Clint’s whiskers stole Ellen Heinemann’s heart.

It was a subtle process.

Back in 2012, she found herself volunteering at the Jefferson County Humane Society. It had just transitioned from being managed by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Heinemann thought walking dogs might help out the shelter.

Ten years later, she’s the vice president of the Humane Society’s board of directors, and has adopted two shelter animals of her own. First was Bub, a friendly dog; then came Clint, a long-haired tuxedo cat.

“He has these amazing whiskers,” Heinemann said during a recent call.

Maybe Clint is just amazing all around. Even after having a leg amputated due to cancer, he remains unfazed, and is Heinemann’s single critter companion now that Bub has passed on.

In the past 10 years, Bub and Clint are two of more than 2,500 dogs and cats adopted through the Humane Society at 112 Critter Lane in Port Townsend.  More than 1,600 pets have been reunited with their owners, nearly 300 transferred to other facilities – which the shelter might do to get a larger pool of potential adoptees for certain animals – and 118 barn cats, sterilized feral cats, have found homes as mousers.

COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT

The Humane Society also hosts public low-cost spay/neuter and microchip clinics, boosted by Olympic Mountain Pet Pals.

The brand-new surgical trailer parked on-site at the shelter allows veterinarians to perform procedures for shelter animals.

“It saved us lots of money,” Heinemann said. “It’s a really slick thing.”

But rehoming animals and offering these services wouldn’t happen without volunteers, she said.

Last year, while the pandemic limited public interaction, 40 volunteers still managed to work nearly 2,500 hours in seven months.

The recent Betty White Challenge, which urged animal lovers to donate to creature causes in honor of the actor’s 100th birthday, brought in $6,000, Heinemann said, still amazed by the number.

As she explained it, it really takes a village to document, exam, fund, exercise, rehab, and locate homes for each and every animal that comes through the shelter door.

Ideally, adoptions are life-long. Sometimes, when the fit isn’t right, the process begins once more.

And that, Heinemann said, was what happened with Bennie and Dana.

MAN’S BEST FRIEND

It took Dana Sullivan three years to feel like he was ready for another dog in his life. The passing of his blue heeler “Max” was the end of 15 years of daily friendship.

“He was a puppy when we got him,” Sullivan said recently, taking a break from his studio. “I used to walk him and make up songs.”

Ten years ago, Sullivan, who lived in Seattle at the time, knew two folks from the Kala Point neighborhood who volunteered at the shelter.

“They knew I needed a dog,” he said.

One woman in particular, Marlene Newman, was insistent.

There was a small Dachshund and Lab mix named “Jason” who had been adopted, and returned. She was convinced he was the perfect pet for Sullivan.

“When Marlene puts her mind to it, she’s a force to be reckoned with,” he said, laughing.

She bombarded him with information; a photo of how scared Jason looked at the shelter, a video, emails. Volunteers were reading aloud to the dog, getting him used to people’s voices.

“He was scared of people,” Sullivan said.

“I told my wife, ‘I think I have to go to Port Townsend tomorrow,’” he recalled. “You better not come home with any dog you don’t love,” she told him.

Like any good story, the stakes were raised. As Sullivan was on his way to the shelter, Jason got off his leash and ran away. But he returned to the shelter before Sullivan arrived, who “walked around with him, and put him in my lap.”

That was all it took.

HELLO, BENNIE

On a visit to Italy, Sullivan learned the expression, “va bene,” which translates to “goes well,” or “everything’s good.”

Shedding the name Jason, “Bennie” and Sullivan started developing a special friendship.

“He is not a cuddler,” Sullivan said, explaining that Bennie will flop down just out range of Sullivan’s hand.

“He was afraid of kids, and he was afraid of tall men with sticks.”

Now that Sullivan has relocated, Bennie “loves running on the beach and trails of Port Townsend,” Sullivan said.

Bennie stars in many of Sullivan’s comics, and there are cameos by Marlene and Max, too.

“I still have Max’s urn in my studio,” Sullivan said.

After purchasing Max from a breeder and comparing his experience with adopting Bennie, Sullivan feels strongly about adoption.

“There are so many wonderful dogs out there,” he said. “So it makes no sense, to me, to buy a dog from a  breeder.”

He reflected on how a decade of the humane society changed his life. Bennie was two when Sullivan adopted him, and is now 12 years young.

“All pets are wonderful,” Sullivan said, “but dogs are especially wonderful.”

More about the Jefferson County Humane Society pets and services can be found at hsjcwa.org.