Our 2012 SNIP SNIP project targeting dogs in Yakima City resulted in 220 dogs of low income families spayed/neutered for free or low cost - far exceeding our original goal of 170 dogs!  Think about the impact that will make on the amount of unwanted puppies after just one year, much less in a decade!

By Julie Muhlstein, Herald Writer

First, there are the three-legged blind dogs with no hair.

That almost laughable description is how Mark Coleman thinks some people imagine the critters at animal shelters.

"We have dogs you wouldn't expect, sometimes even purebred Jack Russells," said Coleman, community relations manager at PAWS. The Lynnwood organization rescues homeless pets and orphaned wildlife. "It depends on the day. We have such a wide range of pets. There's somebody for everyone," he said.

Then that they are places too sad to visit.

Dee Cordell, shelter operations coordinator at the Everett Animal Shelter, believes that misconception keeps people away from the facility on Smith Island.

"We're incredibly fortunate the city built this shelter. It's a beautiful place," Cordell said. "The animals get great care. Volunteers are walking dogs all day."

On Saturday, three local shelters will welcome visitors as part of a statewide animal shelter open house sponsored by Pawsitive Alliance. The nonprofit group works with shelters to put on animal-adoption events, and promotes spay-neuter programs.

Open houses will be held during regular hours Saturday at the Everett Animal Shelter, the PAWS Companion Animal Shelter in Lynnwood, and at N.O.A.H. (Northwest Organization for Animal Help) in the Stanwood area. Elsewhere, Regional Animal Services of King County, the Homeward Pet Adoption Center in Woodinville, Grant County Animal Outreach, and the Humane Society of Central Washington will also participate.

"Our vision is a happy and healthy home for every dog and cat in Washington," said Denise Melton, programs and administrative manager for Pawsitive Alliance. The volunteer organization was founded in 2005. Saturday will be the first of what the group hopes will become an annual open house for shelters statewide.

"No one uses the word 'pound' anymore. Part of this initiative is to change the perception of what a shelter is," said Melton, who lives in Kirkland. "We want the community to go visit and see places of joy. The animals are not just castoffs. They are beautiful, adoptable animals."

Besides adoptions, Pawsitive Alliance aims to promote volunteering at animal shelters and financially supporting them.

Lani Kurtz is animal welfare director at N.O.A.H., which is next to I-5 near Stanwood. She said the open house comes at a time of year when shelters are packed with kittens. And the struggling economy has brought many fine animals to shelters as pet owners lose homes or just can't afford to keep dogs and cats.

"We see a lot of that, people having to move to apartments," Kurtz said. "People have an image of bad pets at shelters, but we have great dogs and cats."

The N.O.A.H. facility, unlike other shelters, doesn't take animals from the public. "We go to area shelters and help with their overflow, so no animal has to be euthanized because of space," she said. "We take transfer animals from all over the state, as far as Spokane."

This week, Kurtz said, N.O.A.H. has about 50 dogs and more than 100 cats. "We do get a lot of mutts -- mutt is my favorite breed," she added.

Some shelters will have special offers during the open houses. At N.O.A.H., adoptions will be $50 off on Saturday. The Everett Animal Shelter, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., will have face painting and crafts for kids, prizes and pet ID tags available. In Woodinville, the Homeward Pet Adoption Center will have free microchipping until 2 p.m. Saturday, Melton said.

"Even if people aren't interested in adoption, just come visit us," said Coleman, the PAWS spokesman. "There's lots of activity. This lets people see that wonderful volunteers do amazing work."

"Any event that brings people out here is a good event," said Cordell, at the Everett shelter. "If they happen to adopt an animal while they're here, even better."

Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460, muhlstein@heraldnet.com.

Open houses

Saturday's statewide animal shelter open house, sponsored by Pawsitive Alliance, will include these local shelters:

Everett Animal Shelter: 333 Smith Island Road, Everett. Open house 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

N.O.A.H. (Northwest Organization for Animal Help Animal Adoption): 31300 Brandstrom Road, Stanwood. Open House 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

PAWS Companion Animal Shelter: 15305 44th Ave W., Lynnwood. Open house 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Pawsitive Alliance was the recipient of grants from the ASPCA, PetSmart Charities, and Best Friends Animal Society for our targeted cat spay/neuter program in Union Gap. Additionally, we have received grants from Handsel Foundation and the Federation of Animal Care and Control Agencies for our targeted dog spay/neuter program in Yakima City.

We are so pleased to work the the Humane Society of Central Washington through the SNAP program and we are excited to see these funds used in Yakima County where the need is great!

For an application for either location, go to http://www.yakimahumane.org/S.N.A.P..html

People from across the state came out for our 2 day Adoption Event on August 10th & 11th in Union Gap to help super people find some super pets!  

Despite the heat we kept our cool with over 250 animals available to adopt. By the end of the weekend 159 lives were saved. The outpouring of community support for this event was impressive and it is apparent that the community is activated in their support of adoption and spay/neuter!

For more photos of the event, check out our album for the event here.
Also check out this Video of the event.

A huge thank you to Petsmart of Union Gap and Petsmart Charities for their mentorship and support as well as our amazing volunteers for their super hero efforts during the long hot weekend.  And, thank you to the following groups for bringing your wonderful animals: Adams County Pet Rescue, Barks R Us, Benton County Animal Control, Grant County Animal Outreach, Humane Society of Central Washington, Kittitas County Friends of Animals, New Rattitude, Northwest Boxer Rescue, Pet Over Population Prevention (POPP), Res Q Angels , & Yakima Valley Pet Rescue

Little Leo was the first of 18 cats and kittens who went home with their new forever families at our "There's a Cat for That!" Adoption Event on June 10th. 

Thank you to everyone who attended and especially those who opted to adopt!

The results from May 1st's GiveBig Day, sponsored by The Seattle Foundation, are in and because of your support Pawsitive Alliance received a check for nearly $900!  Thank you to all who donated that day and helped us get the word out!  All those donations will go to support our efforts to Prevent a Pet Parent 'n Puget Sound this month!

Help us to Prevent more Pet Papas...because there are enough doggie daddies already!  Don't buy your dad another tie this year, honor him buy donating $75 to pay for a spay/neuter surgery for a dog in need.  We will send your Dad a special certificate in honor of the gift. 

Email Denise at info@pawsitivealliance.org for more information.

Pawsitive Alliance is helping one of our partners The Humane Society of Central Washington (HSCW) win the ASPCA $100K Challenge!
But first they had to qualify... From April 5-16 the Washington community responded and thanks to you, Humane Society of Central Washington topped the leaderboards as the 1st in the nation during the qualifying heat!
Visit www.VoteToSaveLives.org and see the official results.