Seattle Humane — Local services in Bellevue

TL;DR: Seattle Humane Society euthanized Bubba without allowing us to adopt or say goodbye. They later banned us from adopting Diesel, a dog with severe aggression issues, but were willing to place him with an inexperienced owner. We eventually adopted Diesel through a friend, revealing dangerous behavioral problems. Seattle Humane's actions caused us distress and potentially endangered others, showcasing irresponsible practices in both euthanasia decisions and adoption placements. There practices have not changed in 2 years.

I'm writing this review to share my deeply negative experience with Seattle Humane Society from a little over 2 years ago. My partner and I fell in love with a dog named Bubba, who had a partial paw amputation. Despite his medical issues, we were committed to adopting him. We put down a $150 deposit, brought him toys and blankets, and visited him multiple times over two weeks, growing fond of him as he became part of our family.

We even engaged in scent swapping between Bubba and our other dog, Jade. We brought some of Jade's toys and a blanket to Bubba, and took a blanket from Bubba to Jade, hoping to ease their introduction. Sadly, they never got to meet.

Seattle Humane ultimately decided to euthanize Bubba without allowing us to adopt him or even say goodbye. When we requested to bring him home for a second opinion from our vet, offering to proceed with at-home euthanization if necessary, we were denied. Instead, I received a call from their director, Lisa Drake, which devolved into what I can only describe as a pissing contest about who could euthanize Bubba faster. We were denied the chance to say goodbye, which was deeply painful and inappropriate for an organization calling itself "humane."

I admit I became disrespectful during the call due to my emotional state and the perceived disrespect from the director. To get any closure, I had to go in person and threaten media involvement just to retrieve Bubba's ashes. When we finally got them, we were made to meet in the parking lot.

While there, we encountered another dog named Diesel, which felt like fate given my personal history. Initially, the adoption team was elated to work with us again. However, while my partner (a U.S. Air Force veteran) was filling out adoption paperwork, we were informed by a manager that we were banned from adopting due to the incident with Lisa Drake. We were told to leave and never return, crushing my partner's hopes of bringing Diesel home.

We spent the next 10 days checking their site, hoping Diesel wasn't adopted. Eventually, my best friend and partner went to Seattle Humane, and my best friend went through with the adoption process, filling out the paperwork to bring Diesel to us. She recognized we would provide a loving home, and he has been with us for a little over 2 years.

Our experience with Diesel revealed another troubling aspect of Seattle Humane's practices. They were willing to adopt-out Diesel, a dog with known aggression issues, to a first-time dog owner with little to no experience or training support. They acknowledged Diesel's traumas and triggers, particularly around bathing, yet they were prepared to place him in an inexperienced home. When we got Diesel, I discovered the severity of his issues. His reaction to bathing was so extreme and aggressive that it could have been life-threatening for a smaller or less experienced person. I have the scars to prove the effort it took to work through his traumas. If Diesel had been given to a family with small children, I have no doubt there could have been severe injuries or worse.

I want Seattle Humane to know that even if they delete this review, I will continue to share this story. Their practices have alienated a significant portion of animal-loving communities in Seattle. This experience has left a lasting impact, and I will continue to share the stories of Bubba and Diesel to ensure others are aware of how Seattle Humane operates and the potential...

We are very thankful to have found the best kitties at Seattle Humane! 5 stars for the outcome, but more like 3.5 for the experience. Some tips so you know what to expect are found below:

I will be honest, that it took significantly more time than I expected and 3 visits to find the perfect kitten duo. Going on a weekend was very overwhelming for me as I would interact with a kitten and then soon there would be an "adopted" sticker or I would hear about someone in front of me who was interested or adopting the kittens I had felt most connected to. Since that was overwhelming I had hoped to come back another time midweek, hoping for there to be less potential adopters in the facility.

We came back on a Friday early afternoon, and waited for hours just to be "advised" on our top kittens. Anyone can walk in and view all the cats in their cages without an appointment. Once you have the top 3 cats you are interested in, you fill out an online form and wait in the lobby to be "advised." Being advised means you speak with one of their staff members and receive any pertinent information they have regarding the cat(s). This mainly includes any health conditions found for kittens and possibly more information provided for older cats regarding their specific needs in a new household. On the Friday when we visited, they were admittedly understaffed that day so that explains our 3+ hour wait. Hopefully this was just bad luck for us, and not the norm on a weekday.

After you are advised, you are then able to open up the cage to meet the kittens more intimately. During our advising, they let us know that adoptions had been stopped for the evening, but we could place a hold on our kittens and come back the next day. When you come back the next day, you still have to fill out the form and potentially wait your turn to sit down and go through everything with their staff before officially adopting.

All worked out on the 3rd visit, but overall, it was many more hours of waiting than we anticipated and required taking a day off work to finally adopt our kittens.

So my tips include: -try visiting during the week, rather than the weekend, if at all possible. -pack SNACKS, water, phone charger, and entertainment for the kids because you may be there for 3+ hours depending on their staffing, how busy the day is, etc. -keep your heart/mind open, because your top choice may no longer be available once...

I adopted a bonded cat duo about a month ago and initially had a pretty good experience. The staff were very friendly and helpful despite visiting on a super busy day. When I met with the adoption counselor to talk about this duo, they specifically said they did not have much information about my duo and that they "would be happy with a high overlook and a window to bird watch." I live in a studio apartment, but the counselor said this was not an issue.

The problem for me arrises about a week later when one of the cats started peeing all over my home. I called the Seattle Humane vet to see if I could get a medical consult for the house soiling, as I thought it could be due to a UTI. That's when they sent me a waiver that stated the cat had a history of house soiling, which was news to me. I went back to the initial email they send you with the medical and behavioral history only AFTER you sign the adoption contract and pay the fee, and I found not only the history of house soiling for one cat, but a shy/fearful waiver for both cats as well.

I felt very deceived by the two adoption counselors I worked with during the initial consult and the next day when I came back to adopt them. They both stated that "they didn't have much history on these guys." The behavioral report for the cat that house soils has quite a bit of detail about the behavior, and this is why the previous owner returned these cats to the shelter after only a week of owning them. While I didn't initially notice any anxious behaviors from the house soiling cat, I have realized that living in an apartment with constant noises from other residents probably wasn't the best home for him in the first place. I am now working to get him on anti-anxiety medication to address the house soiling and anxiety.

Overall, I think Seattle Humane has done a huge disservice to these two cats not disclosing this information. I contemplated returning them to the shelter after nearly a month of cleaning up cat pee multiple times a day from every soft surface you can imagine (couch, bed, rugs, laundry, anything), but it's not their fault the shelter did them so wrong. I understand that it's difficult to adopt out animals with behavioral issues, but it's better to disclose this information upfront instead of having to address it when the animal potentially returns to the...