West Seattle, Washington
24 Saturday
We occasionally receive “deceased pet found” reports and publish them on the WSB West Seattle Lost/Found Pets page, which we’ve done with this, but the circumstances are unusual so we’re including it here on the main page too. Sent by Ashley:
This afternoon just before 2 pm I came across a dog that had been hit by a car at the top of Olson Place where it turns into Roxbury. I took it in a towel to Urban Animal (in White Center) and while it was still soft and warm, it was definitely deceased. Its face was significantly harmed so we did not take photos.
Here are the best details we have on the sweet dog:
Female
Not Spayed
No chip or collar
Approximately 20 lbs
Grey and soft / curly coat
Possible Poodle / terrier mixUrban Animal will keep the body for one week.
Super sad, but happy to know she is not getting further run over by cars.
If this dog might be yours, the number for Urban Animal (9610 17th SW; WSB sponsor) is 206-257-1524.
Two weeks after our previous update on West Seattle’s wandering guinea fowl, we’ve received two new photos today – and since they’re still meandering into streets, we’re warning you again to be mindful. Above, a texter saw them early this morning northeast of The Junction, reporting, “The two famous fowls slowed down my morning commute”; below, Spenser saw them later near West Seattle Bowl, a favorite spot of theirs:
If you’ve missed previous reports, they’re not lost, they are reported to have a home from which they roam. We first mentioned them last September (when they numbered at least four).
Ten months after we first mentioned West Seattle’s roaming guinea fowl – when there were at least four of them – this pair is still drawing attention. The photo is from Robert Livingston at HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) in The Junction, which got a visit from the guinea fowl about a week and a half ago. We’re writing about them again today because we’re still getting relatively frequent reports, often from people who think they’re turkeys – such as the reader who emailed us after seeing them near 39th/Oregon about an hour ago. They’re still most often seen on the east/northeast side of The Junction. As we’ve noted before, they do apparently have a home. Fun fact from this infopage: They can be “an effective means of pest control.”
That photo is from Jordan, who’s organizing a community cleanup at West Seattle’s only official dog park – Westcrest Park Off-Leash Area [map] – this Saturday (June 29). We’re mentioning it here in case you haven’t seen it in our Event Calendar or seen the sign-up sheets at the park. Jordan says advance sign-up is NOT necessary – just show up on Saturday, between 10 am and 2 pm: “We’re looking for volunteers to help clean up the park via trimming bushes, filling holes, moving rocks, cleaning the bulletin board, and picking up trash/poop. We ask that people bring some shovels, racks, clippers, and buckets if they have them but some are available to use at the park. Otherwise, donuts/ muffins/ baked goods and coffee will be available to snack on, and whoever would like to show up is more than welcome to!”
(Reader photo sent Monday by Lara)
Every day we’re continuing to get reports about the pair of birds we’ve dubbed the wandering guinea fowl of West Seattle, including people who haven’t seen our previous stories and/or who mistake them for turkeys. So we’ve been meaning to mention them again, and today’s the day, because we received a call from someone who saw them near the bridge entrance at 35th/Fauntleroy and was worried the birds were in danger of wandering into traffic. That, they’ve done, in other parts of The Triangle and The Junction, so the concern is not necessarily unmerited. In short, we first mentioned them last year; they have a home northeast of The Junction but they are allowed to roam, and seem to do so avidly. Because of that, the Seattle Animal Shelter told us last month, they’ve attempted to capture the guinea fowl, but haven’t had any luck with that. So what would happen if they did capture these birds? SAS spokesperson Melissa Mixon told us, “If they were in our custody, they would go on a stray hold. If no one reclaimed them, they could be placed for adoption.”
