The Whatcom Humane Society is an open-admission animal shelter providing a range of services for animals and people throughout Whatcom County. Please select the service you're looking for from the list below:
How Can We Help?
Lost & Found Pet Services
I Lost a Pet
Due to the volume of animals Whatcom Humane Society receives each day, we cannot identify lost pets over the phone or by email. Please visit the shelter in-person Tuesday-Sunday to look for your lost pet. Family members or friends who have your contact information and would recognize your pet are welcome to visit the shelter on your behalf. Thank you for understanding! Below are some additional resources we hope will help reunite you with your pet:
WHS recommends using ALL of the resources below when a pet is lost or found in Whatcom County.
Petco Love Lost - A free national lost-and-found pet database that combines local community and shelter listings with photo-matching technology to help reunite pets with their owners. WHS partners directly with Petco Love Lost to host photos of stray animals brought into our facility.
Lost Pets of Whatcom County - The largest and most active lost and found pet group on Facebook. It uses the power of the community to help reunite pets with their families.
Nextdoor - A private group good for spreading the word about pets who are lost and found in your specific neighborhood.
Bellingham Craigslist - Free ad placement for lost or found pets via the Community > Pets or Community > Lost+Found sections.
Each year in the United States, millions of companion animals enter shelters as strays. There are many ways to prevent your four-footed friend from disappearing. These tips can help you beat the odds:
I Found a Pet
Thank you for the effort you have given this animal--your responsible and caring actions are greatly appreciated by the Whatcom Humane Society. Wherever possible, please consider housing the pet for at least 48 hours and making attempts to find an owner before choosing to leave the animal at WHS. This helps our kennels stay available to animals that are truly in need, suffering, or that represent public safety or health concerns. The following information is to provide assistance finding a pet’s owner, and advise you of WHS procedures regarding incoming stray animals:
If you are able to house a stray pet, please complete the following:
- Have the animal scanned for a microchip (available at WHS and local veterinary offices).
- Call WHS (360) 733-2080 ext. 0 and leave a found report.
- Post the pet online using the resources in the "More Recovery Resources" section of this page. Petco Love Lost is a direct WHS partner and posting there is highly recommended.
- Check out other "Found Pet Tips" on this page.
- Assistance with pet food is provided by the shelter while you house a found pet. Please call the shelter to check availability (360) 733-2080 ext. 0.
These tips are intended to help reunite lost pets with their families:
Thank you for helping reunite a family!
It is important to know that WHS is an open-admission humane society. This means that we accept ANY animal that comes into us. Because of this, our facility accepts an average of over 3,700 domestic animals each year, not including many farm animals that are also brought into our facilities. Sadly, there are not enough homes for all of these animals. Whatcom County, and our country as a whole, are still suffering a tragic pet overpopulation problem, with an average 1.3 million animals being euthanized annually nationwide because new homes are not available. At WHS our goal is to find a loving family for every animal, but unfortunately there are simply more animals than there are people who want to adopt them. However, there are no time limits on the animals that are made available for adoption so long as the animals is happy, healthy, and there is space available to house them.
By law, we are required to hold all impounded stray animals at our shelter for a 72 hour (3-day) or a 120 hour (5-day) holding period in order to give the owner an opportunity to find them. We choose to hold all stray animals for the longer 120 hour (5-day) holding period, and this period does not include their day of arrival, Mondays, or holidays when the shelter is closed. If an impounded pet has a microchip or other traceable identification, they will be placed on a 10-day hold while shelter staff make attempts to contact the owner.
There are fees to reclaim impounded animals. Impound fees are created and passed by local city and county councils, not the Whatcom Humane Society, and are based on the jurisdiction where the animal was found. WHS is required to collect impound fees when an owner or guardian comes in to reclaim an animal. The fees by jurisdiction can be found here:
If an animal remains unclaimed at the end of the stray holding period, our staff will evaluate the animal to determine whether they can be placed into our adoption program. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to make them available for adoption as this will depend on their health, temperament/behavior, and availability of space in our adoption kennels. Even if they are made available for adoption, we cannot guarantee that someone will choose to adopt them. However, there are no time limits on the animals that are made available for adoption so long as the animal is happy, healthy, and there is space available to house them.
