Private veterinarians to provide medical triage services for animals in King County shelters

Declaration of emergency and aggressive adoption campaign will speed assistance to shelters

Local veterinarians will begin offering their services starting tomorrow, Tuesday, April 22, to help provide medical care for the animals at King County’s two animal shelters. The intervention is made possible by a motion adopted this afternoon by the Metropolitan King County Council that also calls for an aggressive animal adoption campaign involving local businesses, animal rescue groups and all King County employees.

Councilmembers Dow Constantine and Julia Patterson were joined in the motion by County Executive Ron Sims, who today issued a declaration of emergency at the shelters. The motion creates an adoption campaign and allows local veterinarians to assist in providing care. The two measures will help alleviate the shelter health crisis and prevent future overcrowding and suffering while the County moves forward with longer-term strategic plans.

“We’ve already proposed an excellent process to improve animal services in King County. However, the animals in our shelters can’t wait four months for a strategic plan. They need help right now and they are going to get it,” said Council Vice Chair Constantine.

“We have near- and long-term strategies to improve the conditions at the animal shelters, but the animals in our care today, tomorrow and next week need our help as well,” said Council Chair Patterson. “Our generous community of veterinarians is ready to help and we are now calling them in.”

"We need a community effort to help us in the short term while we make improvements to our facilities and develop a long-term plan," said Executive Sims. "As we enter the time of year when the shelters see their biggest influx of unwanted and lost animals, it is more important than ever that we seek help from those able to give it."

King County shelters house approximately 13,000 animals each year. Constantine, Patterson and Sims issued a call to all County employees to consider adopting a shelter animal this spring or summer. “I'll be adopting a new friend for our cat, who himself was rescued and fostered by volunteers,” said Constantine. “This outside intervention and aggressive adoption campaign are steps we can take now, today, to get animals out of the shelters and into homes.”

“King County employees are responding generously to our plea for adoption help,” said Patterson. “I’ve personally received more than 20 responses from employees who have or will adopt, and even more who are willing to chip in on the cost of adoption for someone who can’t afford it.”

Executive Sims said shelter managers are especially in need of foster volunteers who can care for ill animals or animals such as kittens too young for adoption. Citizens can volunteer by going online to kingcounty.gov/pets.

The motion adopted today by the County Council clears the way for the shelters to cooperate and collaborate with private veterinarians who have offered their services for free to alleviate the current shelter health crisis.

The legislation also establishes a policy framework and strategic planning process that will include an operational master plan, facilities plan, and business plan for Animal Services.

Today’s actions follow the receipt of three critical reports on King County's animal shelters. The latest, an analysis performed by a team of veterinarians from the University of California, Davis released last week, support in part some of the previous findings and recommendations of the King County Animal Care and Control Citizens Advisory Committee and a Council consultant. The UC Davis report states that the workload of the shelter’s veterinarian, vet technicians, and other staff is too high and, as a result, the staff cannot adequately care for the number of animals in the shelter. The report also indicates that the housing in the shelter is inadequate and creates stressful conditions for cats and dogs.

“Calling on the veterinary community to provide assistance and support is a step towards providing immediate relief for the animals at the shelter,” said Constantine.

Training sessions for foster volunteers will be held on April 24, May 22 and June 12 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the King County Kent Animal Shelter at 21615 64th Avenue South. Once completed, volunteers may begin to foster pets right away. Foster volunteers must be able to provide a clean and safe environment to care for the foster animals and prevent injury and the spread of disease. Most supplies, like food, flea control and milk replacement, are provided to volunteers.

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system. Type in “2008-0218”