Meet the Webb family! With tremendous joy RASKC honors the Webb family- parents Darcy and Scott with son Spencer. They are among RASKC’s longest serving and most delightful volunteers. The Webb family has been fostering RASKC cats every year for at least 11 consecutive years.  They also had volunteered on weekly shifts for several years when we maintained a cat-adoption program at Federal Way PetSmart. We are so glad that the Webb family is an integral part of RASKC’s feline pride.

Foster Care Coordinator Lori Mason wrote, “One of the cats- a brown tabby- that the Webb family adopted from us a while ago actually gets to go to work with Scott. Scott does deliveries, and this lucky kitten goes with him riding in the front seat!”

To read an interview with the Webb family, go to our website or blog.   

If you are interested in becoming a RASKC volunteer, go here to register for new volunteer orientation.

Meet Mariia! RASKC is extremely happy to shine the spotlight on exceptional youth Mariia Reznichenko.  A 21 year-old international student who majors in business at Green River College, Mariia has proven to be an outstanding volunteer in two roles. Mariia arrives at RASKC at 8am twice a week- one morning to walk dogs and the other morning to serve on the Early Morning Cat Crew. She consistently brings a “can do” attitude, enthusiasm, and an upbeat, friendly spirit.

Maria has ascended to the top “red” rating as a Dog Walker, which means she is eligible to walk all dogs in adoptions, even the most challenging ones.

She has also helped with a RASKC holiday gift-wrapping fundraiser, and she sometimes assists with new volunteer orientation. Since Mariia began less than a year ago, she has contributed over 160 hours so far.

Originally from a small city in southern Ukraine, Mariia is fluent in three languages. She enjoys hiking, reading, and traveling. Mariia has won awards for dancing and making crafts- origami, knitting, and paper sculptures. She aspires to a four-year college degree, then launching a marketing business in Ukraine and in the Puget Sound area.  

Mariia loves animals and wants to help them feel needed and loved. She said, “I can’t imagine my life without animals. When I moved here, I wanted to do something useful with my free time. When I look into the eyes of the dogs I’m walking or in the eyes of the cats whose condo I am cleaning, I feel like I’m doing something important.” So true!

The noisy and frequent traffic in front of RASKC can often create quite a distraction for our dogs while they are out in the yard. This is why RASKC recently replaced the mesh banners with customized slats.  

The new slats help provide an effective visual barrier between the dogs and the passing vehicles and pedestrians, while keeping the same feel with the ‘Welcome’ greeting written in several languages.  The new slats also feature photos of some RASKC animals.

RASKC would like to recognize the support of the community and RASKC volunteers for the labor-intensive detailed work involved in installing the slats.

• Volunteer Kelli Matheny and her colleagues from AFL Hyperscale
• Volunteers Megan Gunther, Luke Rinamen, and Leah Thomason
• Photography by David and Twyla Delpozzi for donating their pictures

After completing the project, volunteer Kelli said, “I really hope that this [fence] becomes one of those things that people tell others they should drive by and see...I’m really proud of this work!”

We are delighted to welcome Rocio Martinez Lopez, who will be stepping into a special duty role at RASKC as the Special Projects Assistant (November 2019-December 2020). Rocio will be stepping in the place of Danette Mudd who is taking a special duty assignment with the Department of Executive Services. 

Rocio comes to RASKC with a wealth of experience both in serving the community as well as working for King County. Rocio is the County’s first Ruth Woo Fellow and a graduate of the 2019 Bridge Fellowship. Through these programs Rocio has had the opportunity to work in several county agencies, including the Facilities Maintenance Division, the Department of Natural Resources, the County Council, and the Executive’s Office. She gained experience at these agencies by providing project support and customer service to both internal and external audiences. Rocio holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and American Ethnic Studies from the University of Washington.

We wish Dani luck in her new special duty assignment and warmly welcome Rocio at RASKC!

In honor of all U.S. veterans, RASKC will be observing Veterans’ Day on Monday, November 11.  While we will be closed to the public on that day, staff and volunteers will be engaging in animal care until 4 p.m. in Kent. Volunteers at our partner stores will be working their regular shifts.

