Alternative Humane Society

~~THIS DOG IS **NOT** IN THE CARE OF THE ALTERNATIVE HUMANE SOCIETY. THIS IS A COURTESY POST. PLEASE REACH OUT TO THE OWNER DIRECTLY AT [email protected] FOR SHIO~~

Shio ("Salt" in Japanese), is a 4 year old super mutt (likely German Pointer). He weighs about 40 pounds and is up-to-date on his shots.

The good: Shio is an outstanding citizen in the house. He never goes potty inside, is crate trained, doesn't get into food/trash, and is respectful of furniture. He is obsessed with love and attention. Knows commands like sit, down, stay, leave it, spin, and jump. This guy loves exploring the outdoors, from the beach to the mountains.

Shio is great with our dog-savvy cat, but would likely need a slow introduction with a new cat. Shio does well with our dog, but he is dog reactive. Possibly with a very slow introduction, he could live with another dog. He can be very rambunctious, so a highly tolerant dog would be needed.

While Shio has been good with our 2 year old child, I would not recommend him with younger children as he can be nervous with their unpredictability.

His needs: He requires an experienced dog owner. With regular exposure and training, his dog-reactivity improves greatly. He can also be fearful of strangers and has shown protective behaviors (only at our home as he has made himself the "guard dog"), so he needs a home that has the ability to work on this with him. A fully fenced yard is also needed.

He takes daily medication for anxiety and eats food designed for sensitive stomachs (Hills).

We are wanting to make the transition for Shio finding a new home as gentle as possible for him. We are willing to do multiple meet-and-greets, home visits, and slow transitions.

This lovely lady is Patchouli! She is a beautiful, five year old tuxedo with the silkiest fur and mightiest whiskers. You’ll often find her dreaming in a ray of sunshine or chirping at the birds from the window sill, and she loves snuggles and belly rubs. Patchouli is highly affectionate and often shows this by “grooming” you - AKA licking your arms, legs, head, and/or face if you let her! She also loves to climb around to the highest points in her environment to survey her kingdom. Bonus points if those high climbing spots are window-adjacent! Though she has lots of love to give and has a very friendly disposition towards everyone she meets, Patchouli is prone to overstimulation and will thrive in a lower traffic home without other animals or young children. Additionally, Patchouli has a urinary condition that is well managed with fluoxetine, so her adopter should be prepared to continue that prescription.

All of our cats come spayed or neutered, microchipped, and with age-appropriate vaccinations. Adult cats have an adoption fee of $150. If you would like to apply to be a forever home for this cat, please fill out a statement of interest at www.alternativehumanesociety.com. Unless otherwise indicated, all our cats and kittens are best suited for indoor-only life.

Today we share the success story of Josie:

Josie is a beautiful 7yr old Golden Retriever we rescued from a local backyard breeder. Not only was she used for profit her entire life by being bred over and over again, she was left to live only outside with not even a pad to lay on. Her breed is meant to be an indoor family dog and when we first saw her it made us cry for how neglected she was. All of her fur was completely matted to her skin and she stunk horribly. She lived with another female golden who was also being bred and both dogs got fosters with AHS. For several days Josie stood by the door because she was so nervous inside and she didn't know what to do. It took several more days to get her to touch a dog bed. Because of how she grew up she didn't trust other dogs and guarded her food and was afraid to leave it. Even though she was totally neglected she has the biggest heart and love for human companions. She loved her foster mom and was taken out to many parks and dog friendly businesses where she received so much love and attention. She was groomed everyday to get the mats out and many many baths to get her to her beautiful fluffy self. Get her into water and you had to trick her to get out! A typical golden retriever she loved the water and could swim for hours which felt good on her arthritic joints. Rescued seniors are particularly special because you can always see that gratitude and joy in their eyes and they love to soak up all the love they can and dish it right back out to you. She found the most wonderful family to adopt her where she gets to live out her days on Whidbey Island and keep swimming. Her foster mom is so happy she became friends with Josie's new family and gets to pet sit Josie still. Josie even opened up and played with some other foster puppies! Stories like Josie's are what keeps us going and keeps us motivated to continue rescuing as many dogs as we can. What started out as a very sad life turned into a beautiful life with a family that will give her all the love and snuggles she deserves.

