FAQ
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Contents
Operations
We are open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm. We are closed to the public on the first Thursday of every month for staff projects. Please do not disturb staff and volunteers outside of public hours. While we may be on site during non-public hours, we are busy with essential animal care tasks.
Yes. We have been a no-kill shelter since January of 2013. Does that mean animals never die in the shelter? Well no. We wish it did, but that is not realistic. What it does mean is that animals may die of natural causes, or be humanely euthanized if they are irreversibly suffering. There are no time limits for animals in our care. They remain at the shelter or in a foster home until a suitable home can be found. This can take time and often limits the ability for us to bring additional animals into the shelter until space can be made available.
When discussing No Kill the numbers matter. Every life is a number and every life counts. There are two common ways to determine if a shelter or rescue is No Kill.
They must have a Save Rate of more than 90% of their animals to be considered No Kill. A Save Rate is determined by the ratio of animals with “Live Outcomes” and divides it by the number of “Total Outcomes.” Our save rate was an amazing 98% in 2022.
The ratio of animals that die yearly to the human population in a community can also determine if they are No-Kill, This can be done by taking the number of pets “Without Live Outcomes” during one year and dividing it by the number of 1,000 people in the community. This number should be no more than 2 animals per 1000 people yearly.
Animals “Without Live Outcomes” include both those that die of natural causes and those that are euthanized.
Not currently. We are a very small staff of 5 and job vacancies do not arise often. We will post job openings on our website, our Facebook page, and Indeed. It is not uncommon for us to hire from our pool of volunteers so volunteering is a great way to potentially get your foot in the door.
We do not have a veterinarian on staff and cannot provide direct spay/neuter services to the public. We used to have a Voucher program that was discontinued April 2022 due to the lack of available veterinary support to continue the program. A nationwide shortage is the primary reason this program is no longer available. We simply don’t have enough veterinarians in the area to support the program as they are all overwhelmed by high demand for their services.
Not currently, but we are working with another organization to be able to provide limited support. Details to follow late spring/summer 2023. Meanwhile, we recommend consulting this list of resources (a print version is also available at the shelter): Financial Assistance for Veterinary Costs.
Unfortunately, we are not able to offer this service as we do not have the capacity to care for community-owned animals. We also have very limited foster resources and rely on them regularly to shelter our own animals. We recommend utilizing boarding facilities, reaching out to your personal and social networks of support, and posting on 911fosterpets.
Adoption
Our adoption fees support necessary vet care provided when the animal enters the shelter, certain vaccinations, deworming, flea treatment, microchip and for the pet to be spayed/neutered. Our adoption fees don’t come close to covering the real costs we incur, but they do help.
Yes, you may have any vet you like perform services at your own expense. Just send us copies of the vet records so that we may ensure that all contractual care is complete. Keep in mind that your adoption fee covers contractual vet care, but it must be performed at the vet listed on your contract for it to be covered by PAWS of Grays Harbor. As will be discussed during the adoption process, we will reimburse for up to $100 toward the cost of spay/neuter and/or rabies vaccination with proof of payment /billing.
Cats
Kitten/Young Adult (0 – 1 year) – $175
Adult (1 – 10 years) – $125
Senior (10+ years) – $75
Barn Cats – 1 for $50 OR 2 for $75
Specialty Breeds – Varies
Dogs
Puppy/Young Adult (0 – 1 year) – $350
Adult (1 – 8 years) – $275
Senior (8+ years) – $150
Freedom Tails – $450
Small Breed Puppy/Young Adult – $450
Small Breed Adult (up to 30 lbs) – $400
Specialty Breeds – Varies
Discounts – We offer a 20% discount on adoptions of multiple pets. We also provide a 20% discount to seniors 55 and over as well as veterans. ID or documentation must be presented and verified for the discount to apply.
Our contract specifies that if you are no longer able to care for a pet adopted from us, it must be returned to PAWS of Grays Harbor. Exceptions may be granted with permission first. If you would like to try to rehome the pet yourself, please contact us to let us know you are doing so. Please call ahead to ensure we have kennel space available as we may not be able to take in the pet immediately. We may also be willing to courtesy post the pet for you on our Facebook page and help screen applicant. A release fee will apply to returns after 6 months.