(Texted photo, birds in Trader Joe’s parking lot this week)
Since our most-recent mention of West Seattle’s wandering guinea fowl, we’ve received photos and messages every day about sightings. We have not heard from their owner. While the birds – which resemble, but are not, turkeys – seemed to be staying in a residential neighborhood northeast of The Junction when we first heard about them 6+ months ago, most recently they’ve been seen in and near the Junction business district and arterials, with multiple reports of drivers dodging them. Seems unsafe, so today we asked the Seattle Animal Shelter if the situation was on their radar. Here’s the reply we received, via spokesperson Melissa Mixon:
The shelter has received reports of these two guinea fowl and has tried to capture them — even going so far as to buy special feed and grain that we provided to a willing resident who was working with us to try and contain them. The birds have proved to be quite elusive, however.
We encourage residents to contact the shelter if they see them, particularly if they witness a public safety or animal welfare concern (such as wandering onto a road.) One note on guinea fowl: while we certainly can’t comment on the character of these two birds, guinea fowl are larger birds and in general can be territorial and defensive. So residents should exercise caution just as they would around any larger bird.
(Texted photo, birds near West Seattle Bowl this morning)
The animal shelter’s hotline is 206-386-PETS.
(2023 Seattle Parks image of stadium study area for off-leash area)
It’s official: Following a recommendation vote at last night’s Parks Board meeting, Seattle Parks says West Seattle’s second off-leash area will be just south of West Seattle Stadium (the area outlined in red, above). The announcement from Parks says the “planning and construction timeline will be announced soon.” It also reiterates that Lincoln Park (the other finalist for the site, after a long study process) was “found to be unsuitable (and) not recommended for an OLA at this time based on community feedback and other existing uses). The West Seattle Stadium dog park will be funded by the Park District. The department also is planning new dog parks in South Park (near the community center) and Georgetown.
That’s Sue, one of the thousands of pets that have spent time on the WSB West Seattle Lost/Found Pets page since we launched it 15+ years ago. One month ago, Sue got lost – and then found – thanks to caring people. One of Sue’s people, Ryan, wanted to publicly thank them – and many others, as you’ll see if you read on:
I am writing this primarily to say thank you to West Seattle for helping us find our boy named Sue. He was recently hit while crossing Fauntleroy at night after he slipped his light collar. Afterward we found him in less than 24 hours because of this amazing community. So, I have to say, thank you, West Seattle!
Thank you to the commuter who accidentally hit my black dog as he ran home across Fauntleroy at 9:00 pm with no light. Thank you for calling your family and helping me look for him in Lincoln Park for 3 hours. You are amazing and why this community is the best.
Thank you to Sebastian, Lynn, Dave, Dirk, Tony, Brett, Sarah, Shia, and anyone else I might forget for scouring West Seattle for our dog.
Thank you to the West Seattle Blog and Nextdoor communities for helping us find him over a mile away licking his wounds and hiding.
Thank you to the VCA for helping Sue and getting him back to his goofy healthy self.
Our dog is happy, healthy, and home because of all of you.
Additionally, I want to say thank you to this amazing community I am lucky to call home. Thank you to Gatewood and all the other amazing public schools we have here and the hard work you do to make our community better.
Thank you to the amazing Parks Department that keeps our section of Seattle the best! (Even though you may be distracted by the pickleball debate.)
Thank you to the police, fire department, and all our amazing emergency services that do your best to help us in spite of ourselves. The majority of us trust, respect and appreciate you.
Thank you to the businesses that give us the best banh mi, tamales, dive bars, guitar shop, bakery, record store, movie theater, beach, and community in Seattle!
Thank you for being the only place I want to call home. In my lowest moments, this community always reminds me that we live in an amazing place surrounded by people who may not agree with you, may not particularly want to talk to you, but care for you and want to improve your life.
Thank you from Sue, Chelsea, Rowan, Renee, and Ryan.
(City-provided aerial view of stadium and proposed dog-park area)
If you have something to say about the city’s proposal for a second West Seattle dog park – aka off-leash area – south of West Seattle Stadium, this Thursday (March 14) brings a formal public hearing during the next meeting of the Seattle Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners. They’re a city-convened advisory board that meets twice monthly, and you can speak either in person or remotely. Seattle Parks released its recommendation for the site – and other future off-leash areas around the city – last month (WSB coverage here; citywide info here). To sign up to speak during the hearing at Thursday’s 6:30 pm meeting (attendance info is here), email benjamin.burtzos@seattle.gov.
