Seattle Animal Shelter urges residents to help pets find homes

With pet adoptions down, the Seattle Animal Shelter is urging residents to help pets find "A Home 4 for the Holidays."

The national program started in 1999 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and encourages families to adopt pets from shelters. Last year, it helped place 300,000 pets in homes nationwide; the goal is to place as many as possible, and ideally all, of a shelter's potential pets.

But at Seattle's shelter, adoptions are down about 20 percent, from 3,000 to 3,200 last year to 2,400 so far this year, according to Don Jordan, the shelter's director.

"We don't want people to be alarmed ... but we want those pets to be out in homes," Jordan said.

"Our whole push is trying to get folks to realize the connection people can have with animals, and the role they play in people's lives," especially for the elderly and families, he said.

But if you can't adopt, the shelter provides other ways to help. Individuals can buy a gift certificate that subsidizes adoption costs. These certificates range in price from $60 to $165, and pay for the pet license, a microchip, vaccinations, deworming and spaying or neutering.

Animal lovers can also provide foster care for rescued dogs and cats (or rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, hamsters and birds). About 1,200 animals a year spend time in temporary homes before being adopted.

The public can talk to an adoption counselor, look at animals, donate or learn more about fostering a pet by visiting the shelter at 2061 15th Ave. W. in Seattle between Queen Anne and Interbay. The shelter is open from 12 to 6 p.m. for adoptions, and at 9 a.m. for licensing. More information can be found at www.seattleanimalshelter.org.

Will Mari: 206-464-2745 or wmari@seattletimes.com