Meet Lavanya!  This very skillful and dedicated volunteer started as a “blue” Dog Walker at RASKC last year. Lavanya Murugesan ascended to top “red” status two months later, then began mentoring new volunteers. The conscientious, detailed feedback that Lavanya consistently provided on her trainees led RASKC to offer her an additional promotion- to serve as one of the first Dog Walker skills assessors.

She said, “I am surrounded by an incredible team of folks who are compassionate, kind, passionate and are willing to jump in and help in any way. And not to forget, the puppers - they are incredible creatures with unique personalities who give me lots of joy just to be around them.”

Born in India, Lavanya initially moved to Alaska for college. She said, “Moving from a hot, humid, highly populated Chennai, Tamil Nadu to cold, snowy, sparsely populated Anchorage, Alaska was a huge culture shock on many fronts. I had never seen snow in my life until I came to Alaska. Getting used to the long Alaskan summers and learning to fish salmon was very fun.” An electrical engineer with a master’s degree, Lavanya also has gone through 200 hours of training to become a certified yoga instructor.

Lavanya knows a thing or two about making a commitment to volunteering. When she lived in San Diego, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America matched Lavanya with an 11 year-old girl. What started out as a year’s commitment has continued to an active friendship through the present day- 16 years later!

Lavanya describes herself as “an ordinary gal trying to live a mindful life where I can enjoy and appreciate all that life has to offer. I enjoy being active, hiking in the nature, volunteering at the shelter, cooking and sharing a healthy home-cooked meal, yoga, and connecting with pen pals in the old-fashioned way- writing letter with pen and paper. I am curious and constantly trying to learn something new.”

In the midst of her initial Dog Walker training, she adopted a one year-old Mastiff/ Lab mutt from RASKC (pictured with Lavanaya). She says that her dog “continues to be a happy pupper and a people pleaser. I am SO grateful for RASKC, because I now have my co-pilot, best friend for life!”

Last week KIRO 7 featured RASKC “red” Dog Walker Jennifer Jewell when highlighting the extra efforts that RASKC goes to place difficult-to-adopt animals in new homes. Jennifer shared her story about adopted pup Mana. This dog had struggled in the shelter and seemed like an unlikely candidate to find an immediate home. Through the dedication of RASKC staff and volunteers, Mana’s behavior began to improve. He got adopted into a wonderful home. New RASKC programs like dog playgroups, kennel enrichment, and behavior fostering are helping animals find their new homes even faster.

Click here to view the video, which was produced to help promote KIRO 7’s Project Paws event that took place yesterday in Bellevue.

If you are interested in fostering, click here for details, with an option to register, for new volunteer orientation/ foster training.

RASKC welcomes baby and mama peacocks. Earlier this week RASKC Animal Control Officers Cherise Sanchez and Val Fetters responded to an unusual call about loose peacocks. Neighbors in east King County complained about the birds trespassing in a swimming pool and creating a stir otherwise. The birds were brought to RASKC for safekeeping until arrangements can be made with their owner to ensure that they stay would not stray from home.

Celebrate baby Maeverly! RASKC offers immense congratulations to Animal Care Technician Tati Miller and RASKC Animal Control Officer Chris Miller. Their baby Maeverly was born last month. Tati and Chris will be on parental leave until November. We are hoping their baby will become a RASKC volunteer in about nine years!

Congratulations and fond farewell to Nileen Garrett. We salute Nileen, who has accepted a promotion from Animal Care Technician in Kent to King County Customer Service Specialist III in downtown Seattle. We’ll miss you, Nileen!

RASKC recently reached an agreement with the ASPCA for assistance in the event of a disaster. RASKC agrees to allow two ASPCA trailers and a truck to be located on our property. This aids tremendously in rapid deployment. Our Kent location is the only place in the Pacific Northwest where ASPCA’s disaster-response equipment is located. Previously it would take up to 30 hours for this specialized gear to arrive from other regions.

The large ASPCA trailer contains a boat, two boat motors, wildfire gear, shelter supplies, kennels, animal-rescue equipment, generators, fans, coolers, lighting, and equipment to aid in animal-cruelty investigations. The trailer can also be used as a location to treat and house animals. The other trailer stores large animal-rescue equipment, shelter supplies, and two heavy-duty wenches.

It’s important to be prepared! Click here for information from RASKC and the American Red Cross on pet disaster- preparedness.

RASKC extends thanks to Rebecca for this Happy Tail. She wrote, “This is Sampson aka Thor at adoption on June 1 of this year. He was nine weeks old. It was a rough transition on one of our other two cats. I almost brought him back to RASKC after a couple of weeks, because our three year-old Ziva was so upset.