Several RASKC staff are veterans. Several RASKC volunteers are veterans too, including Dog Walkers Chrysteen Borja, Karina Ceron, Bradley Herrick, Ryan Piroutek, and Gene Zimmerman; cat-care volunteers David Howerton,  Amy Luck, and Dayle Pieper; photographer David DelPozzi, and Shelter Helper Don Race. 

If you are volunteer who is veteran and if your name is not listed, please update the "My Profile" tab in your online record.

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 zippers (not Velro) ike 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.

Field Sergeant Shelby Russell is the longest serving RASKC employee. She started over 31 years ago when this agency was known as the King County Animal Control. Known to be outspoken, helpful, and approachable, Shelby works in the field, and she also helps to supervise Animal Control Officers.

Tell us about yourself. I’m pretty private. I will say what’s most important to me: honesty, integrity and kindness. I was raised with animals, worked in kennels as a kid, was active in 4-H with my dogs, and felt that working in animal welfare was a good fit.

What did you do prior to coming to RASKC?  I was an Animal Control Officer in Anchorage, Alaska, and a Washington State Humane Investigator in Snohomish, King and Pierce Counties, investigating cruelty cases for the Seattle/King County Humane Society & SPCA.

What does your RASKC field work involve? Responding to requests for service within the community related to all kinds of animals and helping people and animals both within the agency and in public.

What is the best part about your job? Forming relationships with like-minded people, educating people about animal husbandry and training, and being able to take enforcement action against those who need it.    

Fun facts: I’m a third-generation King County employee! I’ve won lots of awards for dogs that I’ve shown. As a teenager, I was the top Basenji Junior Handler and qualified and went to the Westminster Kennel Club dog show at Madison Square Garden three years in a row. My grandparents were friends with Louis Armstrong, so I have a picture of me on Louis’s lap, in my grandparents’ living room in Seattle from when I was six years old.

Follow Dusty on Instagram! #DustyKingCountyPetsA449781 @kingcountypets

Dusty is a 12 year-old male, gray and white shorthair cat (A449781). His personality color is GREEN, meaning he is an adaptable cat who loves to go with the flow! This handsome boy is very sweet and loving, and he enjoys petting from head to tail. He also really loves head rubs and ear scratches. This affectionate boy is not shy about purring to let you know when he’s happy! Dusty has a history of ear infection and dermatitis, so he will do best if he is kept on flea prevention to help with his skin and allergies.   

Dusty is neutered, current on vaccinations and microchipped. His $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 Dusty on RASKC's website at  www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Click on “cat" and type in his 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.

Attend Sea-Meow Con on October 26- 27 at the Exhibition Hall at the Seattle Center from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.. This fun feline event is sponsored in part by RASKC’s adoption partners at Seattle Meowtropolitan Café.  For more information with the option to purchase tickets ($15- $40 plus tax and fees), click here. We hope to see you there!

It's time for employee-giving campaigns. RASKC appreciates the many donations that King County employees, volunteers, and other community members make through employee-giving campaigns. Earlier this week RASKC brought kittens to Microsoft as part of their employee giving campaign. Kudos to volunteer Melodi Keyes for representing RASKC at the King County Transit Employees Luncheon earlier this week.

Interested in issues affecting older residents in King County? Two women who attended RASKC’s new volunteer orientation earlier this month are 86 years old and older!  A great resource for people of all ages is the AgeWise King County monthly eNewsletter, produced by the Seattle- King County Advisory Council on Aging and Disability Services. For more information or to subscribe (free), go here.

What color of RASKC t-shirt do you prefer?  If your t-shirt color preference is not already marked in the “My Profile” tab in your online volunteer record, please indicate which color you prefer. Of 755 RASKC volunteers who have indicated their preference, the most popular colors are blue (35%), gray (34%), red (20%), and lime green (11%).

If you’d like to write a review of RASKC at VolunteerMatch.com, let prospective volunteers know about your perspective.

Where to place recyclable items? Please place these items in the blue baskets inside or in the outside green bin. Try to avoid placing recyclable items in the black trash baskets. Thanks.