score the assignment rubric (see the video below for instructions on how to show the rubric)write a 200+ word submission comment that summarizes your peer review. What elements of the draft are workin

Professor Pang

ENGL&102

21 April 2024

Exploratory Essay Draft

On my first morning as a volunteer for the Tacoma Humane Society, I stood wait ing for

one of the obviously overwhelmed staff members to help me, feeling as if I was in everyone's

way. As they all frantically rushed past me, it became clear to me the shelter needed all the help

they could get - a revelation that would only become more evident. The Tacoma and Pierce

County Humane Society is one of the largest shelters in the state, making it a go -to for animal

control far outside Pier ce County. Taking in nearly 10,000 animals annually (Humane Society

for Tacoma & Pierce County et al.) , it is extremely difficult to adopt out at the same rate they

intake. This means dogs doubled up in kennels , stressed volunteers, and a struggle to ensure

every dog gets to go outside for just 10 minutes every day. After witnessing this firsthand , I

couldn’t help but wonder: What resources exist to help the Tacoma Humane Society and other

shelter s in similar situations? What exactly do these resources do to help?

One organization dedicated to tackling this issue is the BISSELL Pet Foundation, who

aim to end pet homelessness on a national level. The BISSELL foundation pro vides many

programs and services, but one of their most notable is their “Empty the Shelters” event. As

described on their website, this event is “the nation’s largest funded adoption event”, which

“helps homeless pets find families by making adoption affordable for prospective pet owners”

((BISSELL Pet Foundation) . During these events, BISSELL encourages adoption by reimbursing adoption fees for the participating shelter, making it virtually free. I had the honor of

photographing th is event when it took place at the Tacoma Humane Society , during which I was

blown away at the number of dogs who w alked out the door . This event gains a lot of traction

and leads to a much more manageable volume of animals at the shelter.

Another large organization that is a frequent partner of the Tacoma Humane Society is

PetSmart Charities. PetSmart Charities promote animal adoption by investing in community

partners , hold ing awareness days, an d hosting large events such as National Adoption Week,

where in -person adoption events are put on at PetSmart locations across the country. The impact

throughout the organization's history has been substantial, having played a role in the adoption of

over 10 million pets, and awarded grants to nearly 10,000 community partners (Supporting

Animal Shelters and Nonprofits Near You | PetSmart Charities) . This large -scale charity has

instilled a lot of awareness for the importance of adoption in various communities, which has

helped shelters like the Tacoma and Pierce County Humane Society have as many adopters as

possible.

One last organization that plays a role in keeping local shelters from overcrowding is the

Washington State Animal Response Team, or WASART. WASART describes themselves as a

“nonprofit all -volunteer organization that helps companion animals and livestock out of

immediate crisis and dangerous situations ” (WASART) . Not only does this organiza tion take

many animal rescue tasks off the hands of animal control, but WASART will also provide

temporary shelter for animals in emergency situations . An example of such an emergency could

be local fire danger, causing a call for evacuation somewhere pets cannot be taken. Th ese

emergency shelters prevent the animals from being left or surrendered, where in both cases they

would likely end up at a n overrun shelter such as the Tacoma and Pierce County Humane Society. Smaller shelters like this are integral for taking on the overflow from larger Humane

Societies. Overall, WASART plays an important role in ensuring that Humane Societies

maintain manageable animal populations.

Works Cited

1. Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, et al. Annual Report . 2022,

www.thehumanesociety.org/wp -content/uploads/2022 -Annual -Report -1.pdf .

2. BISSELL Pet Foundation. “Empty the Shelters - BISSELL Pet Foundation.” BISSELL

Pet Foundation , 10 Apr. 2024, www.bissellpetfoundation.org/programs/empty -the -

shelters .

3. Supporting Animal Shelters and Nonprofits Near You | PetSmart Charities.

petsmartcharities.org/our -impact.

4. WASART. “About WASART - WASART.” WASART , 9 May 2023, wasart.org/about -

wasart.