The following is a list of conditions under which an animal may not be placed for adoption:
Depending on the specifics of the animal’s condition and availability of space, some animals may be placed in foster care until they are old enough to be made available for adoption, held for treatment/observation before being evaluated for adoption, or transferred to other facilities for potential adoption placement.
At WHS, every effort is made to find loving homes for the animals in our adoption program. Once an animal is placed into our adoption program, there is no time limit on the animal. Animals may remain in our adoption program for a day, week, month, or longer. However, animals available for adoption may be euthanized if there is a significant decline in their health, temperament, or physical condition, or if space becomes limited and there are no placement options with other rescue groups or facilities.
If you wish to inquire about the status of a stray animal you left with WHS, you may do so by calling the shelter at (360) 733-2080 ext. 0
If you are interested in adopting a stray animal you brought to WHS, we ask that you complete an adoption application before the end of the stray holding period and notify a staff member of your interest in adoption. If the animal is unclaimed at the end of its stray period, we will contact you to discuss potential adoption. All adoption policies apply; ask staff for details.
Found an animal when WHS is closed?
Use our Community Microchip Scanning Station to try to reunite this pet with their person! Located outside of our domestic animal shelter (2172 Division St, Bellingham), the station is available 24 hours a day and includes instructions for what to do if an animal does or does not have a microchip.
Animal Control & Rescue
The Whatcom Humane Society Animal Control / Field Services Department is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Services include:
If you are aware of an animal being abused or neglected, please call our Animal Control Office at (360) 733-2080, ext #3017.
If you need assistance after our regular business hours and you have an animal related emergency, such as an animal running in traffic, an injured animal, an animal acting aggressively or you need to report an animal being harmed, please call 911. The 911 dispatcher on duty will contact a WHS animal control officer for further assistance.
Licensing Your Pet
Whatcom Humane Society has partnered with DocuPet to provide an enhanced pet licensing experience for residents. When you register your pet with Whatcom Humane Society, you will receive a unique license tag to attach to their collar.
Step-by-Step Process for Setting Up/Managing Your Online Account:
Don't Forget Your Proof of Rabies Vaccination!
Licensing your pet will require proof of a valid Rabies Vaccination Certificate that has been signed by a veterinarian or certified professional. Having these items at the ready allows for the fastest experience, so please contact your vet ahead of time if you need a copy of this information. You will have the option to upload a document as a saved or scanned file, or you may take a photo directly from your device on DocuPet’s upload page.
It is the law that pets must be up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations, so new documents will need to be uploaded to your pets profile as they receive their booster shots and DocuPet cannot issue licenses without a valid certificate on file.
Offline Mail-In Licensing Forms
If you opt to license via snail mail, keep in mind processing your registration will take longer.
Make sure you complete the form below for your applicable jurisdiction in full and that it is free of any errors; otherwise your registration may not be successfully processed. The fine print is there for a reason, so keep an eye out for accepted payment methods, who the check should be made out to, where it should be mailed, and any required supporting documentation:
- City of Bellingham Dog License Mail-In Form
- City of Blaine Dog License Mail-In Form
- City of Ferndale Pet License Mail-In Form
- Unincorporated Whatcom County Dog License Form
If you have any questions, please reach out to DocuPet Customer Care at 1-877-239-6072 (Hours of Operation: Monday-Saturday, excluding holidays, from 6:00am-6:00pm PST).
Need Further Assistance? Please Contact DocuPet Customer Service
If you’re having trouble licensing online and need to get your registration processed in a hurry, please contact DocuPet’s customer care team:
DocuPet Customer Care: 1-877-239-6072
Hours of Operation: Monday-Saturday (excluding holidays) from 6:00am-6:00pm PST
DocuPet Mailing Address: 15 Technology Place, Suite 1, East Syracuse, NY 13057
Note: DocuPet may be able to process your pet license over the phone. In order to do so, you must have up to date spay/neuter or rabies documents on file, and they can only accept credit cards and Visa/Mastercard debit as payment.
Why Do I Need to License My Pet?
Licensing for dogs and cats depends on where you live within Whatcom County. Please review the guidelines below for city-specific information, licensing prices and late fees, low-income and service dog waivers, and more.
In addition to being required by law, licensing and microchipping your dogs/cats are both great ways to provide information to shelter staff, animal control officers, and veterinary hospital staff. With this information, we are more likely to be able to quickly reunite you and your pet should they ever go missing or are brought in.
