Meet Susan! RASKC is super happy to honor Susan Coffman as Volunteer of the Month. Having begun volunteering at the shelter in 2011, Susan is incredibly dedicated, extremely reliable, and very skilled— both on the Cat Meet & Greet team and in her role as Shelter-Tour Lead Volunteer. Susan is exceptionally conscientious—the volunteer who raises the most number of excellent questions. She is wonderful about alerting the team leaders about anomalies and unusual situations. As a mentor, Susan has trained so many new volunteers. And she has coordinated so many shelter tours too! 

To read an interview with Susan, go to our website or blog.

If you are interested in becoming a RASKC volunteer, thethere’s great news! RASKC is now offering new volunteer orientation and foster training available on our website.

Meet Jasmine! RASKC honors Jasmine Downing with the Exceptional Youth Volunteer Award. She and her dad Daryl have been volunteering virtually every Saturday morning since 2014, taking care of cats at our location inside of Kirkland Petco. They have contributed almost 260 shifts over the past six years!

This fall Jasmine will be a senior at Raisbeck Aviation High School and also a second-year student for the Museum of Flight's Aeronautical Science Pathway program. Jasmine likes how her school has rigorous courses that challenge her. During her sophomore year, Jasmine received the Apollo Award for maintaining a grade point average above 3.8 (on a 4.0 scale) for two years or longer. She plans to pursue an astronomy degree at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.

At home Jasmine and Daryl care for their 14-year-old Miniature Pinscher named Tia and a six-year-old grey cat named Nathara. Their family is filled with animal lovers, who would go out of their way to help one if they were in need. Jasmine also likes to row and to bake.

Jasmine describes her dad in this way: “He's funny and encourages me to do my best. I'm most proud of the work he does for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers right now, where he is working on building the field hospitals for COVID-19 patients.” Daryl earned over seven performance coins and certificates for his professional excellence at work.

RASKC tremendously appreciates Jasmine’s and Daryl’s excellent work with our cats and in so many other endeavors!

During this unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic when so many people are struggling to make ends meet, RASKC has joined an amazing regional effort to ensure pet owners are able to keep their animals happy and healthy.

Through the generous support of GreaterGood.org, a national nonprofit that protects people, pets, and the planet, Seattle Humane is coordinating a team of shelter partners, including RASKC, to create a hub to distribute GreaterGood.org’s ongoing donations of pet food and supplies to those struggling financially. Additional support for this rescue bank comes from partner organizations and other community supporters like PetSmart Charities.

The team of shelter partners includes Seattle Humane, RASKC, Seattle Animal Shelter, Auburn Valley Humane Society, and Pasado’s Safe Haven.

King County has leased a warehouse to store pallets of pet food and supplies, which will be distributed across the state. RASKC and Seattle Humane are providing an updated interactive map to help pet owners find distribution sites.

Information from Seattle Humane’s blog posting, also crossposted at TailsfromRASKC.

Thanks to PetSmart Charities for their incredible donation of $50,000 to help our group of partners- Auburn Valley Humane Society, Seattle Animal Shelter, Seattle Humane and Pasado's Safe Haven- provide ongoing donations of pet food and supplies to those struggling financially.

What better way to celebrate National Animal Care & Control Appreciation week than by recognizing the efforts of RASKC Lead Sergeant Tim Anderson whose steadfast work with Public Health helped find ways to support families and individuals with pets.

To all the Animal Control Officers, Animal Care Technicians, Vet Clinic staff, Call Center staff, pet-licensing staff, and volunteers: Thank you for all you do!

To read this story in full, visit www.tailsfromraskc.com or click here to view the blog post.

Like many animal shelters RASKC's adoption center is closed to the public during Governor Inslee’s “Stay Home/Stay Healthy” order. Good news: Almost all of RASKC’s animals have been placed in foster homes, where they are receiving loving care in cozy environments. Super big thanks to everyone who is fostering and for the outstanding work of Foster Care Coordinator Lori Mason.

While all scheduled volunteer shifts are cancelled during the governor’s order, RASKC staff are able to provide extra attentive care for the animals who are at the shelter.

Here’s special thanks to Vet Clinic Volunteer Leslie McKay for making facial masks for RASKC staff.

Best wishes for good health for all people and pets!

Meet Courtney! Courtney has been working in RASKC’s Vet Clinic for about one and a half years. It’s always great to see her there.

Tell us about yourself. I was born in Everett, and I have lived quite a bit in Pierce County. I have been a Veterinary Technician for 19 years, and I love my job! I love dogs and the outdoors.

Why did you decide to work at an agency that helps animals? My favorite part of my career choice is being the voice for the animals.  It is very important for me to be their voice, so I can help them in any way. 

What did you do prior to coming to RASKC?  I have worked as a Veterinary Technician for veterinary day practices, emergency veterinary practices, and now I am bringing my skills to the shelter medicine aspect of my career.

What does your work for RASKC involve? I get animals prepped for surgery and assist their recovery. I medically treat sick animals that come into the shelter.

What is the best part about your job? I love the part of watching these animals hopefully find their forever homes. I also love seeing all the animals being taken care of with the help of volunteers and foster parents! 

What do you like to do when you’re not at work? Outside of work I love hiking, camping, and spending time with my family, including my 10 animals at home. I love going on vacation to Hawaii. If I could move there, I would. 

Please share a notable experience working here. Lately we have had a few animals with severe degloving injuries to their limbs. It is very satisfying to see the recovery and healing of these animals by bandaging and caring for them through their injuries and in the end finding new homes to be loved and cared for.