Coalition: HUMAnE to Expand, Spay/Neuter Humane Society Pets

Beginning January 31st, pets adopted from the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County will be spayed or neutered at the non-profit Coalition: HUMAnE Spay & Neuter Clinic. Since 2005, adopted dogs and cats have been altered at the Humane Society’s own surgical facility. However, with Coalition: HUMAnE (Humans United to Minimize Animal Euthanasia) planning a major expansion in 2011, and the Humane Society looking to enhance its cat adoption program, the decision to transfer surgeries to another Tacoma-based clinic made sense.

Lorrie Kalmbach-Ehlers, Executive Director for Coalition: HUMAnE, says, “We are very excited to be partnering with the Humane Society on this endeavor. Working together toward eliminating homeless dog and cat overpopulation in a way that maximizes benefit to the community is something that local residents and their pets need and deserve.”

The Humane Society and Coalition: HUMAnE share the goal of eliminating needless euthanasia and creating a community where every pet has a loving, permanent home. Following a model of high-quality, low-cost surgical excellence set by North Carolina-based Humane Alliance, Coalition: HUMAnE will perform its 15,000th surgery this Wednesday, January 19th. The 15,000th patient and their owner will receive free surgery and a gift basket. This is a remarkable achievement considering the clinic opened less than three years ago. In that time, they have built a superb reputation for providing professional and compassionate care, and are becoming the top affordable spay and neuter clinic in the entire Puget Sound region for both individual pet owners and rescue organizations.

The transfer will enable the Humane Society to focus their resources on medical care for adoptable and sick or injured animals, which will speed the process from admission to release, allowing more animals to be helped on an ongoing basis. They will also be able to utilize their surgical facility for other types of surgeries, and retain the ability to spay and neuter shelter pets if occasionally needed. “Our strategic plan calls for us to find homes for all adoptable pets, better utilize our facility and resources, and prioritize customer service,” explains Humane Society Executive Director Kathleen Olson. “Having the surgeries done at Coalition: HUMAnE will be more cost effective, and enable us to expand our cat adoption program.”