Meet Ray!  Ray Shiraishi, also known as Hikaru, is 21 years old. He contributes weekly shifts at RASKC both as a “red” Dog Walker and as a Cat Meet and Greet volunteer. Ray also serves as a mentor in both of these roles. Since he began in March last year, he has already contributed about 175 hours!

Skilled, affable, and very dedicated, Ray is a delight to work with. When asked what he likes most about RASKC volunteering, Ray said it’s socializing and learning new things with other volunteers and staff on his shifts.

He was born and raised in Tokyo, where he studied zoology. His 10 year-old Shetland Sheepdog named Ruby lives there. Ray will soon be graduating from Highline College as an international student and will be transferring to the University of California- Davis this fall.

Ray tremendously impressed staff last month when he briefed the Animal Care Technicians, shelter sergeants, and others about a study that he conducted involving RASKC dogs for a college research project. Ray spent 10 minutes outside of the kennels of four dogs and timed how often they barked (and spun) during the morning and also in the late afternoon. He did this again but had counted the dogs’ responses after he had just given them a kong. Ray found a dramatic decrease in barking (and spinning) when a kong was received, especially in the mornings.

Animal Care Technician Tatyana Miller suggested that in light of this research that RASKC distribute kongs just before the shelter opens to the public at noon, so potential adopters can see the dogs in a more favorable light.

Thank you, Ray!

Earlier this month about 200 people attended RASKC’s Volunteer Appreciation Banquet, organized by volunteers Melissa Blake and Linda Sutherland with other committee members including Volunteer Program Manager Sarah Luthens.

The banquet, which is held every two to three years, is an opportunity for volunteers to gather, be recognized, and celebrate milestones.

Acting Manager Tim Anderson provided the opening speech. Lluvia Ellison-Morales, Communications & Community Engagement Administrator, and Nickie Ford, Animal Services Coordinator, gave a presentation on 2018’s milestones that recognized the efforts of the volunteer community which gave way to these successes.

A stirring keynote presentation was given by the Northwest Spay & Neuter Center’s executive director Melanie Rushforth.

Nileen Garrett, Animal Care Technician, expressed her thanks to the community by enchanting the audience with a song, “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars. Youth from the Rainier Dance Center brought Hip Hop, jazz, and tap-dance to the event. The dancers performed to great applause.

Foster Care Coordinator Lori Mason and volunteer Bill Sutherland led efforts that raised more than $900 for our Angel Fund.

In previous years, the banquet was held at the Kent Senior Center. This year, the celebration took place at Renton Technical College, a nationally recognized college committed to helping diverse student populations succeed. Their catering program provides career readiness and advancement opportunities to Culinary Arts students.

RASKC is excited to announce that our 2019 event season will be bigger than ever! We plan to participate in events throughout King County in order to share information about RASKC services with the community.

With nearly 40 events planned so far, we are looking to grow our team of event volunteers before the summer. Are you interested in helping out at a community booth this year? Whether you are a seasoned volunteer or new to the team, everyone is welcome!

Community-event shifts typically run between three to five hours and often take place on weekends. If you are interested in joining the event team, RASKC will be offering four in-person training sessions at the shelter in Kent:

• April 26^th  5pm- 6pm
• May 14^th  5pm- 6pm
• May 19^th 12:30pm-1:30pm
• June 9^th  12:30pm-1:30pm
• June 21^st  5pm- 6pm

This is a brand new training with a fresh focus, so we encourage everyone interested in attending events this year to sign up for a training, even if you have already staffed RASKC booths in the past.

If you are interested in signing up for any of the training dates above, please contact Sarah.Luthens@kingcounty.gov.

Customer Service Specialist III Susan Crawford has been working in the Call Center at RASKC/ KCACC for almost 12 years. (RASKC was formerly known as King County Animal Care & Control). She has been working for King County for almost 19 years. Susan is super friendly and colorful!

Tell us about yourself. I am a graduate gemologist. I keep abreast of gems and jewelry by going to gem and rock shows. I am also a grandmother.

What does your work involve? My work involves listening to residents call in about animal issues. This requires empathy and knowledge. My co-workers and I give out a lot of resource information. I also work a lot with the Animal Control Officers and sometimes with the shelter sergeants too. We constantly strive for customer service by finding information and resources for the public.

Why did you decide to work to help animals? I love animals and talking with people, so being a call taker sounded like a good fit. I learned that I can make a real difference by helping people with their issues and knowing how I want to be treated on the phone.\

What did you do prior to coming to RASKC? Before working for King County, I worked in the banking industry. I had received multiple awards for customer service at the bank. I have worked in the county’s treasury department and at Boeing Field before coming here almost 12 years ago.

What is the best part about your job?  The best part of my job is when someone is frustrated and they change their demeanor at the end of the call and thank me. I like to know that I have helped them. 

What do you do when you’re not at work? When I am not at work, I like to sew, do craft projects, make jewelry, do home improvement projects, and garden. I also like a good bargain. And I especially like to spend time with my seven grandkids. I have bought my dream retirement home.

Fun fact?  My great grandmother babysat Charles Lindbergh. She is a cousin to the ninth U.S. President William Henry Harrison and also to the 23^rd U.S. President Benjamin Harrison. So I am related to them as well.

Iris is a very loving and affectionate girl. Her friends at the shelter describe her as social and sweet. They say she just loves to receive cheek scratches and cuddle with her favorite people. Iris can be a bit shy at first, so she’d like to get to know you before becoming friends and she would enjoy a calm, quiet home. Iris may be sensitive to handling, so she would also do best in a home with a cat-savvy family who knows when to give her some space. Iris is still working on her litter box etiquette. Her caregivers at the shelter have found that she benefits from having a large box that is cleaned regularly. Iris is spayed, current on vaccinations, and microchipped. Her $30 adoption fee also includes a free visit to the veterinarian of your choice, and 30 days of opt-in pet insurance through Trupanion.

You can find out more about Iris on RASKC's website at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Click on "cat" and type in her name. 

You can also meet other animals available for adoption, 7 days a week at RASKC's King County Pet Adoption Center in Kent, located at 21615 64th Ave S; Monday - Friday: 12 noon - 6 p.m., Saturday - Sunday: 12 noon - 5 p.m. Phone: 206-296-7387 (PETS), email pets@kingcounty.gov.

RASKC features Pets of the Week on our website. Several suburban newspapers also highlight RASKC’s Pet of the Week, thanks usually to the work of volunteer Dawn Gerken. RASKC’s previous Pets of the Week can be viewed on our blog.