Making Buddies and Breaking Records at the Fur Ball

Last Saturday, the cats and dogs of Homeward Pet took center stage. As the deep blue lights shone on the stage and canopy lights graced the auction tables, guests knelt to scratch shelter pups behind the ears. Tiny mews and purrs sounded from the Kitten Cuddle Corner. The Spirit Roulette wheel spun; old friends reconnected and new partnerships formed. Bidding “buddies” held their bid cards together in grand displays of teamwork and generosity toward a common purpose.

Faraz and Cooper, whose story you can watch below, charmed us all with their sincerity and inspired us to live life to its fullest. 

The Kitten Cuddle Corner was a purrfect spot for guests to take a rest with furry friends

All of these things made the 2018 Fur Ball one of the most memorable we’ve ever had—and the most successful to date. You and your fellow animal lovers raised more than $472,000 to benefit the cats and dogs of Homeward Pet. These generous gifts will provide nearly 2,000 animals this year with compassionate care, both medical and behavioral. Inside our walls, tripod dogs learn to walk, then run; shy cats gain confidence to accept pets from kind hands; and newborn kittens and puppies receive round-the-clock care.

This level of dedication to our animals is possible only with your continued support and the strength of the community you’ve built. We look forward to sharing triumphant stories of animals from all walks of life overcoming the obstacles on their way to health and happiness. Thank you again for your unwavering commitment to homeless pets.

Check out photos from the WAG photo booth here. Couldn’t make it but still want to make a difference in the lives of animals like Cooper? Make a gift today.

You Gave BIG for Animals Who Needed You

On Seattle’s biggest day of giving, you raised $33,806.00 for animals. This generosity helps with so much, from small procedures like ear cleanings and vaccinations to major surgeries like ACL repairs and dental care. For animals like the nine rescued from an overcrowded house—cats Slate, Kaos, Bumpy, Alexander, and dogs Ruby, JR, and Chichi—this care may be long overdue and expensive. Thanks to you, we’re able to provide them and so many animals like them the medicine they’ve needed their entire lives.

Chichi, right, heads home with his new family and canine sibling!

We’re ecstatic to report that all nine of those pets are now in loving, dedicated homes, where they have room to roam and families that adore them. Chichi enjoys walks around the neighborhood with his canine sibling; Slate and Alexander now sleep in warm beds instead of metal crates. One cat is even pursuing stardom: Kaos, a Persian who had to have her matted coat shaved on arrival, now has her own Instagram account.

It’s been a long road to health for these cats and dogs, but they’ve finally gotten the happy endings they always deserved.

Thank you for your continued dedication and support for transforming the lives of animals in need and making matches in our community.

Hearing Bella’s Voice

Jordan, founder of Bella’s Voice Thrift Store, knew she’d found the right cat for her when she spied Bella all the way at the top of the rows of cat kennels at Seattle-Tacoma Humane Society. When Jordan brought tiny, five-pound Bella home, her outgoing personality shined: she lept right onto the table and batted Jordan’s keys onto the floor.

Bella was home.

It wasn’t long before Bella settled right into her new family. Jordan describes Bella as a very vocal cat who is very easy to bond with—which made her the perfect inspiration for Jordan’s nonprofit endeavors. Soon, Bella’s Voice opened, a nonprofit thrift store that donates all proceeds to area animal organizations. Homeward Pet’s many programs—like our Pet Food Bank and focus on physical and behavioral rehabilitation—were what cemented Jordan’s decision to support the animals in Homeward Pet’s care.

Bella’s Voice Thrift Store accepts gently used clothing, furniture, jewelry, toys, housewares, and more. What’s more, all profits are donated to local animal welfare organization, including Homeward Pet. Not only does Bella the cat grace the store’s logo, she’s often found strutting around Washington—easily taking to leash walking and never looking back.

Learn more at the Bella’s Voice website and Facebook page.

Give It Your All for Animals in Need

All they had known were cramped kennels stacked high. It had to be noisy; it had to smell like filth. Twenty-four Persian cats, all spending year after year without proper medical attention or grooming, covered in sores and overrun with illness.  

