LYNNWOOD — Paul Bunyon, Big Mac, Brigadier Thyme and Mr. Darcy agree: If you’re looking for a new mom or dad, the PAWS Companion Animal Shelter in Lynnwood is the place to be.
Strut your stuff, bat your eyes, fluff your fur or show off your moves in one of the shelter’s meet-and-greet rooms or play areas.
Since its founding in 1967, the Progressive Animal Welfare Society has found homes for 150,000 dogs and cats, and cared for an equal number of wild animals, said CEO Heidi Wills.
Just ask Molly.
Whoops, Molly is chewing her favorite toy and can’t talk right now.
So, let’s ask her mom, Traci Morgan, who recalls the first time she saw the pint-sized Chihuahua at the Lynnwood shelter.
Sandwiched between two pit bulls, Molly gave Morgan the please-please-take-me-home look.
Morgan admits: She was there to look at another dog when the golden-haired pup caught her eye.
It’s been a love match ever since, Morgan said.
Looking for your new best friend?
Check the PAWS website to see who’s available and then visit the Lynnwood shelter at 15305 44th Ave. W or swing by PAWS Cat City, a feline-only shelter in Seattle’s University District.
Helpful adoption specialists can take it from there, said Cara Brooks, animal adoption lead.
In fact, they’re the folks who name cats and dogs when they arrive at the shelter.
It’s an eclectic list from food — Big Mac and Waffles — to fiction — Paul Bunyan and Mr. Darcy, the hero of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.”
The nonprofit shelter takes in pets from around the country through partnerships with other agencies and rescues. The Lynnwood site can house up to 44 dogs and 50 cats, Wills said.
Wills estimates 70% of the pets housed at PAWS come from facilities where they would otherwise have been euthanized.
“When you adopt from PAWS or any animal shelter or rescue, you’re literally saving a life,” said Wills, whose own menagerie includes four cats and two dogs — all but one adopted from PAWS.
Not ready to adopt?
PAWS is always seeking volunteers to foster pets for a day, a week or more, said Mick Szydlowski, PAWS spokesperson.
Even one day away, “is a great break for a dog,” noted Szydlowski. “Their stress levels and behavior changes when they’re cooped up. It’s nice when you get them out.”
A brief online training session is all that’s needed to get started, he said.
Alina Ganenkova answered the call and spent 18 months at the Companion Animal Shelter as a volunteer.
The experience “was really important to me,” said Ganenkova who recently left for a job as a veterinary assisant. “I could do what I love to do and also socialize with people, all animal lovers.”
She walked dogs, cared for sick cats and worked in the vet clinic.
“It can be stressful for them in the kennel,” she said. “You, as a volunteer, can make their lives better. What they want most is human attention.”
One dog in particular stood out. The shy corgi-pitbull mix showed little interest in squirrels, bunnies or sniffing.
“When I took her for a walk, she constantly tried to make eye contact with me,” she said. “She was desperate for attention. She needed someone to rescue her.”
That someone ended up being Ganenkova.
She adopted the corgi-mix and named her Hrusha, which means piglet in Russian.
“She took my heart,” she said.
New wildlife center
Since its founding nearly 60 years ago, PAWS has cared for 150,000 injured or orphaned wild animals.
Until this year, the wildlife rehabilitation center was squeezed into the 7-acre campus in Lynnwood.
In May, it moved to a new and larger home at 13508 Highway 9 in Snohomish, fulfilling a longtime goal.
“The realization of this dream means great things for PAWS, but more importantly for the wild animals we all protect,” Jennifer Convy, the organization’s wildlife director, told The Daily Herald in April.
Last year, the Lynnwood site treated 5,000 wild animals: “over 160 different species,” Szydlowski noted.
With more room — the new center sits on 25 acres — and demand for wild animal care on the rise, PAWS expects to care for even more, Wills said.
Besides rescue work, PAWS also partners with local schools and scout troops, said education manager Bailey Serica. Last year, 1,000 Snohomish County fourth-graders participated in the Kids Who Care program, a six-week program, said Serica, proud dog mom of Jackson and Darby, two Labrador and Great Pyrenees rescues.
Less than 10% of PAWS’ revenue comes from adoption fees, Wills said. “The rest comes from donations.”
Whatever you give, “It all goes to a good cause: animal care,” she said.
Janice Podsada is a freelance writer and former employee of The Daily Herald.
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