Meet Pei, Ella, & Ava! RASKC is extremely honored to recognize Pei Yuen and her daughters Ella and Ava as RASKC Volunteers of the Month.

They have been providing exemplary service to RASKC since 2016. Aside from COVID restrictions, the Yuen family is extraordinarily reliable for volunteering on their closing shift on Mondays at Kirkland Petco, which is an especially important shift. Not only do they assist customers who are interested in the cats, help facilitate adoptions, they also conscientiously perform a great many detailed tasks to ensure that all of the animals, supplies, and equipment are taken care of. Their outstanding work helps to ensure the opening shift on Tuesday mornings starts off super smoothly. Together the Yuen family has contributed almost 1,000 hours to RASKC: Fantastic! 

Thank you so very, very, very much, Pei, Ella, and Ava : )

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

RASKC selects Volunteers of the Month based on one or more of the following criteria: frequency of service, length of service, outstanding service, record of very reliable service, leadership role or other role that involves complex and/or arduous work, performs other admirable volunteer service in the community, identifies as a member of a priority population, and/or helps RASKC in other valuable ways (e.g., helps to recruit new volunteers).

Meet Marcola! RASKC is super happy to bestow Marcola Ryan with our Exceptional Youth recognition. She is in her mid-20s and has contributed over 2,600 foster hours since 2017.

“Because of my experiences fostering with RASKC, I was able to muster up enough confidence and will to adopt by own fur baby,” said Marcola. “My seven year-old son and I have an 11 month-old Shepsky pup.”

“When we get the chance, my family and I love to adventure- BIG on the PNW behavior. We live by this motto: Progress, not perfection.”

Marcola is a bilingual early-childhood teacher. She started working and volunteering when she was 12 years old.

Thank you, Marcola, for all that you do to make the world a better place for children and animals!

Meet Wanda! RASKC is absolutely delighted to recognize Wanda Kai as an Outstanding New Volunteer. When she began volunteering last year, Wanda did so with great zeal and vibrant spirit. Before the pandemic struck, Wanda contributed three shifts each week- two shifts as a Dog Walker and one shift as a Cat Meet & Greet volunteer.

“Volunteering at RASKC has been wonderful,” said Wanda. “I enjoy seeing the animals when I come in and love not seeing them when I come back in. I always tell them I love them and hope I never see them again. Every shift is different, the animals, the people, and situations. My best times are when people who have lost their furry babies find them in our care; their joy makes my heart smile.”

“I came on as a volunteer, because I needed community service due to  a traffic ticket. The court said I could volunteer or pay a fine, so I agreed to volunteer. Best choice ever.”

Wanda has enjoyed a variety of animal companions throughout her life, including a desert tortoise. She grew up in a small city in southern California. “The town was 80% oil fields, so there were a lot of places to run and play,” said Wanda. “The San Gabriel river was a block from my house, which is where the desert tortoise was found.”

“I have lived up and down the Pacific Coast my whole life. Now I am in the Pacific Northwest and have two dogs. Samurai is a five year-old Yorkshire Terrier, the house guardian. Moonie, a Shih Tzu, is my 18 month-old rescue dog from RASKC. I take him with me everywhere and let the kids and grownups pet him. While they are petting him, I talk about his being a rescue dog and how awesome it is to have a place like RASKC where you can go to see lots of dogs and cats that need a forever home.”

Thank you so very much, Wanda!

Congratulations to Café NEKO on their third anniversary! It’s no small feat for any small business to survive the early years, especially during a pandemic.

NEKO’s website describes this café as a “sanctuary for rescue cats and humans to relax and enjoy each other’s company. Through our shelter partnerships we are able to give hard-to-adopt cats a place to find their purrfect match.”

You may often find RASKC cats available for adoption at Café NEKO.

Located in both Seattle and Bellingham, NEKO is distinctive among cat cafes, as it serves beer and wine, along with coffee and snacks.

RASKC loves to receive updates from adoptive families. Here’s an update from the Jansma family:

“We fostered then adopted Chiara (formerly Anna) this Summer. She was only 12 weeks. She has since become a plump, healthy seven-month old. She enjoys diving for her mousey in her play mat, helping us cook, and cuddling with her bestie Ada. It has been a joy having her in our lives. Ada, especially loves having someone to groom and bird watch with. Thanks for helping us find happiness together in these difficult times. Warmest holiday wishes.”

Thank you, Jansmas!

It warms our hearts to receive updates about people and RASKC pets who bring love to each other through adoption. If you have a story to share, please send us an email with photos to pets@kingcounty.gov. Thanks!

With so many great websites and blogs focused on animal welfare, you might check out the Best Friends website, including Julie Castle’s blog. As CEO of Best Friends, Castle writes from the unique view as the leader of one of the nation’s top animal-oriented organizations.