Today we’re welcoming All The Best Pet Care (4722 Fauntleroy Way SW) as a new WSB sponsor. When new sponsors join us to advertise their local businesses to you, they get the opportunity to tell you about who they are and what they do – here’s what All The Best would like you to know:
Since 1985, All The Best stores have been neighborhood gathering places where pets are celebrated, and customers are introduced to a progressive nutritional philosophy. As we open our 17th store in West Seattle, we remain locally and family-owned and led. Helping people keep their beloved dogs and cats at their healthiest drives everything we do and every decision we make.
We encourage customers to bring their dogs (and adventuresome cats) to the store so we can make them feel as special as they are, give them treats, and better understand their needs. Regular customers tell us their dogs practically drag them into the store whenever they’re near! We also provide free same-day delivery for local orders $75 and up.
Our most popular promotion is our birthday club. Customers who sign up for our free Healthy Rewards program are eligible for a discounted shopping spree on their pet’s birthday or gotcha day. They also receive a free tote bag that features custom-commissioned work by a local artist. The reusable tote contains a toy, a birthday hat, samples, and treats. Healthy Rewards members also receive points for purchasing items from participating brands, and when 400 points are accumulated, they receive a store credit.
All The Best is committed to giving back to our local pet rescues and our community at large. Each year, we donate hundreds of gift cards to local nonprofits and nearly half a million dollars worth of food and supplies to numerous pet rescues and food banks.
We consider working toward a more sustainable future another important part of helping to build a better community. We are active members of the Pet Sustainability Coalition. With their guidance, we are making great strides in reducing waste by converting every possible All The Best brand package to recyclable packaging. Our customers share our concerns and help make this initiative a success by consistently returning qualifying pet food packaging to us to be recycled.
We look forward to meeting our West Seattle neighbors – and their pets!
We thank All The Best Pet Care in West Seattle for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here; email patrick@wsbsales.com for info on joining the team!
A month and a half after a Seattle Parks executive said it looked likely that West Seattle Stadium would be chosen for the peninsula’s second off-leash area, the recommendation was formally unveiled tonight.
The area on stadium grounds west of the golf course was one of two West Seattle finalists (as announced last June) in the site-selection process, along with Lincoln Park, but Parks’ Danyal Lotfi told the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners tonight that it was no contest – the stadium site won hands down. Lotfi said that out of 4,753 respondents to last year’s citywide survey, 2,000 had something to say about the stadium site, and 87 percent were in favor of it. What’s more, Lotfi said, they’re recommending permanent removal of Lincoln Park from any future consideration as an off-leash area, because “the community prefers passive activation” there. (Before choosing West Seattle Stadium and Lincoln Park as the finalists, Parks also studied possible dog-park sites at Me-Kwa-Mooks, Hamilton Viewpoint, and Delridge Community Center.)
So what happens now? First, the recommendation has to be finalized, and that won’t happen until a public hearing at the board’s March 14th meeting. Then, it would be up to Parks Superintendent AP Diaz to give final approval. Assuming all that happens, design would start this summer/fall, with construction funding available in 2025-2026. This would be one of two new dog parks the city builds then, along with Othello Park. And Lotfi said they have other recommendations to go with adding dog parks – particularly “with expanding the off-leash-area system, expanded enforcement of leash laws is needed.”
The photo is from All the Best Pet Care, announcing that their new West Seattle store is open (at Maris, 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW). We first reported last August that All the Best had permit filings for the space, and the company confirmed it in October, saying this is their 17th store around the region. In West Seattle, it’s the eighth pet-focused retail shop, joining Pet Elements, Addy’s, Next-to-Nature, Mud Bay, Pet Pros, Petco, and Pet Supplies Plus. All the Best had a shop on Alki 2007-2009 (where Outer Space Seattle recently closed). Today’s announcement says, “West Seattle residents are invited to stop by and ask for a free Valentine’s treat for their dog or cat now through February 14. A grand-opening event is planned for March.” Hours and other info are here.