Our adoption contract states that once an animal is adopted by you, you are responsible for its care. We sometimes write additional care into the contract at the expense of PAWS of Grays Harbor but it must be done at the time of adoption. If you are unable to care for the adopted animal, you may return it without refund per the contract terms for it to receive the proper care it needs.
Rabies vaccinations must be given by a vet. They are usually given at the time of spay or neuter or by appointment by the vet specified on your adoption contract. No care outside of that specified on the contract will be performed at the expense of the shelter. If you choose to have vaccinations performed by anyone other than the designated veterinarians, it will be at your own expense.
Adopted animals are contractually due to be fixed at 6 months of age. Contact the vet specified on your adoption contact and schedule an appointment. Please bring a copy of your contract to the appointment so they know who to bill. No care outside of that specified on the contract will be performed at the shelter’s expense. If you choose to have your pet fixed by anyone other than the designated vet, it will be at your own expense. We do reimburse for up to $100 for spay/neuter and rabies.
Many times, they can go home on the same day as your meet. However, pets are not always able to go home the same day. Some pets in our care are receiving necessary vet care or training before they are able to leave. This will be discussed during the adoption process.
Yes, we have a two-week trial period where you can receive your money back should the pet not work out in your home. This allows us to learn more about our pets and helps potential adopters find exactly what they are looking for before making a long-term commitment to an animal. Alternately, you may be eligible to foster a potential pet first. Please note that our dog adoption process is thorough in order to prevent returns. We may not have an available kennel space should you need to return the dog within that 2-week period. We may ask you to hold onto the dog until space becomes available. Please contact us prior to returning the pet.
Releasing An Animal
We accept owner-released pets during open hours BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. We do request a small release fee for each animal to help with needed vet care when an animal enters the shelter but it is never required if it causes financial hardship. The current fees are listed on our Release page. Because we are a no-kill shelter, we can only bring in animals as quickly as adopt them out. As a result, we ALWAYS have a waitlist for both dogs and cats. You can add yourself to the waitlist by filling out the appropriate form on our Releasing An Animal page. We are unable to accept any pet that may pose a health or safety risk to people or animals.
If you have found a stray animal, please contact your local animal control. Strays must go through animal control before coming to our shelter for legal reasons. It would also be wise to check with your neighbors first – with cats, it can be particularly difficult to distinguish between an owned pet and a community animal as many people still do not put collars and tags on their cats.
Volunteering
Please fill out our Volunteer Inquiry HERE. We will review, contact you with any questions, and then schedule you to come in and get set up to become a volunteer.
You must be 18 years of age to volunteer without a parent or guardian on site.
Other Services
Yes, we recommend making appointments for nail trims. You can self-schedule online. We do not provide any other grooming services at this time.
No, we do not have available staff to offer this service.
Yes. You are able to bathe your own pets in our bathing facility. Towels and shampoo are provided. If you have a shampoo you prefer, please feel free to bring it with you. We ask for a $15 donation for this service and ask owners to please keep the bathing area clean for the next person. This is done on a first come first serve basis. Owners must also remember that shelter pet adoption will take first priority.
Yes. We do nail trims as long as the pet does not display a safety concern to staff or volunteers. We ask a $15 donation for this service. An appointment is highly recommended to ensure available staff for this service.
We do not treat your pet but we do sell flea treatments to be administered by owners. You will need an idea of how much your pet weighs in order to receive the correct dosage. All treatments are given at the owner’s risk. PAWS of Grays Harbor is not responsible for any adverse drug reactions caused by treatment.
No. We are not legally able to offer this service without a veterinarian.
Donating
We accept material donations of gently used pet items, pet food, and shelter cleaning supplies. We are available to accept these donations during open hours. If you would like to receive a receipt for items donated, please request one at the time of drop off.
Monetary donations can be made directly at the desk during open hours, by mail at
PAWS of Grays Harbor
PO Box 451
Aberdeen, WA 98520
or through our giving website.