Castle’s most recent blog posting features an overview of save rates among shelters in the United States. While shelters in five states account for more than half of the most distressing statistics, Washington state has achieved an 88% save rate with at least 73% of shelters here that qualify as “no kill” (based on 2019 data).

The white paper that Castle highlights in her blog reveals that of the 4,850 brick-and-mortar shelters in the country,100 (2%) together account for 41% of the nation’s lifesaving-pet challenge.

Castle covers other interesting topics in her blog, including “Advocating for pets in your local area,” “Losing your home shouldn’t have to mean losing your pets too,” and “Three simple ways to celebrate National Cat Day.

Local leader Vu Le will be making the keynote presentation at the upcoming conference of the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement . Mr. Le is the founder and former executive director of the Seattle-based RVC, a leadership and capacity building organization focused on supporting leaders and organizations of color.

The virtual conference is taking place online December 1-3. The conference is free to college and university students who become AAWA members for $15.

Vu Le’s blog- Nonprofit AF- analyzes dynamics of the non-profit world in humorous and insightful ways.

If you would like to make a special donation to support RASKC’s efforts with the pet-food banks, please donate gift cards.

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

Our dog program would love to receive long leads, about 20- 50 feet or longer. 

Our foster program would love to receive: meat-based Gerber baby food; kitten playpens at least four feet across with zippers (not Velcro); snuggle kitties with a battery-generated heartbeat; Miracle Nipples, both sizes; and pet food or cat litter for our Pet Treasure Chest.

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

Meet Stephani! She started as an Animal Care Technician with RASKC last summer. Especially with her terrific background, we are so glad Stephani onboarded with us.

Tell us about yourself. I lived in Missouri my whole life until we moved here in April 2019. I grew up in the Kansas City area, then moved to rural southern Missouri for high school. I moved back to KCMO to begin my career in animal care shortly after graduation. I have worked in the field for eight years and counting! Most of my family lives in Missouri still, but I moved here with my partner and our three roommates. We also brought along my dog Misty (12 year-old Labrador Retriever) and our cat Sagan (three years old).

My dog is extremely important to me. I also think adventure is very important. I make it a point to explore/travel, see things that are different, and broaden my horizons whenever I can!

I’m proud to have the knowledge and experience I have, so I can provide people with the tools they need to be successful with their animals- whether that’s the public at work or family/friends in my personal life.

Why did you decide to work at an agency that helps animals? I previously worked with a municipal shelter and an SPCA while I was in Missouri. I made the switch to vet med to expand my knowledge, but found that I really missed shelter work. I prefer to be much more hands on with animals in need- whether that’s medical needs or if they just need some behavior work. It’s also SO rewarding to see the scared animals come out of their shells and get adopted. 😊

What does your work for RASKC involve? The daily care of animals in the shelter, adoptions, enrichment, and so much more. My job is to educate and provide the best care I can for the animals during their stay, even if they’re only here for a few days!

What is the best part about your job? Socializing feral kittens, for sure. They come in so scared of everything. It’s rewarding to help them blossom into social kitties and watch them get homes. The same can be said for a lot of behavior animals, though. It’s the thought of knowing you helped to change that animal’s life for the better!

What did you do prior to coming to RASKC? I have done a number of things, from dog daycare to vet med to shelter work. Most recently, I was a vet assistant at a high-volume walk-in clinic.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work? I like to explore this wonderful state we live in, play video games, paint, write, and cuddle with my dog. 😊 I also enjoy football (Go Chiefs!), hiking, and creating things in my spare time.

Please share a notable experience from working here. Most notable, I think, is just how wonderful everyone is that I’ve met. Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful.

Meet Maxwell! He is almost 11 years old, a male domestic short hair sweetie. Maxwell would love to go on walks outside with a leash and harness. He did very well wandering around RASKC’s cat building under supervision.

Maxwell’s original family was moving, so they brought him to RASKC last March to find a new family. Maxwell had lived with another cat and seems not to be bothered by other cats at our shelter. Due to Maxwell’s FeLV status, however, he should be either an only cat or live with other FeLV-positive cats.

Maxwell faces the additional challenges of Lymphoid hyperplasia, dental issues, and chronic diarrhea. He is taking prednisolone to address the diarrhea. An ultrasound revealed that this poor guy has thickened intestines, which might mean inflammatory bowel disease or intestinal cancer. Further testing is needed. Maxwell will probably need to be on a special diet and long-term medications.

With an assessed “red” personality, Maxwell would do best in home with a cat-savvy family, who knows when to give this boy some space. He can easily become overstimulated with petting. Nevertheless, he would love to be your cherished darling.

Maxwell is litterbox-trained, neutered, current on vaccinations, and microchipped. His adoption also comes with 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 Maxwell on RASKC’s website at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Scroll down the page and insert his name. You may meet Maxwell and up to two other animals by scheduling an appointment through our website. If you need assistance, contact us at 206-296-7347 (PETS), pets@kingcounty.gov.