These stories happen because of all the great work and support of our volunteers and our community.

AHS is in need of supplies for dogs in our foster program!! If you would like to donate any of these items, we have three locations for drop-offs: Garden Spot Nursery, Petco (Bakerview), and Petco (Mt. Vernon). Please visit our website if you would like to fulfill donations digitally (see second image for more info). Your support is greatly appreciated, and your donations help save the lives of pups like Hansel and Treble! 💞🐕

URGENT Foster or foster to adopt needed for Sai by next week!
Sai is in danger of going into the shelter, which is not a good environment for him.
He is currently in training and doing well.
Please read his bio below and if you can help this sweet boy, please go to our website and fill out a foster form or you can apply to adopt him.

🐾 Meet Sai! 🐾

Sai is looking for a foster home or, even better, his forever family! This handsome boy is about 3 years old, weighs approximately 65 pounds, and is neutered, microchipped, and up to date on all vaccines.

Sai is a big, goofy, affectionate dog who absolutely adores his people. He loves being close to his family, soaking up attention, and showing off his playful personality. Beneath that silly exterior is a loyal companion who forms strong bonds with the people he trusts.

To help Sai thrive, we're looking for a home that can meet his specific needs:

🐾 Sai would do best as an only pet, or potentially with a similar-sized dog after a slow, thoughtful introduction. He has a high prey drive and is not a good fit for homes with small animals.

🐾 A secure, fully fenced yard is important, as he can be reactive along fences and needs a safe space to exercise and decompress.

🐾 He can become overwhelmed in loud or chaotic environments and will do best in a calm, structured home.

🐾 Due to his strong herding instincts, he may try to herd running children by nipping at their heels. A home with older, dog-savvy children would be the best fit.

🐾 Sai will need an adopter who is committed to providing structure, exercise, ongoing training, and an understanding of his behavioral needs.

Despite these challenges, Sai is incredibly loving, loyal, and full of personality. With the right person or family, he has so much companionship, joy, and unconditional love to offer.

If you think you might be the right match for Sai, please fill out a Statement of Interest on our website. We'd love to help him find the forever home he deserves. ❤️🐾

🐾 Meet the trio: Ajax (AJ), Tide & Winny! 🐾

These three 3-month-old brothers are busy little boys with big personalities, and they are ready to find their forever families!

💙 AJAX (AJ) — aka “Thunder Purr”
AJ is a stunning marble tabby with big paws, impeccable litter box manners, and the sweetest personality. Make eye contact and this boy starts PURRING. His purr is so loud that you can hear it across the room, and his whole body practically vibrates with happiness! AJ loves sleeping on the bed, sitting in the window, and being involved in whatever is happening around him.

🤍 TIDE
Tide is a handsome classic black-and-white tuxedo with a friendly face and a lovely long tail. He is a poised little gentleman with the funniest meow — he sounds like he’s been around for 100 years! 😹 Tide loves everything: eating, playing, chewing, running, and generally being part of the action.

🩶 WINNY (Windex)
Winny is a gorgeous marble tabby with big, soft paws, a silky coat, and a sweet purr. He is a gentle boy who uses his litter box like a gentleman and loves playing with his foster siblings — chasing, wrestling, chewing on ears, and eventually piling into a kitten heap for a nap. He and AJ look so much alike that it can be hard to tell them apart!

All three boys are being fostered in a very busy, social home with their litter mates, other foster kittens, resident cats, a 6-year-old Corgi, frequent family visitors, and even an enthusiastic Goldendoodle. They are getting lots of exposure to the sights, sounds, animals, and activity of everyday family life.

All of our cats come spayed or neutered, microchipped, and with their initial age-appropriate vaccinations. Kittens have an adoption fee of $200 each or $300 for a bonded pair. Kittens must be adopted in pairs unless there is another young, energetic cat in the home. If you would like to apply to be a forever home for this cat, please fill out a statement of interest at www.alternativehumanesociety.com. Unless otherwise indicated, all our cats and kittens are best suited for indoor-only life.