Please note: Effective January 1, 2012 the State of Washington requires that all dogs, cats, and ferrets must be vaccinated for rabies. The vaccination must be kept current. (WAC 246-100-197 (3)).
Pet licensing fees are not set by the Whatcom Humane Society but by local county and municipal governments. Please see below for relevant county and municipal codes regarding pet licensing and animals in Whatcom County.
Dogs over 4 months of age living in the city limits of Bellingham, Blaine and Ferndale are required to have a license. Before a license or renewal is issued for any dog, the owner must certify under penalty of perjury that the dog has been vaccinated against rabies. A certification of vaccination signed by an accredited veterinarian which shows that the vaccination does not expire prior to the expiration date of the license must be provided upon request.
License fee waivers for service dogs are available to anyone residing in Washington state with a working service dog pursuant to RCW 49.60.380. Please note: Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are not considered service dogs, and any misrepresentation of a pet as a working service dog is a civil infraction. If you live within the city limits of Bellingham, a low-income/disability waiver is also available. If you think you qualify for either license fee waiver, e-mail programs@whatcomhumane.org or call 360-733-2080 ext. 3028. Low-income/disability waivers (City of Bellingham) and service dog waivers (Washington state) require proof of a current rabies vaccination be provided, unless residing in unincorporated Whatcom County. City of Bellingham low-income/disability license waivers require the license fee be paid for the first year, with renewals at no cost, and may only apply to one pet per household.
Dogs residing within the city limits of the following cities and tribal areas are licensed separately. Dogs residing outside city limits and these tribal areas are licensed by Whatcom county. Please contact the appropriate office to license your dog:
Cat licensing is only required in the city limits of Ferndale. Cats over 4 months of age living in the city limits of Ferndale are required to have a license. A microchip may be used in place of a license tag for Ferndale cats. The microchip number must be provided at the time of licensing. A certification of rabies vaccination signed by an accredited veterinarian which shows that the vaccination does not expire prior to the expiration date of the license must be provided upon request.
Dogs over 7 months of age living in unincorporated Whatcom County are required to have a license. While the rabies vaccine is required by law in Washington state, proof is not required for licensing purposes.
If you have five or more dogs and live in unincorporated Whatcom County, please e-mail licensing@whatcomhumane.org or call (360)733-2080 ext 3010.
Health & Veterinary services
Whatcom Humane Society offers a low-cost spay and neuter program called SNAP for eligible applicants.
If you are interested in having your companion animal spayed or neutered, please fill out the SNAP application below and return to the shelter. Upon receipt of your completed application, a WHS staff member or volunteer will review the application to determine if you qualify for the SNAP program through WHS (note: state law requires that low-income guidelines are met). If you qualify, you will automatically be added to a call-back list and we will contact you to review your application, discuss payment options, and schedule an appointment for your animal.
NOTE: Due to reduced staffing levels and resources, we are booking appointments out 3-4 months depending on the animal’s breed, sex, and weight.
You can find a breakdown of associated fees here.
Completed SNAP applications can be emailed to: adoptions@whatcomhumane.org.
We understand how difficult it can be to say goodbye to a beloved family companion. We encourage you to discuss this decision with your veterinarian and, if possible, have your veterinarian perform end of life services for your pet. If you do not have a veterinarian, are low-income, or otherwise find your pet in need of end of life services, our compassionate, caring, and trained staff can help. The Whatcom Humane Society offers humane euthanasia services for ill or suffering companion animals by appointment only. You may choose to stay and be present with your animal if you like.
All fees include communal cremation. Additional fees are required for private cremation.
If this is a financial hardship for you, please discuss with our customer service department at the time you call to schedule an appointment. For additional information or to make an appointment, contact our Customer Service Department at 360-733-2080 # 0. Cremation Services and pet memorial options are also available at Radiant Heart After-Care for Pets in Bellingham.
Pet Loss Support
The loss of a cherished pet is a sad event for anyone. Our monthly, in-person support group provides a safe place for connecting grieving pet owners with experienced facilitators and other resources. Whether you are currently suffering loss or are anticipating loss, we encourage you to join us.
The Whatcom Humane Society operates a Community Pet Food Bank for Whatcom County residents who are in temporary need of assistance providing food for their pets.