For more than 110 years, the Seattle Humane Society, located in Bellevue, has been of service to dogs, cats and other domestic animals. The independent nonprofit is a no-kill shelter that focuses on finding homes for animals that are rescued or surrendered. Some of the animals are brought in by owners who can no longer take care of them, others are collected from local municipal animal services. Employees screen potential families and match them with appropriate pets.
The Seattle Humane Society also has a variety of other programs that aim to prevent animals from becoming abandoned. The organization operates a pet food bank for owners who can no longer afford to buy food for pets. The group also holds spay and neutering events that provide free or low-cost sterilization services.
The group also provides pet ownership classes and kenneling services for dogs, which help defray the shelter's costs. The rest of its costs are covered with grants and donations.
The Seattle Humane Society recently had a renovation which upgraded the dog kennels and created small living rooms for cats, complete with couches, chairs and shelving. The renovation aimed to lessen the stress on an animal who is brought to the shelter, staff members say.
Two adoptable animals from the Seattle Humane Society will be featured on Bellevue Patch.