More than 2,000 animals have been placed in new homes this year with the help of Animal Services of Thurston County, the group’s leader says.
The 2,010 adoptions in the past 12 months are down slightly from last year’s 2,129 adoptions, director Susanne Beauregard said.
“It’s a percentage sort of thing depending on the number of incoming animals, and I think our incoming numbers dropped slightly this year,” she said.
The nonprofit also is housing 57 animals that are being held as part of criminal investigations. Most of those cases involve one or two animals.
However, one case involved 18 dogs, four cats and two large parrots. A second involved 15 dogs.
Hooved Animal Rescue of Thurston County also cared for 20 horses. It works in conjunction with Animal Services, taking horses and other livestock animals seized by the Sheriff’s Office.
All but one of those horses remains in Hooved Animal Rescue custody because of court cases.
The one that was adopted was Rosie, a quarter horse seized by the Sheriff’s Office in January along with five other horses.
A seventh horse on the same property starved to death before police got involved. Of the six rescued, Rosie’s mother and a stallion were euthanized after several weeks of medical treatment.
Rose, an 8-month-old foal, battled pneumonia, malnourishment and lice infestation. She was transferred from Hooved Animal Rescue to Rodeo City Equine in Ellensburg in June and was adopted by mid-July.
Rosie now shares a 10-acre pasture with a 7-year-old quarter horse mare that acts as her adoptive mother, as well as a 6-year-old mini-horse.
“Him and Rosie are like siblings,” said Sheri Kinnan, Rosie’s new owner. “They play all the time and fight, but they are the best of friends.”
All of Kinnan’s horses have been rescued, she said.
“She is looking wonderful,” Kinnan said of Rosie. “She has gained some weight and is very active now, running around all the time.”
Rosie isn’t the only success story.
Two girls nearly stole a stray Chihuahua from Animal Services in July.
The teens, 14 and 17, had put the dog known as Machoman in a backpack and left the shelter.
The dog’s new owner had seen Machoman at the shelter the day before and was planning to adopt him, after speaking with her husband.
After seeing the dog in the news, she knew she’d have to arrive at the shelter early to take Machoman home, given his sudden fame.
His new owners say the dog lives up to his former name and is doing well.
Beauregard said they have seen a spike in the number of small dogs this year.
“One of the things that is a little odd is that although we have seen some very, very big dogs, we have seen a lot of small dogs,” Beauregard said. “It looks to me as though people who have been breeding for puppy mill kinds of things are having a tough time financially and maybe even health-wise.”
The number of cats dropped off at the shelter has dropped, she said.
The shelter rarely handles pot-bellied pigs, but one was brought to the shelter after being rescued from an Olympia house fire in September.
The pig was victim of a “hoarding situation” and had extremely long hooves and peeling skin.
The pig, known as Petunia among volunteers, died during her spay surgery six weeks after she was brought to the shelter. She had inhaled too much smoke in the fire, and her lungs had been weakened, Beauregard said.
Petunia had to be spayed before she could be taken to Pigs Peace Sanctuary near Stanwood.
“She was just a dear pig,” Beauregard said. “She is the kind of pot-belly that was the reason people get pot-bellies … she was wonderful.”
Chelsea Krotzer: 360-754-5476
ckrotzer@theolympian.com
theolympian.com/thisjustin
@chelseakrotzer
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