“But my husband told me to be patient and reminded me that when we brought him home, we made a commitment that he would be part of our family. Eventually Ziva figured out if she stood her ground and didn’t run from him, that Thor would learn to respect her. He just wants to play! She does play with him now- on her terms.

“He is definitely the Red personality and still has issues with boundaries. He is so naughty in the most wonderful ways. We love him so much!”

If you would like to make a special donation to RASKC, please click here for our wish list on Amazon.

We are also seeking:

• Toy cat wands
• Cat blankets- sewn. If you sew the blankets, the desired dimensions are 22” x 18” or 10” x 18.”
• Cat blankets- unsewn with tied fringe. Cut the material either as 25” x 21” or as 13” x 21.” Watch this training video. Or read these written instructions. It’s very important that the fringe is tightly tied together. Loose fringe can be hazardous to cats. 

Our foster program would love to receive:

• Meat-based Gerber baby food
• Kitten playpens at least four feet across with Velcro (not zippers) like this
• Snuggle Kitties with a battery-generated heartbeat like this
• Miracle nipples- both sizes, like this
• Pet food for our pet treasure chest.

For more information on donations or in-kind gifts, visit the Donations page on our website

Animal Care Technician Sarah Haddan brings a wealth of experience to RASKC. She has been working here since January 2018. Sarah spearheads RASKC’s problem-solving program to assist struggling pet-owners.

Tell us about yourself.  I moved to the Pacific Northwest with my boyfriend from California two years ago. I had lived in the Bay Area my whole life (besides college in Milwaukee, Wisconsin). I grew up with two parents who worked in the animal world. They started working at a zoo, then quickly moved into animal sheltering. One of my parents is actually an executive director for a very large public shelter in California (GO MOM!). I love live music and going to shows; the atmosphere is usually a lot of fun. I also love watching scary movies or anything funny. I’m a meme coinsure and have an equal amount of memes as I do pictures of animals on my phone.

What did you do prior to coming to RASKC? When I was in college, I played softball. My team advanced to the NCAA Division I national tournament twice. After college, I worked at various shelters, both private and public sector, in Oakland and Berkeley for five years. I worked as a Behavior and Training Counselor for the East Bay SPCA, helping all the dogs and cats that were not quite making it to the adoption floor. I created behavior plans, worked with volunteers to help us with these plans, led dog playgroups with 20+ dogs in the yard, engaged in special-behavior counseling, and staffed behavior hotline calls. I won the “Keepin’ It Real” award there.

What do you do when you’re not at work? I binge-watch shows. I hang out and train my cats. They both know “sit” and “raise the roof”– proud cat mom here! I also love going on hikes and to festivals with my boyfriend. We also enjoy trying new restaurants. If you recommend a Mexican spot, send me the details!

Please share a notable experience working for RASKC.  There was an under-socialized shepherd that came in, who needed a lot of behavior modification. I worked with him every day and saw a huge improvement in just two weeks. He eventually went out to a German Shepherd rescue and then was adopted! J I also feel great about all of the naughty kittens and cats I have socialized and worked with to make them “adoptable.”

Fun fact: Actor Alicia Silverstone’s mom actually volunteered at my mom’s shelter. Alicia would come down and help out here and there. As a kid, I spent many days with Alicia during her clueless batman days cleaning kennels and bottle-feeding kittens.

Chloe is a 5 year-old, female, black Lab/Pit Bull mix (A595430). Her personality color is BLUE, meaning she is a gentle and loving dog who likes to take things slow. Chloe may get nervous in new situations, so she is looking for a family who understands that she might need some time to warm up. Once Chloe gets to know you, she will be a very devoted friend! Chloe was brought in by her previous owners, because they felt that she was uncomfortable with the new baby in the home. Her previous owners described her as very active. They said Chloe is good on leash and loves to go hiking. They also said she is very smart and treat-motivated. Chloe does seem to enjoy the company of other dogs. She has met both large and small dogs before and seems to get along well with both.

Chloe is spayed, current on vaccinations, and microchipped. Her $150 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 Chloe on RASKC's website at  www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Click on "dog" 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.

When dealing with a dirty litterbox at RASKC/Kent, be sure to scrape out all of the debris (litter, urine, feces) before stacking the litterbox to be taken over to for washing. Please use an empty “food boat” to remove the ickiness. Doing this helps the process toward cleanliness. Thanks!

Do you have symptoms of ringworm? Or does your pet? If you might have ringworm (or if your pet is displaying symptoms), it’s important to stay home from volunteering. Click here to see what ringworm symptoms look like on humans and on pets. It’s also important not to foster animals if you or any of your household members might have ringworm. Ringworm is one of the few conditions that is highly contagious between people and animals.

Help our cats stay clean and sober. We ask that catnip be saved as a special treat for cats after they’re adopted and not to be administered during their pre-adoption time with RASKC.