Adoption vehicle takes pets to where the people are

Morgan Sherer thought she was going to McLendon Hardware in Renton to get some dowels.

She ended up going home with a lovable 8-month-old gray tabby named Ace — adopted from the Seattle Humane Society's new mobile pet-adoption center.

Friday was the maiden voyage for the MaxMobile, a 33-foot bright-yellow truck specially designed and built for the Humane Society. It can hold up to 20 animals — including cats, dogs and rabbits — for transportation to retail centers or high-traffic areas where they are put on display in hopes they'll steal a heart and find a new home.

"We've been looking to get a cat for the last few months," said Sherer, holding Ace as he cuddled into her neck, purring in her ear. "He's going to be a great cat. I think my kids are going to flip."

Sherer filled out the necessary adoption forms and paid the $80 fee before she took the cat home. Adoption fees vary with the age and type of pet. Puppies and kittens cost more, and animals with special needs cost less.

Would-be pet owners window-shopped through MaxMobile's clear Plexiglas side, which offers a direct view into the animal kennels. On Friday, shoppers heading to the grand opening of McLendon's new Renton store stopped to look at more than a dozen cats and kittens on display. By the end of the day, three adult cats had found new homes.

"We hoped at least half would be adopted, since it's a good shopping day and lots of people are out," said David Loewe, chief operations officer for the Humane Society, which serves all of King County. "We'll be back Saturday and Sunday."

Besides drawing people to watch the playful felines, dog owners lined up to get their pooches' pictures taken against a holiday backdrop. For about $20, pets can have their picture taken with "Santa Paws," a pet-only Santa.

The Humane Society raised about $300,000 to have the MaxMobile designed and built, and to cover the cost of operating it for the first year, said Brenda Barnette, chief executive officer for the Humane Society.

Besides doing mobile adoptions, MaxMobile will be able to respond to emergencies, such as an apartment fire or a natural disaster, when people need a place to temporarily keep their animals, Barnette said.

The mobile center will also be used for educating children about animals. On weekdays, it will be deployed to area schools to teach about dog safety or as a fun visit for kids. It's a way to thank schools that participate in fundraising drives for the Humane Society, said Kate Reedy, who oversees classroom outreach for the organization.

But on weekends, the mobile center will help discarded pets find new owners. And if people can't find the animal that best suits them at the mobile center, they can peruse a photo album with pictures of animals still at the Humane Society's permanent adoption center at 13212 S.E. Eastgate Way, Bellevue. The organization has between 370 and 400 cats waiting for a home, said volunteer Deb Alverson.

"These guys all deserve homes," said Martie Ovitt, 48, of Mercer Island, as she looked at the cats on display. It's heartbreaking to see so many cats that need homes, she said. "People always want to go for the cute kittens, but then they end up as throwaways."

Rachel Tuinstra: 206-515-5637 or rtuinstra@seattletimes.com