So foster was the next choice," says Keegans, "but because of her specific breed traits we wanted to make sure she'd go to foster with someone who really understands the breed. We were extremely fortunate that a Jindo Rescue organization responded to our request for help and they were able to find the type of foster home she needed."

Jindos have been designated a national treasure in South Korea, their country of origin. While renowned for their loyalty, intelligence and courage, the dogs often need special handling, especially if they are under-socialized, like Meadow.

As soon as Meadow was cleared by the medical staff for release she went to a local foster family provided by the Jindo Project. There she will get the socialization and support she needs to be ready for a new life in a loving home.

Thanks to a ready network of dedicated animal professionals and volunteers, of which the Seattle Humane Society is an integral part, Meadow's story is sure to end up a success story.

Lynn
lynnseattlehumane@gmail.com

Last weekend, we blogged a reminder for Tuesday's Feline "Fix" Day. I'm happy to report that the event was very successful and almost 60 cats of low-income owners were fixed: 41 spays and 18 neuters. Every cat was also implanted with a free microchip.

If you missed this opportunity, please mark your calendar, there's another "Fix" Day scheduled for August 5th.

For more information, please call (425) 649 7560 or visit the Seattle Humane Society Spaying & Neutering page.

April ended with a wonderful surprise for the Seattle Humane Society – a check for $2,000 and a visit from the Seahawk's own number 27, Jordan Babineaux.

Bonneville Seattle's Stefanie Furer and Seahawk Jordan Babineaux with the Seattle Humane Society's Brenda Barnette, CEO, Rosanne Nichols, and Amber Yoo.

Every month, Bonneville Seattle, the broadcasting company that owns radio stations News Talk 710 KIRO, The New B97.3 and 770 KTTH The Truth, in partnership with the Casino Snoqualmie and the Seattle Seahawks choose a local charity to honor. The Seattle Humane Society was selected as the charity of the month for April 2008. The staff at the Seattle Humane Society already knew about the recognition, which included a news feature on 710 KIRO and radio time for more than 50 public service announcements about the Seattle Humane Society on each of the three radio stations, but the donation and the visit from Babineaux came as a complete surprise.

Babineaux, who has two American Staffordshire terriers, toured the shelter and took some time to play with one of the yellow labs in residence. In addition to the money, the defensive player also presented Seattle Humane Society Chief Executive Officer Brenda Barnette with a plaque, a twelfth man flag and autographed several Seahawks posters for thrilled staff members.

"The Seattle Humane Society is perfect example of what we feel encompasses a great charitable organization that reaches out to needy individuals in the community," says Bonneville's Stefanie Furer, Programming Coordinator for both 710 KIRO and770 KTTH. "We're glad to honor an organization that not only serves the community but our pets as well."

Furer says that each charity is chosen by a panel of employees from all three radio stations. Some of the groups honored in the past include Puget Sound Toys for Tots, the American Heart Association of Washington, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of King County. The Seattle Humane Society is the first animal charity recognized by the program.

Lynn
lynnseattlehumane@gmail.com

The Seattle Humane Society is offering a great benefit for low-income cat owners. This Tuesday - May 6th - the society is offering to spay female cats for only $15 and neuter male cats for $25.

Spaying and Neutering not only helps reduce unwanted offspring but your pet is likely to be healthier and happier as a result. The service includes free microchipping to help further protect your pet.

There are plenty of appointments still available but please don't hesitate and call (425) 649-7560 to sign-up for this "one day only" opportunity.

There are many good reasons to consider adopting an older cat or dog but, during May, the Seattle Humane Society provides an additional benefit. During the month, adoptions of senior cats and dogs - those aged 8 and older - are at the reduced cost of $50 per animal and include microchipping, vaccinations, spay/neuter, 30 days of pet health insurance, and a certificate for an examination by a King County veterinarian.

Learn more here Adopt-a-Senior Month

Imagine a small dog flying over jumps. Or a large black lab careening between a series of poles on cue – from a stay – to his human partner's open arms. Imagine lots of clicks, treats and tug toy sessions. It's not a doggie dream-world, it's Introduction to Agility at the Seattle Humane Society.

Instructor Ali Johnson let me sit in on her beginners' class a few Saturdays ago and it was a terrific hour spent surrounded by happy, focused dogs. Magnet, Sunny, Cupcake, Mookie, Basil and Annie were all working on their fundamentals, like target training, running between poles and learning to jump over low obstacles.

Johnson, who has been teaching agility for two years and competing with her own dogs for more than three years, teaches all three of the foundation agility classes offered at the Seattle Humane Society – the beginners' class, Obstacles (self explanatory), and Sequencing (where dogs learn to navigate groups of obstacles in sequence). She also offers classes through her own business, Kinship Dog Training.

You've probably seen agility on Animal Planet, or maybe attended a live demonstration as part of a dog show, pet-expo or a fund-raiser. If you search for "dog agility" on You Tube, you'll get more than 8,000 hits. Clearly the sport, which got it's official start in England in 1978, has gone mainstream.

There is lots of agility going on in the Puget Sound area. The Sno-King Agility Club's calendar is a fairly comprehensive listing of local events. The world of competitive agility can be little confusing to the layperson. There are four major organizations that sanction agility trials in our area: the United States Dog Agility Association, the North American Dog Agility Council, Canine Performance Events, and the American Kennel Club. The rules are a little different for each, but watching any kind of trial will give you a good feel for the sport. Another great resource is the Agility FAQ, originally written for the usenet group rec.pets.dogs.

Loosely based on Equestrian obstacle courses, agility requires dog and handler to work as a team to navigate a set course of jumps, ramps, weave poles and other obstacles according to a set procedure, in a specific order, and as quickly as possible.

