Tacoma animal shelter remains crowded despite 'successful' dog adoption event
TACOMA, Wash. - The Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County put out a call for help to resolve its record-breaking capacity crisis. The community answered by participating in the shelter’s January 2-5 adoption event, which included waving fees for all dogs one year and older. However, the crisis wasn’t entirely averted to address the dire needs at the shelter.
"We really needed our community's support to help us create lifesaving space here in our shelter," said Lauren Green, director of marketing and communications for the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County.
The Humane Society hosted the adoption event to help the shelter relieve its capacity crisis of 264 dogs, which was the highest it had seen in seven years.
"We had nearly 60 dogs placed in loving homes and an additional 60 dogs in adoptions in progress. So, we’re really grateful for our community for showing up," said Green. "Anytime we can connect pets with loving families is a success to us and we’re so grateful to our community for showing up for them and for us and the community at large."
Pierce County shelter calls on community for help with record-breaking capacity crisis
The Humane Society of Tacoma and Pierce County is calling on the public to help with its record-breaking capacity crisis.
Green said as of January 6, there were 93 dogs in the shelter, and an additional 120 dogs in foster homes currently in the Humane Society’s care. She said though the adoption event was a success, it could only do so much.
"We never know what’s going to show up at our door needing our services on any given day. The work never ends," said Green. "As an open-admission shelter here in Washington state, we don’t turn away an animal, regardless of age, breed, medical condition, behavior needs. So, we really are looking to our community to continue supporting us and supporting the animals within our community."
The shelter wound up in a record-breaking capacity crisis after more than 60 dogs and cats were seized during a Pierce County animal cruelty investigation in mid-December. This forced the shelter to repurpose office spaces and temporary kennels to service the sudden influx of animals.
"Things like that can happen at any given moment," said Green. "That’s when we really rely on our community to help keep us allocate our resources to the animals that need us the most."
While capacity is no longer at crisis levels, Green said it’s still crowded with a large number of dogs waiting for their special person. Dogs like Sweet Pea—a two-year-old German Shepard that was returned to the shelter this week. Situations like Sweet Pea’s happen on a daily basis, reasons why Green said the shelter needs help from the community beyond waived fees and adoption events. In return, the staff offer help for families as they transition into their new lives with their new love.
"We are our community’s pet resource center, and we are happy to help guide you through any sort of behavior questions you might have or connect you with resources that would be helpful during that transition," said Green. "That’s what we’re here for. We’re here to help keep pets with the people who love them most. We don’t want to put anybody in a position to have to make that tough decision of having to give up their pets."
Starting 2025 on a positive note, Green said the new year presents new opportunities for more adoption events. She said the staff were finalizing some ideas to get more animals into permanent homes. They said, of course, anytime is a good time to adopt or foster a pet.
More information is available on the Humane Society’s website for those who are interested in learning about available animals, donations and volunteer opportunities.
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