P.S. Also on the way to Maris, according to permit filings, is Club Pilates.
The Seattle Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners won’t be hearing the final choices for new dog parks this Thursday night after all – the meeting’s been canceled. That announcement comes one day after an update that the meeting would include a briefing on the plan but not a public hearing. Today’s cancellation notice promises only, “The items that were going to be covered in this meeting will be moved to a future meeting.” (This was the only major item on the agenda.) The board usually meets twice a month. West Seattle’s not the only area of the city where Parks has been mulling additional off-leash areas, but it’s been closely watched since the department announced Lincoln Park and West Seattle Stadium sites as the finalists. Last month a Parks executive told the Fauntleroy Community Association that the site on the south side of the stadium property would likely be the winner, but the plan hasn’t been officially unveiled yet
(2023 Seattle Parks image of stadium study area for off-leash area)
Speaking to the Fauntleroy Community Association three weeks ago, Seattle Parkssplanning director Andy Sheffer said he believed West Seattle Stadium would be the choice for this area’s next off-leash area (dog park). As he noted, the announcement is due at the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners‘ February 8 meeting – and with that meeting a little more than a week away, Parks confirmed today that the final site choices, here and citywide, will be made public at that meeting. The other finalist for a West Seattle site is in Lincoln Park, as announced last June. Availability of the site south of the stadium was called into question because of a search for a site to put an EV-charging site for city-owned vehicles, but Sheffer told the FCA that the site seemed able to handle both uses. Next week’s meeting of the commission – a city-convened advisory group – is at 6:30 pm Thursday, February 8; you can attend either in person downtown or online. West Seattle currently has one official off-leash area, at Westcrest Park.
Got old newspapers? Those puppies – and others – need them! Jennifer from Smidget Dog Rescue says WSB readers helped big time when she last asked, and she’s asking again:
Jennifer from Smidget Dog Rescue here. West Seattle really came through for the newspaper call last year. We filled the shed but now we are ready to accept newspaper again! We currently have over 20 puppies in the rescue and still need more paper. I’ll be doing pickups in the next 2 weeks. Please text 206-261-3342 and I’ll schedule you! Thank you!!
Jennifer explained last year that they use newspaper instead of puppy pads because the latter just get torn up.
The Brownies of Troop 40622 are hoping you can help them keep local pets fed. Their leader Krista sent the request:
Our Brownie troop of 12 third graders is working on the Philanthropist Badge.
As philanthropists, the troop has made a goal of collecting 500 pounds of pet food for the Pet Pantry at the West Seattle Food Bank. Animal lovers through and through! So far the Brownies have collected 186 pounds of food. They have collection bins located at Bebop Waffle Shop [California/Admiral], Sea Pines Physical Therapy [4617 37th SW], and Next to Nature [4543 California SW]. The bins will be active through the end of January. The troop also has an Amazon Gift List (Troop 40622) that sends items directly to the Pet Pantry! Thank you for supporting our troop’s efforts to make the world a better place.
(2023 Seattle Parks image of stadium study area for off-leash area)
We’re at the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s monthly meeting, where discussion has just concluded with Seattle Parks director of planning and development Andy Sheffer. The discussion was mostly about the Lincoln Park pickleball-court project – full story on that later – but before he left, Sheffer provided a short update on another issue involving the park – whether West Seattle’s next off-leash area will be at Lincoln Park or just south of West Seattle Stadium. Sheffer said he thinks the final choice is going to be the West Seattle Stadium site, which most recently looked less likely because of a city need for a place to charge some of the electric vehicles in the city fleet. Sheffer told the FCA he believes the site can handle a dog park and fleet charging, and that the plan will be presented to the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners on February 8.
