WAIF copes with pet influx

Working at a “no kill” animal shelter has its perks, like experiencing the release of oxytocin from cuddling a pet and the rewarding feeling of watching a dog or cat walk away with a new family.

Lately, however, the staff at the Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation has been feeling what Executive Director Cinnamon Hudgins has called “compassion fatigue” resulting from dealing with the pain and suffering of a record number of animals in their care.

As of Wednesday, WAIF is caring for 161 animals — the most in its 34-year history. These furry guests are either at the shelter in Coupeville, the cat adoption center in Oak Harbor, the cat cottage in Freeland or in foster care.

Between May and June alone, the nonprofit’s intake has increased by 43%, exceeding capacity.

Shelter Manager Donna Dunn believes it will get worse before it gets better.

“One dog goes out and we get three more in,” she said.

According to Hudgins, shelters around the country are going through a crisis exacerbated by the pandemic, which caused many veterinary clinics to close, leaving millions of pet owners struggling to find a place to spay and neuter their pets.

At the Coupeville Animal Shelter, the only facility that houses dogs, there are currently 32 dogs and 90 cats waiting to be found by a new family or to be reclaimed by their owners. The shelter has capacity for 36 dogs and 67 cats, according to information sent by Hudgins, though sometimes capacity can fluctuate as smaller animals can be paired together.

According to information provided by Hudgins, the number of pets surrendered to the nonprofit in 2024 has decreased while strays have increased, possibly meaning that 10.5% more owners are abandoning their pets compared to last year.

Dunn said some owners might believe that dumping animals is the best option available when the shelter is full, because the shelter can’t turn away strays brought in by animal control. As a result, Dunn and other staff members are forced to place stray dogs in kennels that are normally used for overnight drop-off by law enforcement.

Not only could abandonment lead to an animal getting hurt or killed, but it can also overwhelm the nonprofit and its residents, who can experience significant stress in a crowded environment.

Hudgins said dumping animals is an issue because shelter staff won’t be able to know about the pet’s medical background or temperament, making it harder to find a good match.

Dunn said WAIF’s goal is to find a forever home for every animal that walks through its doors.

“The more information we have about them the more we can find a better fit for them to be adopted to,” she said.

Pets can end up in a shelter for various reasons, Hudgins said. Owners might surrender or abandon pets due to financial struggles resulting from inflation, rising housing costs or a medical condition. Some owners simply pass away, leaving family members with a pet they can’t take care of.

Often, people adopt or shop puppies without giving them the proper training or without knowledge of that breed’s temperament and size as adults. The most common dog breeds found at WAIF, Dunn said, are German shepherds and huskies, which are two energetic and high maintenance breeds.

Larger and older dogs tend to stay in shelters for longer, Dunn and Hudgins said, while cats, puppies and small-sized dogs tend to get out a few days or weeks after they’ve been spayed or neutered.

The average length of stay appears to be decreasing, Hudgins said, potentially meaning that owners are claiming their lost pets more quickly and that animals are being adopted more quickly as well.

“However, we’ll always have the few animals that stay much longer than the average,” she wrote in an email.

Jaxx, a pitbull mix, had been at the Coupeville shelter for over 300 days. Despite being a sweet and well-trained dog, his kennel behavior might deter prospective owners from taking him home, according to Communications and Event Coordinator Karina Andrew.

Whatever reason one might have to part ways with their pet, Hudgins encourages owners to surrender the pet or to use the various resources offered by the nonprofit.

If there isn’t enough room at the shelter, WAIF helps owners rehome their pets. “Home to Home” is a website where owners can find a new home for their dogs, cats or other pets for free. It can be found at waifanimals.org/programs/hth.

If the issue is behavior, owners might want to use the “Good Pup” program, a tool that provides private video call sessions with a dog trainer, available at app.goodpup.com.

Often, owners don’t microchip their pets or forget to update microchips with new contact information, leaving shelters unable to return lost animals. WAIF microchips every pet prior to adoption, and is hosting a clinic on Aug. 15 and 16 at the Coupeville shelter, where owners can pay $25 to get their pets microchipped.

Despite the difficult and stressful situation, Dunn, Hudgins and Andrew said, WAIF is determined to stick to the “no-kill” philosophy, even at the cost of exceeding capacity.

Still, Andrew said, “‘no-kill’ isn’t something that just happens.”

Keeping a shelter that does not euthanize animals to make space for more animals requires community support, which can come in the form of volunteerism or monetary donations to provide things such as food and medical care.

WAIF is in need of volunteers to walk the dogs, play and socialize with dogs and cats, clean kennels, wash laundry and dishes, provide training support and foster pets, Hudgins said.

On Aug. 27, community members can donate to WAIF’s “Poorly Drawn Pets” fundraiser. By donating $25 and submitting a photo of their pet to the event’s webpage, donors will receive a poorly drawn replica of the photo.

To learn more about adopting, surrendering, donating and volunteering, visit waifanimals.org.

Tré Frampton pets Tino the rescue dog outside the WAIF Ellery Cramer Family Animal Shelter, July 24. (Photo by Caitlyn Anderson)

Rescue kitten Gatsby sits inside his kennel at the WAIF Ellery Cramer Family Animal Shelter. (Photo by Caitlyn Anderson)

WAIF Community Outreach Coordinator Tré Frampton walks Tino the rescue dog outside the WAIF Ellery Cramer Family Animal Shelter, July 24. (Photo by Caitlyn Anderson)