Meet Snickers and Skittles, two sleek, glossy black 3-month-old brothers looking for their forever homes! They are both currently at Petco.

🐾 Snickers is the biggest of his litter, with a long, kink-free tail and a curious face. He LOVES to leap and fling himself around trying to catch the fishing-cat toy. He’s purry, friendly, and eager for attention—make eye contact and he’ll happily come over to be petted. Snickers thrives in the action and would be a fun, interactive addition to a home.

🐾 Skittles is also sleek and glossy, with a beautiful long tail. He’s a little more reserved than his brother. While he gets along with the other cats and household creatures, he isn’t bonded to any of his litter mates and could do well as an only kitten. Skittles prefers to hang out in a room or under the bed, though he’ll come out to investigate what’s happening. He’s happy to observe the chaos rather than jump right into it.

Both kittens are being fostered in a very busy household with two litter mates, three other foster kittens, two recently adopted kittens, a grumpy Grampa cat who silently judges everyone, and a Corgi who couldn’t care less about the feline circus. There are also four kids ages 10–19, so these boys get plenty of handling, playtime, and socialization every day.

Snickers and Skittles are not bonded, so they can be adopted separately. Whether you’re looking for a playful, people-loving adventurer or a quieter, independent little guy, one of these handsome black kittens might be your perfect match! 🖤

All of our cats come spayed or neutered, microchipped, and with their initial age-appropriate vaccinations. Kittens have an adoption fee of $200 each or $300 for a bonded pair. Kittens must be adopted in pairs unless there is another young, energetic cat in the home. If you would like to apply to be a forever home for this cat, please fill out a statement of interest at www.alternativehumanesociety.com. Unless otherwise indicated, all our cats and kittens are best suited for indoor-only life.

Join us this TODAY, for our monthly adoption event at Paws for a B**r! Mark your calendars for a fun afternoon featuring some of AHS's adoptable dogs, local b**r, and the opportunity to meet with some of our dedicated volunteers! We can't wait to see you there! September 26th, 2-4 pm 🐕🍻

Did you lose your shadow? Or perhaps you just need a spare? Well, we have just the right solution for you! Meet Lucia, who goes by Lou.

Lou is a 6 year old, 60lb lab mix. She may also have some golden retriever or shepherd in her, but those are just guesses. It does not matter what ingredients combined to make her; the result is the sweetest, happiest, goofiest, friendliest pal you could ever hope to meet. Every moment with Lou is a celebration: she is happy to see that you are awake, stoked to go for a walk, excited to watch movies and cuddle, and ready to supervise your cooking projects and make sure no scrap stays on the floor for long.

Lou is currently in a foster home with two other dogs, cats, kids, and chickens. She gets along well with everyone, though she is still learning not to chase the cats, and she may be a little too interested in the chickens. Her foster feels that with more exposure she would be perfectly fine in a home with cats or livestock, especially considering she is super smart and wants to please her people.

Lou loves to play tug and fetch, and almost always has a toy (or a stolen sock) in her mouth. She is super happy playing with her people or other dogs, but can also entertain herself with a toy or two. She is crate trained, spayed, house trained, and up to date on appropriate vaccines. Lou is trustworthy at home alone, but would of course love to be your new sidekick, work buddy, worksite supervisor, or greeter at your business so that she can be with you all the time.

Lou is truly a “plug and play” dog, ready to meet her new forever family and get down to the business of loving them. She needs another dog in her new home, as she has never been on her own before. She’d be happy to join an existing pack, but she’d also love to be reunited with her brother and previous roommate, Zazie, who is also in foster with AHS.

If you’d like to learn more about Lou, please fill out a Statement of Interest on our website.

Mark your calendars and spread the word! 📅 The next Free Veterinary Wellness Clinic is coming soon to Bellingham, and we couldn't be more excited! 🐾 This amazing community event is made possible through our partnerships with other organizations, and we're thrilled to be working together to bring this valuable resource to our community. We love partnering up with other organizations to help with this community event, and we're grateful for their support.