"If a person is very motivated," says Johnson, "and gets some equipment to practice with at home, they can estimate that they will start competing about a year to a year and half from when they begin taking agility classes."

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Every year the Seattle Humane Society's Tuxes and Tails auction bears witness to the important link between the people and animals of this community and the generosity and good will of the organization's friends and supporters. This year's event raised more than $810,000; money that will directly impact the lives of thousands of needy animals and is a reflection of the on-going commitment to those animals made by every staff person, volunteer, event attendee and especially all of the generous donors.

This year's theme "Pirates and Pets of the Caribbean" was a huge success. It was a great night of entertainment for the humans, and treasure for the animals.

Seattle Humane Society Chief Executive Brenda Barnette called the event a celebration of "the magic of the human and animal bond."

The Fund-A-Need portion of the auction raised $210,000 which will go to veterinary services for dogs that the Seattle Humane Society will now be able to rescue from public shelters. A $50,000 lead gift from Jim and Bet Schuler endowed the fund, which is named in memory of their dog Lexus. The Schulers have also committed an additional $80,000 over the next four years to ensure the long-term viability of the fund. You can make donations to the Lexus Fund directly, via the Seattle Humane Society's website.

Planning for next year's event will begin soon – and lots of volunteers are always needed. Just something to keep in mind.

Lynn
lynnseattlehumane@gmail.com

Nearly a year's worth of work and planning went into the site's creation and it was well worth the effort. The new home page fits easily on most computer screens and has a more streamlined look than the earlier version, plus it features a stream of pictures of some of the animals currently up for adoption--a great way to immediately remind the visitor that this organization is all about helping animals.

The design of the website is pleasing to the eye, but what I'm really impressed with is the easy and intuitive access to the site's content; from me, that isn't casual praise. I worked for more than 10 years as a professional researcher and as a result, I have very strong feelings about website design – if a website makes it hard for me to find what I need, I'll keep looking until I get there, but the experience leaves a bad impression and makes it less likely that I'll return. But that certainly isn't the case here.

The website was designed from the visitor's perspective – meaning the focus is on how to get you the information you need as easily and quickly as possible. Human-centered design is the specialty of Tamara Adlin of adlin, inc., who donated her time and expertise to help the Seattle Humane Society create this new type of animal welfare site.

The website logically divides everything the organization does into three easy categories – I Want A Pet, I Have an Animal, I Want to Help – and all of the menus follow logically from there. It takes just a couple of clicks, for example, to check out the dog training schedule; to get information about the many events hosted by the Seattle Humane Society; to browse an entire library of advice on dog, cat, and critter (other small animals) care; or to find out how to volunteer or make a donation. Much of this information was available on the old website, but you sometimes had to dig around to find it.

Searching for a new animal companion on the website is also easier now – you can go directly to the dog, cat, or critter search pages and the animals can be sorted by handy categories; such as, compatibility with children or other pets, in addition to size and age.

The search function is also a welcome addition and passed every test search I tried with flying colors. Again, a website's search capabilities is an area where I am pretty picky. The only criticism I have is that the picture captions on each of the main category pages should be live links. But, I soon figured out that the first link below the pictures would take me where I wanted to go.

The new site will be constantly evolving and improving as the team brainstorms new ideas. One idea already in the works is online registration for classes and workshops. And I certainly wasn't the first person to test out the site – one set of usability studies was done pre-launch and another study will be done now that the site has gone live.

And what about that bunny?

His name is Marvin and he is a Holland LopBunny. Tamara Adlin says that he's changed her whole household, for the better, "He happily rules the entire house," says Adlin, " and has a great time chasing or curling up with my cats. He jumps on the couch for snuggles and then away he hops…" All of this, because Adlin took a peak at the critters on a visit to the Seattle Humane Society while working on the new website.

So go visit this great new resource – my bet is that is will inspire you to bring home a new friend, or get involved yourself!

Lynn
lynnseattlehumane@gmail.com

Tuxes and Tails, the Seattle Humane Society's biggest annual fundraiser is this Saturday night at the Grand Ballroom in the Sheraton Seattle. This year's theme is "Pirates and Pets of the Caribbean," and as in years past, the event will feature a pet fashion show in which 40 local personalities will "walk the plank" with either their own pets or one of the Seattle Humane Society's shelter dogs.

In addition to the fashion show and four silent auctions, the event features a live auction. Just a few of the items up for bid include an African Photo Safari, a VIP dinner for 10 at Salty's on Alki, a trip to the Westminster Kennel Club's 2009 Dog Show, a vacation in Bali, and a "Meet and Greet," with the Tonight Show's Jay Leno.

One important goal of Tuxes and Tails is the funding of the Seattle Humane Society's annual Fund-A-Needproject – a project chosen by the staff, volunteers, and board of the Seattle Humane Society that will make a life-saving difference for animals in our community. In past years, Fund-A-Need provided the means to purchase the Max Mobile and to fund the Seattle Humane Society's Dog Behavior Program.

This year, Fund-A-Need will enable the Seattle Humane Society to rescue dogs in need of veterinary care from other shelters and get them on the road to adoption. The fund will keep alive dogs who might be euthanized in others shelters because they require medical treatment for something as simple as a broken leg or a bite wound. A few hundred dollars is quite literally the difference between life and death for these dogs. The Veterinary Services Fund-A-Need will provide that money.

The Tuxes and Tails event also includes a raffle for a $1,000 Nordstrom's gift certificate and a delicious four-course meal. Tuxes and Tails is fantastic evening enjoyed by everyone who attends, and a great way to support the Seattle Humane Society. Last year the event raised 850,000. Check out the event website for more information, but note that although online registration closed last week, there are still a few tickets available. Call 425 373 5388 to get yours today!

Lynn
lynnseattlehumane@gmail.com