You might call this a followup to a followup:
(Parks graphic from June announcement of sites under consideration as off-leash areas)
During Monday night’s Seattle Parks online briefing about various West Seattle projects, there was a major update to the process of planning a second WS off-leash area – Parks said that one of the two sites between which they’re deciding, south of West Seattle Stadium, might no longer be “viable” because of the city’s push toward “electrification.” For our followup on that – published Wednesday – we learned that the city Finance and Administrative Services department is eyeing the site for charging city vehicles, including electric golf carts for the adjacent golf course. But that information came from Parks, so today we asked FAS for more details on the project. FAS spokesperson Melissa Mixon first gave us this overview, “FAS approached Parks about the location and shared it could be an ideal site for a charging site, so long as it’s not needed or used by Parks for purposes of a dog park since that project pre-dates this one. FAS is currently awaiting direction from Parks on how they would like to proceed and whether we should explore the feasibility of the West Seattle Stadium/Golf location or pursue other potential sites for a charging station.”
The backstory: “FAS is building EV charging hubs throughout the City to support the City’s rapid transition to electric vehicles in the City’s fleet. These locations will be regional so City fleet can re-fuel (electricity) when needed. The West Seattle area became the first priority region and the West Seattle Stadium/Golf could serve as an ideal location. FAS and Parks are in early conversation about this site.” Right now, Mixon said, it’s “the only West Seattle location under consideration but that could change based on Parks’ feedback regarding this site. … This site is under consideration due to its location, ease of access for City electric vehicles to enter and exit, and because it would have minimal impact on the public.”
We asked for more specifics regarding the potential facility’s scope. Mixon said it is envisioned for “6-8, Level 3 (150 KwH+) fast chargers that need approximately 10,000 square feet to accommodate ingress/egress and parking. … There are 17 fleet-using departments in the City. All departments would have access to this EV fueling station as they conduct business in the area. Seattle Parks Department would be a heavy user as they have the fourth largest fleet in the City.”
If Parks gave FAS the green light to pursue this site, “FAS would need to conduct a feasibility study and estimate costs. This process can typically take two months and a decision would not be made until both are complete.” Parks, meantime, is supposed to have a recommendation on the dog-park site within weeks; the other site that’s been under consideration for West Seattle’s second off-leash area is in Lincoln Park.
One of the Seattle Parks West Seattle projects mentioned briefly during Monday night’s online meeting was the peninsula’s future second dog park (aka Off-Leash Area). This was the first update since Parks announced earlier this year that they had narrowed the options to Lincoln Park and an area south of West Seattle Stadium (below are graphics from that June announcement):
Without elaboration, the update Monday night was that the stadium-vicinity site might not be as “viable” because of a “complication” related to “electrification.” We subsequently asked Parks for details. Here’s the reply:
There is a possible FAS [Department of Finance and Administrative Services] project to create a
public andCity fast-electric charging station at this time, which could be used to support our transition to electrified golf carts at that site and other city mandated fleet operations. That project is still in its early stages and may need the space studied at West Seattle Stadium as a possible location for an off-leash area.
So, we asked, if the stadium-vicinity site is ruled out, does that mean Lincoln Park becomes the choice, or would other areas be brought back into consideration? That reply:
Nothing is a done deal, but as noted the top two recommended sites for the dog park in West Seattle based on community input and internal assessments are West Seattle Stadium and Lincoln Park. The factors in those selections are:
-Not conflict with existing park uses in a way that creates safety issues
-Not be located in a park that is a designated Seattle landmark, or be listed on the State or Federal register of historic places
-Not be located in natural areas under active restoration, or in an environmentally-critical area
-Have preliminary approval from the site owner, if not on Parks land
-Other considerations listed below
*Geographic Need
*Site must be Accessible (or a plan must be created to make it accessible)
*Site must not have significant vegetation and large trees
*Proposed site must be at least 50 ft. away from other property lines
*Flat sites are preferred to slopes, because surfacing erodes over time on slopesOur goal is to adhere to the timeline presented (Monday) night and update the community as soon as we have more information on the Off Leash Dog Park study.
