The Good, the Bad, and Everything Between
a message from the whs executive director
Dear Friends,
I hope this letter finds you all enjoying the autumn season—the best time of year in my humble opinion. There's nothing better than a fall dog walk or taking a nap with the cats on a rainy afternoon. With the new season in full swing, I reflect on what can only be described as a wild summer at Whatcom Humane Society. Some parts were good, some were not so good, and every day felt like a constant source of organized chaos, managed by our amazing staff and volunteer teams.
One of the many great memories of this past summer is my trip to San Juan Island as part of the Mabel Transport Team. I was honored to accompany Whatcom County’s famous cow to her wonderful new home outside of Friday Harbor. Watching her hop out of the trailer, gallop into a beautiful pasture, and be greeted by two other cows was such a special moment (yes, I cried!). Her rescue and the many people that helped make it possible is certainly among the “top 10 WHS moments” of my career. And if anyone has the opportunity to visit her at her new home at Heaven on Earth Animal Retirement Sanctuary, do it—it’s AMAZING!
Lots of people ask me and other longtime WHS staff and volunteers how we keep going when we see far too much sadness in our work. Yes, it’s true: There are a lot of sad things our staff and volunteers see, experience, and handle on a day-to-day basis. However, the good outweighs the sad and the bad. You reflect on stories like Mabel’s rescue; the hundreds of domestic animals that found forever homes this summer; the hundreds of injured and orphaned wild animals that were rehabilitated thanks to our wildlife team; the group of neglected animals removed from a hoarding situation that are now living their best lives thanks to our animal control and rescue department; the groups of young kids that spent a week at one of our summer camps or reading programs—the list goes on and on.
Our community, our state, and our nation are most certainly experiencing a massive pet overpopulation problem. “Kitten Season” is no longer a season; we now receive unwanted, orphaned kittens all year long. And it’s not just an issue with kittens, but with dogs and other domestic animals too. The solution? It’s complicated. High-quality, affordable spay/neuter options are an essential component. Stronger laws holding backyard breeders accountable should be a priority for all elected officials in local and state government. And, in my opinion, ensuring that all communities have a shelter like Whatcom Humane Society ready to respond to any animal in need.
Sadly, we continue to receive unwanted domestic animals from all over the region. Many have been turned away from their own community shelters (or put on a waiting list that is sometimes several weeks or even months long). While the owners of these animals may have made poor decisions with regard to their ownership or lack of proper care for these animals, they should not be turned away from their local community shelter when needing assistance, even when that assistance means challenging and difficult decisions have to be made for their animal or other animals in the shelter.
Whatcom Humane Society will celebrate our 123rd anniversary this fall: 123 years of being an open-admission shelter (before that was even a thing!), providing for all animals—big and small—that come to our doors needing care, services, a second chance, protection, advocacy, kindness, respect, and compassion. It’s what we do, it’s who we are—on the bad, sad, chaotic, and happy days and everything in between.
With so much happening at our shelters and thrift shop, I’m excited about the fall and winter/holiday seasons, and I hope you will find time to stop by and say hello. On behalf of the domestic, farm, and wild animals in our community, thank you for continuing to provide us with the resources to remain ready to respond to animals in need. Your support means everything to us all.