BELFAIR, Wash. — The Humane Society of Mason County (HSMC) announced that it has seen “unprecedented levels” of puppies come through their shelter this season.
From October 1, 2024, through March 20, 2025, HSMC took in 69 puppies under five months old. During that same timeframe in 2025/2026, HSMC has already taken in 126 puppies.
Last week, eight puppies were abandoned in a box along SR 108 and were brought into HSMC’s care.
On average, each puppy costs around $400 to care for before adoption and significantly more if they become sick with illnesses like giardia or parvovirus.
For a single litter of eight puppies, that cost can quickly exceed $3,000, according to the organization.
HSMC says it receives no consistent funding from county or city contracts and relies almost entirely on donations to provide care.
“As a small organization in a rural county with limited animal welfare resources, no animal control services, and no consistent public funding, this surge is putting significant strain on our team, foster network, and medical resources,” said HSMC executive director Katherine Johnson.
The Humane Society of Mason County has been a volunteer-only organization without a physically established shelter for nearly 30 years, according to Johnson. In 2022, the non-profit was able to create a physical shelter space, establish a low-cost spay-and-neuter clinic, and hire staff.
Johnson said HSMC spays and neuters about 5,000 animals annually through its low-cost clinic.
She believes one reason the organization is seeing a rise in puppy intake is that the community may not be aware of the services and resources that HSMC provides.
Their Last Litter program aims to help end the cycle of unwanted births of puppies and kittens. Once the babies are weaned, the organization will spay the mother for a reduced fee ($80 for dogs, $40 for cats). The mother will be returned to the owner or the person who brought them in.
The babies will come into HSMC’s program, where they will receive all the care they need until they are mature enough to be spayed/neutered and made available for adoption.
Due to demand, HSMC’s ability to take in new litters is dependent on their foster capacity.
You can learn more about fostering with the agency here.
For those who wish to donate to the shelter, you can do so here.
Johnson encourages those who are able to donate to write puppy name suggestions in their donation notes. As of this writing, the eight brought in have not been named yet.
All adoptable animals and adoption information can be found here.
“Even when we’re full, we never stop trying to make sure that people and pets get the help and support that they need,” Johnson told KIRO 7.
Humane Society of Mason County is located at 24070 WA-3 Suite 3, in Belfair.
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