West Seattle, Washington
22 Sunday
Two months ago, we published a call from Jennifer for no-longer-needed newspaper, to help Smidget Dog Rescue handle a plethora of puppies. This week, on behalf of the now-adoptable dogs in her collage (and others), she sent this message of thanks:
A HUGE thank you to readers! Over the last weeks I’ve picked up and delivered an entire shed full of newspapers for the puppies (40+ of them now) to Smidget Rescue! We are so grateful. The oldest ones are ready for applications!
Email for applications: Smidgetrescue@hotmail.com
Thank you for the boost [on the newspaper needs]. It’s a rough time for rescues and this was a big help.
Urban Animal (WSB sponsor) – with clinics including 17th/Roxbury in White Center – is making history, announcing that it’s becoming “the nation’s first worker cooperative veterinary practice.” Urban Animal has three clinics and 110 employees, who will as a result “share in the governance and profits of the 11-year-old company” as it makes the transition to a “limited cooperative association.” The announcement says our state has more than 30 of those types of co-ops, but nowhere else in the state or country is there one that’s a veterinary practice. . In transitioning to a limited cooperative association (LCA), Urban Animal joins approximately three dozen worker cooperative-based businesses in Washington, yet the first veterinary practice of this kind. Founder Cherri Trusheim plans to “gift a portion of the company to seed it, with a goal over time to become a 100 percent employee-owned worker co-op.” Urban Animal explains that this is another way its business practices run counter to the “unprecedented corporatization” of veterinary care: “This often detracts from employee culture. Corporatization also diminishes the standard of care by upselling and tying veterinary professionals’ compensation to the amount of products and services they sell. Urban Animal is different and does not pay any employee based on production.” Trusheim hopes to set an example for counterparts as wel as attracting employees “who desire a workplace governed by those who provide veterinary care and not a group of nameless shareholders.” Their industry, like so many others, is dealing with a staffing shortage, but this is one way Urban Animal hopes to rise above the competition for workers. They’re working with an organization called The Cooperative Way to make the shift. Trusheim will remain Urban Animal’s CEO and all three clinics will remain open.
Happened onto an event that wasn’t on today’s list but it’s still on until 3 pm – barbecue and “pup market” at West Seattle Thriftway (4201 SW Morgan; WSB sponsor) benefiting Seattle Humane.
They’re selling lunch for $7, plus a variety of dog-related merch, and: “For every $20 donation, receive a complimentary Dog is Good tee shirt.” It’s part of the store’s “Dog Days of Summer” events.
If you read one or more hard-copy newspapers, and have some old ones stacked up awaiting recycling (or kindling, or …), those puppies need it! Jennifer emailed us with that photo and this request:
I work with Smidget Dog Rescue and we have 16 puppies right now! We are desperate for newspaper and as many people don’t get the paper anymore it’s been hard to find. I will collect people’s collections. The pups in the pic were born in rescue just last Saturday! We use newspaper, not puppy pads, because the puppies just tear the pads up. Any help spreading the word appreciated! People with paper stashes can text Jennifer at 206-261-3342 and I’ll come pick it up!!!
Earlier this week, we heard about a canary sighting, but the bird flew away. Now we’ve found out from wildlife biologist Kersti Muul, who shared the photos, that there were two, both now captured.
Kersti explains: “One was found at Fauntleroy, the other near Jefferson square. Same day, so likely escaped or released pair. Wings aren’t clipped and no bands. One is on Vashon at Haven, the other is still housed in West Seattle awaiting transportation to Vashon to reunite (assuming it’s a pair).”
P.S. We usually include lost/found birds on the WSB Lost/Found Pets page (listings can be emailed to westseattleblog@gmail.com), surfacing unusual situations like this one to the news stream too.
As first reported here one month ago, Seattle Parks is proposing two site options for a new dog park (aka Off-Leash Area) in West Seattle: Upper Lincoln Park or just south of West Seattle Stadium.
Your next chance to tell Parks which you prefer has just been announced – a pop-up 10 am-2 pm Sunday, July 23rd, at Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska). They’re also continuing the online survey through the end of this month – find the link, and more information about the city’s proposals, by going here.
That’s Helena, a 12-year-old Madison Middle School student, and we just found out from her dad Patrick that she’s collecting pet food until 6:30 pm today at 50th/Stevens. Her dad says she’ll be accepting donations tomorrow too (we’re checking on the hours). The pet food she collects will go to Seattle Humane.
11:18 AM: Seattle Parks has unveiled its whittled-down list of potential sites for new dog parks around the city. They have funding to design and build two – and to design a third; funding stipulates that one of the two has to be in West Seattle, which has only one off-leash area, at Westcrest Park in the southeast corner of the peninsula. The citywide list was presented last night to the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners. We watched the meeting, which was held at Parks HQ downtown and streamed online. This item started at about 1:20 into the meeting:
The Parks project team explained that the nine “preferred” sites citywide were from the original list of 30. One of the criteria to make the final cut: They needed to be sites already owned by the city. Here are the two in West Seattle:
Upper Lincoln Park – This site is a grassy area south of the sports field. Parks staff noted that the grass is worn in the area and that suggests to them that the area is already being used as an unofficial dog park. Here’s what was shown at the meeting:
West Seattle Stadium – This site is actually south of the stadium, west of the golf course, and downhill/east of Rotary Viewpoint Park. Parks staff noted that one big challenge would be parking, as the stadium/golf course lot fills up during event times. Here’s what was shown at the meeting:
(More than a decade ago, at least part of that site was proposed for a driving range, ultimately scrapped.)
As noted on the Parks website, the department also studied proposed sites at Me-Kwa-Mooks, Hamilton Viewpoint, and Delridge Community Center (we first reported the study sites in March; most had been suggested by community members). The briefing was relatively short, as they went quickly through the full list of nine sites. Next step is an online survey that’s supposed to start today – we’ll add the link here when available.
11:51 AM: Here’s the survey link.
Speaking of clean water … if you share your life with a dog, there’s easy action you can take. A local student is teaming up with West Seattle-based Poogooder for a new initiative that includes a community event today. Just out of the WSB inbox:
Watershed Woof! is a local community engagement initiative to help raise awareness of stormwater pollution and simple ways we can all help keep our waters cleaner and healthier, such as reducing the amount of wayward dog poo left on the ground. It’s a collaboration between Lori Kothe from Poogooder and Mac Callahan, a West Seattle resident and Maritime High School student who is focusing his freshman end-of-year project on preventing dog-poo pollution in our Duwamish River Watershed. Includes an informative web page with videos by Mac and others (
Just a reminder before nightfall that if you lose or find a pet amid tonight’s likely fireworks noise (or any other time), WSB has had a 
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