Our Story

Founded in 1897, Seattle Humane was the first humane organization to serve King County. Originally devoted to animal issues involving stockyards and slaughterhouses, Seattle Humane later provided animal control services. In 1972, the City of Seattle and King County established their own animal control divisions, and Seattle Humane moved to Bellevue as a private nonprofit dedicated to saving and serving pets in need. True to our mission, we offer pet adoption, humane education, a Pet Food Bank, and spay/neuter services to low-income pet owners. Through our outreach, advocacy, and services, we strive to ensure that animal companionship is accessible to all.

Community Grand Opening of our new shelter

Care We Provide

What sets Seattle Humane apart is that we are an open-door shelter with no time limits. That means we accept every animal in need of our help — regardless of age, breed, or physical condition. We provide them with the care they deserve for as long as it takes us to find them a loving home. When pets are brought to us requiring medical attention, our veterinary team performs life-saving medical procedures. If a pet requires training to thrive in his or her new home, we provide it. Why? Because our mission is to save pets in need and find them loving homes. As a result of our efforts, in fiscal year 2016/17 we cared for nearly 7,000 pets.

Donate with confidence. We promise to be good stewards of your gifts. That is why we make sure that $0.80 cents out of every dollar we receive goes directly towards caring for and supporting animals through life-saving programs. Our Tax ID# is 91-0282060. We are a 501 (c)(3) organization and our policy is to never sell, rent or trade our donors' personal information to any other entity.