A beautiful summer day. Gorgeous vistas. Live music. Food trucks. Good friends. And more dogs in one place than you've ever seen in your life.

Join your Kitsap Humane Society friends on June 1 for our favorite event of the year - PetsWALK!

Presented by VCA Central Kitsap Animal Hospital, it's a summertime celebration for the whole family and great fun for you and your furry buddies. The 5K course is a mostly flat jaunt that winds through Poulsbo, ending at Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park and a bustling downtown vendor fair. And there's a one-mile course option if the trek is just too far for your four-legged friend! The day is capped off with food, fun, and live music on the waterfront stage, and of course, adorable adoptable animals.

Visit the PetsWALK website to register and to learn how you can help us meet our $40,000 fundraising goal in the run-up to race day (and win prizes!). Your generous support provides comfort and expert medical care to thousands of animals in Kitsap County so that each pet can be strong, healthy, and adopted into loving homes!

Records Broken, Lives Saved for Spay Week

At Kitsap Humane Society, we like to do things big. That's why World Spay Day just wasn't enough. Instead, our Vet Services team put their talents and endurance to the test for Spay Week - for five days in February of providing low-cost spay and neuter services.

From Feb. 21 to 23 and Feb. 26 and 27, it was "all hands on deck" as nearly 300 cats and their owners found their way to KHS for surgery. On the biggest day of the event - Monday, Feb. 26 - Dr. Jennifer Stonequist broke her own record of 77 in a day by altering an even (and exhausting) 80, while on Tuesday, Feb. 27, Dr. Jennifer Buchanan - or "Dr. B." as she's known around the shelter - performed her 70,000th such operation.

Along the way, the doctors (including Dr. Meisha Moro and Dr. Suz Thomas) encountered a hydrometra, a pyometra, an umbilical hernia, an abscess, a dystocia, and two cases of cryptorchidism. And, all cats were vaccinated.

There are a lot of people to thank for the success of Spay Week, not the least of which is our incredible staff and team of amazing volunteers. The way they worked together - led by Veterinary Operations Manager Jean Gibowski and Veterinary Operations Coordinator Kelcey Bates - was inspiring to watch.

Also, thank you to everyone who donated to the project, enabling KHS to offset a portion of the costs associated with it. And, an enormous thank you to Petco Love for donating vaccines through their nonprofit arm that supports animal welfare partners that serve communities and pet families.

The success of this effort demands that we provide similar spay and neuter events in the future, so please watch our website for announcements. In the meantime, you can help fuel our ongoing spay and neutering activities by donating below.

Carly Alvarez and Re/Max - Our Puppuccino Pal

This beautiful little girl is Clover, and she'd like to thank Carly Alvarez from Re/Max Platinum Services for being March's Puppuccino Pals sponsor!

Carly is a Kitsap-based broker and realtor and has been assisting families find their dream homes and build their real estate portfolios for five years. From first-time homebuyers to service members, investors to downsizers, Carly and her Re/Max Platinum Services staff is dedicated to providing five-star service to each and every client.

"I am so excited to support KHS and their efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome pets in our local community," says Carly. "I applaud them for all the work they do to find loving and positive environments for animals in need. I love donating to your organization and plan to continue. I LOVE animals and appreciate KHS!"

If you'd like to be a Puppuccino (or Purr-uccino) Pals sponsor, please email kfleischmann@kitsap-humane.org.

Thank You, Tractor Supply of Silverdale!

It never hurts to have friends with a great tool collection. And Tractor Supply of Silverdale has one of the best around!

Among the items graciously donated by Tractor Supply to Kitsap Humane Society's Big Animal Barn were four, 6' x 4'-foot stall mats and a pitchfork, which - as you can tell from the photo below - our Animal Care pros are enjoying a great deal.

The Big Animal Barn, donated by the Jacobi Family Foundation and opened in December, has already been a temporary home for several residents, including geese, ducks, roosters, a goat, and one runaway emu who had a brief, but bright brush with fame on social media.

Thanks to our outstanding partnership with local businesses like Tractor Supply (who also hosted several adoption events), we're able to care for these and other animals better than ever before.

Thank you Tractor Supply!

Adorable Adoptables!

Canelo is the Coolest!

Canelo is a spirited 9-month-old male Husky mix who is as adorable as he is energetic! With my striking coat, charming personality and Bowie-like eyes, he's looking for a home that can keep up with his spunky nature. He thrives on exercise and would love a family committed to providing him with both physical activity and positive training experiences. His ideal home includes companions aged 16 or older who can engage with him in a way that matches his lively spirit. If you're ready for a furry friend that's not only cute but also ready for adventure, I just might be the addition your family is looking for!

Big Bad Bart!

Who needs an alarm clock when you've got this guy? Bart is a rooster with a lot of personality - strutting around his pen like he's all that. Because he is.

If having a pet rooster is on your bucket list, be aware of local regulations regarding crowing and keep noise levels in mind. Roosters can be protective, so observe their behavior around other animals or people. Remember, each chicken and rooster may have unique needs, and it's crucial to observe their behavior to address any specific requirements they may have. Regular veterinary check-ups can help ensure the health and well-being of your feathered friends.

With a Little Help from Our Friends

Or - more accurately - a lot of help. February 19-23, Kitsap Humane Society closed its doors for necessary repairs to the floors in our dog kennels, which meant a whole lot of dogs needed to be kept offsite for several days. The noise, along with the materials being used to coat the floors made it an unsafe place for our pups. Luckily, we have some very good friends.

Thirteen of the pups were taken in by foster homes, while another eight headed down the road to McDonald's Kennels in Silverdale (including Griff, shown at right). A family-owned and operated pet boarding facility just north of Silverdale, near Naval Base Kitsap, McDonald's has long been a great partner of KHS. They specialize in boarding and day care for dogs and cats (with bathing and grooming services as well), and they've always been there when we've needed a few extra spots for animals.

Thank you to McDonald's Kennels and everyone who provided a temporary home for the animals in our care. We appreciate you!

February Adoptions

It may have been a slightly shorter month, but we found a lot of homes for deserving animals over the course of February - thanks to a stellar team of animal care professionals who want nothing more than to ensure a happy life for the critters they care for.

In February, 200 pets found loving homes including 93 cats, 38 dogs, 42 kittens, 15 puppies, 6 rabbits, 4 fowl, 1 pig, and - believe it or not - 1 Koi fish.



Thank you to everyone who helped this happen, from the staff who care for them, to those who donate to their care, to the wonderful people who made them part of their family.

If you've recently adopted a new family member from KHS, we'd love to hear more! Submit your KHS alum's Happy Tail for a chance to have them featured across our social media platforms!

Thank You for Being Our Valentine

From the bottom our our collective hearts, thank you to everyone who participated in My Furry Valentine this year, including a huge "we love you" to this year's sponsor, Port Orchard State Farm Agent Dee Fitzgerald.

This year, 88 community members participated and more than 100 packages of Valentine's cheer were sent to pet-lovers, including six paintings by our shelter residents. In all, over $7,600 was raised to support the animals we all adore.

We heart you all!