Welcoming a New Member to the Pack

a message from the whs executive director

Dear Friends,

I hope that you’re enjoying the summer season, which is always a bustling time at the Whatcom Humane Society.

I’ve been asked more times than I can recall over the years how I and other WHS staff and volunteers decide which pets to adopt. With thousands of domestic animals arriving at our doors each year, not a day goes by that I don’t hear, “I could never work or volunteer there; I would bring them all home.” My truthful reply is always, “You learn quickly to know your limitations.” And yes, most of our staff and volunteers share their homes with a variety of animals, big and small. My husband and I currently share our household with several spoiled former shelter animals, including four cats ranging from 3- to 19-years-old, four chickens, a plus-sized senior corgi named Luna, and our newest addition, Leon, a 5-year-old pitbull who joined our household last fall. Our limitations: There is NO MORE room on the bed!

After the loss of my beloved 15-year-old dog Zane last year, I knew that our household would need to start the search for another dog to join our pack. A dog that could be a friend and protector to Luna; a dog that could get along with four sassy, opinionated cats (who adored Zane, and he adored them!); and a dog that would, for the most part, leave the chickens who free range on our property most days—and then are secured in a luxury coop that cost more than my car at night!—alone.

My heart was still very much grieving the loss of Zane, and I was not in a big hurry to add another dog to the house. But of course, there were so many amazing dogs coming in and out of the shelter, I knew it would not be long before a dog “picked me.” In addition to the WHS shelter dogs, my social media feed was FULL of videos and stories of wonderful puppies and adult dogs being cared for at local rescues and neighboring shelters.

One night while “doomscrolling”, I came across a post from my hometown shelter in Olympia. Their animal control officers had found an emaciated dog in a park (a park that I spent a lot of time in as a kid). The dog weighed only 19 lbs. and was covered in sores and deep cuts, unable to stand, and was missing large patches of fur. He had clearly suffered unimaginable neglect and abuse and most likely was dumped and left to die. The post was asking for community assistance to obtain any information that could help identify the person or people responsible for this horrible situation. I watched the video several times, and it brought me back to the day in 2010 when Whatcom Humane Society animal control officers had rescued Zane from a horrific situation and brought him to WHS for life-saving care. Knowing my colleagues at Joint Animal Services in Olympia, I had full confidence that they would provide the best care possible for this dog.

I thought about that dog off and on over the next few days, and then as fate would have it, I attended an animal welfare conference in Yakima where those very same Joint Animal Services colleagues were also in attendance. I inquired about the dog (named Littlefoot, due to his resemblance to the popular cartoon dinosaur) and the status of the case—and the more info I learned, well, I was hooked. This dog needed a home that had experience with severely abused animals: Check! Over the next several weeks, I stayed in communication with Joint Animal Services, who provided updates on Littlefoot and his recovery. He was being fostered in a home with another dog and cats: Another check! Once cleared by the shelter veterinarian, I made arrangements to go pick him up and transfer care to WHS.

When I arrived, I found a sad, skinny, intact male pitbull who seemed so small and frail. I loaded him into a crate in the back of my car and off we went for the 3+ hour drive back to Whatcom County. Needless to say, we did some serious bonded during those 3 hours…

Fast forward a few long months: Leon, as he is now known, has gained almost 35 lbs. He has been neutered (thank goodness!), is healthy, goes to doggie daycare, just graduated from obedience training (with the suggestion that he would benefit from a repeat class), and his best friend in the house is Rerun, our 19-year-old cat. He is fiercely protective of his humans, loves his corgi sister (she thinks he is an enormous DORK!), loves to play with plushy toys, and mostly leaves the chickens alone. He regularly poops on the back porch, has terrible separation anxiety, and feels the need to be held like a baby. So, yep, he is perfect!

I’m grateful to my colleagues at Joint Animal Services for saving Leon. Most likely, the person or people responsible for harming him will never be found. But much like Zane, Leon’s story and his life will inspire and motivate me daily in my work and ongoing efforts to help animals in our community and region. I will continue to fight the good fight for animals—big and small; domestic, farm, and wild—and remain steadfast in my commitment to WHS and our open-admission shelter philosophy, where no animal is turned away and all animals are treated as sentient beings and provided with kindness, care, respect, advocacy, and protection.

Here at WHS, we have a busy summer ahead, with a lot going on at our shelters and in the community. I hope you will find time to attend an upcoming outreach event (where you might get the chance to visit our super cool new pup cup truck!), open your heart and home to a new companion animal, join our volunteer team, shop at and/or donate to our thrift store, become a monthly supporter, or just stop by to say hi! Leon and Luna are regular “helpers” in my office and would love to meet you.

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.

With gratitude and appreciation,

Laura Clark, Executive Director