And, sadly, that wasn’t all: sixteen dogs—for a total of forty animals—lived in the single home stacked alongside the dozens of kennels filled with cats.

JR’s first bath

We took in four cats and three dogs. The care they required would be extensive.

JR, Ruby, and Chichi were those three dogs who arrived at Homeward Pet in rough shape. JR’s jaw cracked during a routine veterinary examination, its brittleness telling a story of malnutrition and a diet lacking minerals essential to healthy development; most of Ruby’s teeth were damaged or decaying and had to be removed to give her a life without pain. Chichi’s ear canals were constricted by inflammation.  

Bumpy was shaved into a lion cut so that we could better treat his skin and fur.

The cats’—Slate, Kaos, Bumpy, and Alexander—medical needs told a similar story of hardship. Slate’s ear canals oozed. Kaos required two antibiotics for ear and skin infections; Bumpy’s breathing was labored with an upper respiratory infection and his ears crawled with mites. Bits of a broken tooth were extracted from Alexander’s gums.

Together, the four cats and three dogs represented years of cruelty and neglect. But the story of their recovery also gives us all hope: hope that pain and fear can be transformed into love and the comfort of a warm lap or kind pet on the head—but only because of your continued dedication and support to helping the most vulnerable animals in our community.

We flushed dirt and mites and months of grime from their ears. We slipped Kaos into a thick sweater to discourage picking at her mending skin. Alexander nibbled on wet food with his newly healed mouth; Ruby allowed her spunky side to show. Bumpy settled into a soft bed brimming with blankets.

Ruby receiving a nail trim

JR got a bath—maybe one of his first ever.

Each of the cats has now been adopted. Kaos is even pursuing fame with her own Instagram account. As for the dogs, Chichi and Ruby trot along sidewalks beside their new families. JR has gone home with a family who hopes to officially adopt him soon.

Happy endings, even from the worst of beginnings, are possible only because of you. When you give it your all this GiveBIG, your contributions will help animals in need of kindness like those whose stories we just told. Give a gift today and start changing lives for the better, now and tomorrow.

Demi’s Heart of Gold

Sometimes, an illness is invisible. Rottweiler Demi still bounded after squirrels, chased balls, and rolled over for belly rubs. Even after being found on the streets of Everett, she still wagged her nub of a tail at volunteers who took care of her. Ten pounds underweight from living on her own, Demi accepted treats gingerly. Even after who knows how long outside, her heart continued to outpour with love.

But inside, something awful was happening: her heart beat, then stuttered. Blood pumped forward—and stalled inside Demi’s heart.

When Demi arrived, we knew her heart wasn’t healthy—it was too fast, too erratic. A visit to a cardiologist confirmed what our veterinarians suspected: Demi suffered from an arrhythmia, caused by a faulty valve. When her heart beat, some blood moved as normal; some blood remained in her heart. (You can see a healthy dog’s heartbeat above Demi’s ECG monitor. Note her heartbeat’s uneven spacing and unusual shapes.)

How long she had been living like this we didn’t know. What we did know: without treatment, Demi’s heart would continue to increase in size until it could no longer support her. We quickly put her on a medication to slow her pulse.

Sometimes the smallest thing can be a solution.

Within a few days, the arrhythmia was no longer detectable. Her pulse slowed to normal. All the extra work her heart had been putting in was no longer necessary. We made her available for adoption, but prepared for a wait: Demi was a senior dog and one of the so-called “bully breeds” with significant medical history.

That’s when Sarah fell in love with her smile. She and her husband were looking for a senior dog who fit in with their other pup, Klover. Upon seeing Demi’s face and learning of her sweet disposition, Sarah recalls “our hearts melted.”

Now, Demi and Klover spend the days together alongside Sarah and her husband, chasing balls and shadows. Sarah has no regrets about seeking out a senior: “She is the sweetest cuddle bug that we could have asked for and feel so honored to be chosen to care for her. Demi has a lot of love to give and is so spunky—I often forget she is almost 10!”

Right now, animal lovers like you are gearing up for Seattle’s biggest day of giving. When you #GiveBIG on May 9, you are creating a promising future for a newborn kitten or a senior dog. Give early today or learn more about GiveBIG.

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