Whidbey Animals' Improvement Foundation (WAIF)

09/01/2026

Through September 30th, we are celebrating Shelter Queen Molly's 21st birthday with $21 adoption fees for cats and dogs!

Celebrating this milestone matters, and this adoption special will help more animals in need. Part of a lifesaving (AKA No-Kill) community is adoption. Adoption saves not only one life, but makes room for another to be saved. That makes a difference! waifanimals.org/adopt

WAIF has also hit a sobering milestone of its own. We have reached a staggering 194 pets in our care. We're 69% overcapacity with cats alone. If you go to our website, you won't see all the animals in our care posted. Why? Many of them are waiting to be spayed or neutered, in a stray period, or under medical observation until they recover. While the animals in our care are increasing at a record pace, our resources are being depleted quickly.

If you are not able to adopt, please consider making a donation at waifanimals.org/donate Maybe $21 in honor of Molly's birthday! 😻💖

08/28/2026

We think Brummel wants to be your new best friend! This 10-week-old blue heeler mix is now available for meet-and-greets only. He's currently 9 pounds, but he still has lots of growing to do! He's got lots of sassy puppy energy, but he's very smart and has already learned how to sit.

Dogs of this breed are known as "heelers" because they nip at the heels of livestock to move them. This instinct can translate to gently herding children or other pets if not redirected, so we’re looking for an experienced adopter committed to providing Brummel with lots of training and structure. As working dogs, heelers also tend to get bored easily without having a task, so he’ll need lots of daily exercise and enrichment. Fiercely devoted to their owners, heelers like Brummel make wonderful companions.

To meet Brummel, our Coupeville shelter is open Wed-Sun from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, you can also call our front desk at (360) 678-8901.

08/20/2026

Our third annual Poorly Drawn Pets was our most successful one yet. We might need to rename this fundraiser, because we think these drawings are paw-sitively perfect! Visit waifanimals.org/poorly-drawn-pets-2026 to see the rest of this year's Poorly Drawn Pets portraits 🎨🖌

08/16/2026

Paws for thought. Pun intended. 😆

Researchers surveyed 87 cat owners in Australia and New Zealand who had converted free-roaming cats into full-time indoor pets. More than 40 percent said their cats adjusted within just a few days. Another quarter said it took only a few weeks. Only a small minority reported their cats never fully adapted.

Shockingly, when faced with the prospect of air conditioning and lounging on couches all day versus potentially getting hit by a car and getting into fights with other cats, the cats chose luxurious indoor living because they aren’t stupid.

08/15/2026

After 857 days at WAIF, Zuma left the shelter yesterday (8/13) to be welcomed into open arms and capable hands. About two years ago, you might recall that Zuma was among a group of neglected and emaciated dogs found abandoned without food or water for at least three weeks.

whidbeynewstimes.com/2024/04/12/abandoned-dogs-saved-by-deputies

Through animal control, the dogs came to WAIF to recover and recuperate from these horrible conditions. Given the circumstances of their rescue, we were also understandably concerned about behavior issues. At a cost of several thousand dollars (thank you, donors!), we brought in a dog behavioral consultant to develop individualized behavior training programs for staff to implement daily and improve their chances for positive outcomes.

Zuma is the last of the group to pack his bags and leave our shelter environment. Along with our ongoing efforts to place him in foster care or adoption, we were very fortunate to find a partner in The Pittie Project PNW, which will support his journey through one-on-one attention, training, and patience. Without this partnership and their compassion, Zuma would have spent many more days and months in our shelter environment. Without the support of volunteers, donors, and, of course, The Pittie Project, this next step for Zuma would not have been possible.

To celebrate Zuma's milestone and to honor WAIF's lifesaving mission, please consider "paying it forward" by donating $8.57 to commemorate the number of days Zuma spent in our care! waifanimals.org/donate/zuma

08/14/2026

WAIF hosts an online adoption platform called "Home to Home" that lets pet owners rehome their pets directly with new families. It's free to use for both pet owners and potential adopters.

When circumstances change for pet owners, Home to Home is another great adoption resource for those who want to meet potential adopters directly and conduct their own placements.

Just listed is Coho, an Anatolian Shepherd, who is loving and patient but is itching for more room to play. You can visit WAIF's "Home to Home" page here (waifanimals.org/htoh) to view her profile and connect with her family for more details. You'll see a few other pets looking for homes, too.

08/13/2026

Did you know cats produce half of the energy we need to run the shelter 🤣

Joey and Bubo were hard at work today running on their wheel! 🐈‍⬛

These cats are available for adoption at our Freeland Cat Cottage. To learn more about them head over to our website at waifanimals.org/adopt-a-pet/adoptable-cats/ ☀️⭐️

PS: All adoption fees are 50% off through August 30th!

08/13/2026

WAIF is very excited to host DocuPet, a new online licensing platform for pet owners located in Island County (including Camano!) and the City of Oak Harbor. This has been in the works for quite some time, and we're grateful that the City of Oak Harbor and Island County* were patient as we prepared for this launch in order to get both jurisdictions on board at the same time! waifanimals.org/license is where you can get started.

Some immediate differences you may notice include updated pet license expiration dates of one year based on the date of purchase (not the end of the calendar year of the purchase date). For example, previously, if you purchased a tag on August 11, 2026, your tag would expire December 31, 2026. With this new program, the tag expiration date would now be August 11, 2027.

Whatcom Humane Society, Everett Animal Shelter, City of Kirkland, City of Bothell, and now WAIF are just a few of the animal organizations in the state to join DocuPet's nationwide network designed to empower pet owners, shelters, and communities with registration and reunification tools that get lost pets home—fast.

At an additional cost, you can also choose from hundreds of creative tags and/or enroll in upgrades, but those features are totally optional!

*At this time, DocuPet does not provide pet license services for the cities of Coupeville and Langley.

08/13/2026

We don't know if it's humanly possible to resist the cuteness of puppies and kittens, but if you're on the fence, maybe WAIF's DOGust adoption special of 50% off all adoption fees (for dogs and cats) will convince you otherwise!

For instance, these cuties are located at our shelter in Coupeville and come from an "oopsie" litter. Are you ready to create some puppy memories with Bingo, Farkle, Uno, and Jenga? This may be your chance! To learn more about them and others waiting for loving homes, visit waifanimals.org/dog/bingo-farkle-uno-and-jenga

WAIF's animal viewing and adoption hours are Wed-Sun, 12pm-4pm, and our adoption special runs through August 30th.