Frequently Asked Questions

What is your adoption program about?

PFOA has companion pets of all ages for adoption. All of our animals have been health checked by a veterinarian, vaccinated and spayed or neutered prior to adoption. We screen applicants to ensure the right cat or kitten is a good match for the home it deserves.

Why do you charge an $85 adoption fee?

The $85 fee doesn't even begin to cover the costs incurred in caring for any animal when you add up the veterinarian care, vaccinations, spay/neutering, food, cat litter and overhead to keep the lights and heat on at our shelter, Safe Haven. In addition, a reasonable investment in a pet is another indication of a pet owner's ability to support the needs of that pet into the future. At the same time, we continue to strive to keep the fee as low as possible to make adoptions affordable for our community.

Are you really a "no-kill" shelter?

Yes, we are! We are limited by county regulations to a maximum of 65 cats and kittens at any one time at Safe Haven. However, we have about another 50 cats, kittens and/or dogs in foster care with our hard-working volunteer foster "parents." It is painful for us to have to turn away animals in need, which is one reason we have an aggressive spay/neuter and TNR program in our county. We would never euthanize animals to make room for others, but it's possible - although it is rare - to have an animal euthanized if it is clearly suffering from a terminal illness or injury.

Where are you located?

Safe Haven is located between Sequim and Port Angeles, Washington, at 257509 Highway 101. Click here for a map of our location. Please note that it is against the law to abandon animals (RCW 16.52.207) and is considered animal cruelty in the second degree. Animals may not be dropped off at Safe Haven. Please call 360-452-0414 for more information. Barker House, which is located east of Sequim, has recently been put into use for some of our special needs cats.

How can you be a "cageless" shelter with all those animals?

Safe Haven is a renovated, 5,000-square-foot home on 34 acres of rural land between Sequim and Port Angeles. The rooms that house our cats and kittens are large, bright and airy with windows and outdoor access to fully enclosed patios where they can romp or sleep in fresh air and sunshine. The cats lounge on furniture and sleep in cat beds scattered throughout the rooms. Kittens have their own rooms. They all climb on cat trees, play with toys and have daily interaction with volunteers who groom and pet them.

There may be times when a large cage is needed temporarily to:

• First introduce a new cat into the group
• Separate a cat or kitten who may exhibit signs of aggression
• Intake a cat or kitten into an isolation unit until they can be health checked and vaccinated
• House a cat temporarily if it becomes sick

How do you pay for all this?

Peninsula Friends of Animals is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization and takes NO tax dollars. It is funded through public donations, fundraising and occasional grants. Most of the work is performed by volunteers who love cats and kittens and who believe in the mission of caring for and helping the most helpless creatures in our communities. There are 2 key full-time positions and several part time positions for which PFOA must pay. Our Business Manager and Animal Care Specialist (who is also our live-in Caretaker) are both full-time employees. We also have three shelter managers who job share and various other part-time employees who clean, open and close the shelter and fill in where needed.

Do you need more volunteers?

PFOA welcomes volunteers to help with the animals and the mission. Cats need grooming and socializing, kittens need play time with humans, litter boxes need emptying, building maintenance sometimes needs attention, envelopes need stuffing...the list is lengthy. But there's a job for anyone! We also need good foster homes and we have a sponsorship program. Call 360-452-0414 and leave a message to have someone call you back about being a PFOA volunteer.

Why don't you have dogs at your shelter?

We have a small-dog foster/adoption program in place with one person coordinating it. We sometimes find a way to foster and adopt out larger dogs, but Safe Haven has limited room for the cats and kittens already in our care. On-site dogs require much more space and care than we can provide at this time.

What else does Peninsula Friends of Animals do?

In addition to adoptions and spay/neuter programs, Peninsula Friends of Animals offers pet food for pets of low-income community members; trap/neuter/return program for feral cats in the community (feral cats are humanely trapped, treated for health problems, spayed or neutered and returned back to willing guardians who feed and care for them). We also offer behavioral advice by telephone.

How do I become a member or volunteer my skills?

A downloadable application and a link to the skills-needed list are available right here. You can mail your application in to us at PFOA:

Download the PDF for membership application and click on the link to the list of volunteer opportunities.