Missing Pets Inc.
KING COUNTY’S TWO animal control centers are slated to shut down by January 31. The Seattle Humane Society has offered to take over the county’s responsibilities. For pets—and pet lovers—the move couldn’t have come soon enough.
11,847
Average number of domesticated animals the county’s 46 shelter employees were responsible for each year
2853
Number of animals in the shelters in 2008 that were euthanized, died in care, or went missing
2
Square footage of many of the shelters’ cat cages, which were often inadequately cleaned of urine and feces
44
Maximum number of days an animal likely waited in squalid conditions before a decision was made about what to do with it, according to a King County auditor’s report
20
Cats reportedly euthanized in spring 2008 because employees “didn’t want to look bad” by keeping so many cats in such small quarters during a veterinarian inspection
$5.6 million
Amount spent annually on the unkempt animal shelters
$0
Amount the Seattle Humane Society offered to receive to take on the county’s shelter responsibilities
Published: January 2010
Corrections: The Seattle Humane Society has never agreed to take over ALL of the services. In fact, we said we will not do law enforcement — animal control.
Second point of clarification, Kurt Triplett did try to get Seattle Humane Society to take over care for all of the county companion animals for free. However, neither our Board of Directors nor myself ever agreed to provide services without help in the form of resources and facilities.
GREAT NEWS: The Seattle Humane Society found loving homes for 6,091 dogs, cats and critters in 2009, the highest number of placements in the nonprofit’s 112-year history.
More animals than ever needed our help: 6,811 abandoned, orphaned and stray animals were brought to us in 2009. That’s 1,461 or 27 percent more animals than 2008.
Seattle Humane Society prepared for an influx of animals in 2009 after learning that the county planned to get out of the sheltering business and they reduced their services. Our volunteer foster families cared for more than 3,000 animals last year, and more than 1,400 volunteers helped by walking dogs, brushing cats, assisting veterinary services and helping with office work.
Those preparations paid off. In December alone, Seattle Humane Society placed 601 animals into homes before the holidays…another all-time record for a single month. Nine out of 12 months were adoption record-setters in 2009, thanks to the community’s support.
We couldn’t have done it without the help of thousands of animal-lovers in Seattle and King County. Our community really stepped up to help during a challenging year, by adopting, by fostering animals, volunteering, and donating. We are counting on their continued help in 2010, and we know the community will be there for the animals.