That timeline said that Parks staff would work on a recommendation in December and that it would be presented to the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners early next year. As noted previoudly, the department also studied possible West Seattle dog-park sites at Me-Kwa-Mooks, Hamilton Viewpoint, and Delridge Community Center
THURSDAY UPDATE: Parks clarifies that the possible project near the stadium would be a city-only charging station, NOT public too, so we have struck out the “public” mention in the quote above. We’re also pursuing more followup information on that project.
Today we welcome Seattle Canine Club as the newest WSB sponsor. When local businesses start advertising on WSB, they get the opportunity to tell you what they do – so here’s what Seattle Canine Club, which is in SODO – convenient for many West Seattle commuters – wants you to know:
We have over 19 years in the market. We are among the few that offer a one-stop shop for all dog-related services (day care, boarding, grooming, training, and lab services) but especially notable, we are the best-rated dog facility in Seattle, with over 4.9* in our Google Reviews. We are proud to pay the best salaries in town and have staff members with as long as 9 years in tenure with us. We provide a safe environment for dogs, where peace of mind of our humans is key – we invest on our staff and are constantly improving our processes and services.
Here’s why customers choose Seattle Canine Club – they always value the care we bring into our services, the level of detail and attention we give to their dogs and our relationship with them. We are a family-owned business and our staff treats our members’ dogs as their own. We don’t charge for playtime, treats, lunches, or anything you’d consider just caring for dogs. And we go the extra mile to help dogs be happy, calm, and enjoy their time. Our grooming, training, and day-care services follow FearFree approach to ensure minimizing any dog anxiety. Also, all our staff is Pet CPR and First Aid certified. Members come first because they need a place for their dogs for boarding or day care, they stay because they know we care for their furry friends as they would themselves.
For some members, Seattle Canine Club has touched their life by enabling balance between their busy professional careers and their love for their dogs. Our first member, 19 years ago, is currently on her 4th dog, coming every day of the week. For another member with 4 teacup dogs, we created a unique pricing model that fit her special needs. For another member who is originally from across the world, a passing in the family meant that their faithful companion spent 2 months with us. We took special care with walks, training, and exercising outside the normal services. Every dog and every member is unique, and meeting them where they need us is what makes us unique!
Seattle Canine Club‘s owner is Jose Rodriguez, who took over the business when founder Rick Beaubelle retired after 18 years in business. Since then, he has grown the staff 30%, and included training, grooming, and lab services as part of the offerings, as well as doing renovations across the facility and expanded capacity to meet our customers needs. Seattle Canine Club is at 2751 4th Avenue South [map] – phone #, email, and other ways to reach them are here.
We thank Seattle Canine Club for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
Two people have texted us in the past few minutes about a dog on the upper bridge, near the eastbound side’s Delridge onramp. One described it as “looks very afraid, has a collar, white and brown, shorter hair.” As we advised that texter, this is definitely something to report to 911 – hazard to traffic (not to mention the dog).
In 15 years of publishing the only all-West Seattle lost/found-pets webpage, we’ve heard a lot of stories about how pets find their way home. This week, we heard from Shelley, whose cat is home four months after vanishing, and her story carries a reminder for everyone who shares their life with one or more pets:
Almost four months ago we placed a Lost and Found notice in the West Seattle Blog for our kitty, who went missing on June 19th.
The good news is, a kind man named Dale brought her into West Seattle Animal Hospital in Jefferson Square and Dr. Quincy examined her and found she was chipped. A big thank you to the West Seattle Animal Hospital and especially to a West Seattle resident named “Dale” for bringing Natasha back to us. Surprisingly she doesn’t seem to remember us, but I’m sure we can love her back to the way things used to be.
We asked Shelley how Dale had found Natasha: “She had been living near the Sunset area behind his house down in the wooded area, and she would come up and eat his cat’s food. He fell in love with her and thought she was one brave, beautiful kitty, but his own cat was crabby with her. he is an elderly man and so kind to try to catch her and bring her in to the vet to get her checked out.” So the reminder is – be sure your pet is chipped! And be sure the chip information is up to date – we heard recently from another reader who got her dog back because the finders posted here, but might have had a faster reunion if the chip info had been updated – they’d moved over the years.
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.
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