What's Happening in Kirkland, WA…

Fences for Fido, a nonprofit organization based in Olympia, recently sent volunteers to the Lake Washington United Methodist Church in Kirkland to help build a dog park for dogs whose owners are homeless.

The park, which was completed recently, is part of a larger effort called the Safe Parking program. This gives homeless families and single women safe places to park, cook, and shower in the church's facilities.

According to Joy Theilsen, who is the church's Safe Parking program coordinator, people sometimes have preconceived ideas about those who are homeless, or currently without shelter. She says they are ordinary people who are trying as hard as they can to get out of a bad situation.

Fences for Fido works throughout Southwest Washington and Oregon, collecting donations and organizing volunteers to build fences for dogs that are chained up or otherwise confined. In the Kirkland case, the church decided to consider the fences when it noticed many pets had to be left in cars for extended periods. Fences for Fido's Michele Coppola said that at times, the dogs are the only friends homeless people have, and if their owners are living in their cars, the dogs are confined there as well. The fencing project, Coppola says, gives the dogs a safe place to run, play, and just be dogs.

Efforts like this are important to everyone, so officials could create illustrated Brochures for Mailing, discussing the program.


Get a Free Quote for Mailing Get a Free Quote for Brochures