FAQs
Is Beck's Place a human services or animal welfare organization?
Beck's Place is a unique integration of both service models. Many human services for the homeless and low income are unable to accomodate the corresponding needs of pet family members. These pet-related barriers often mean that families are unable or unwilling to access services that would result in stability for both humans and pets. Beck's Place provides direct services and partners with other organizations to serve both humans and pets holistically so that families may access housing, safety, medical and treatment services and pets stay out the shelter and with their families as they belong.
Is Beck's Place an animal rescue?
No. While Beck's Place is passionate about animals, the healing they bring to humans and the safety and welfare of all living beings, our mission is not to rescue and adopt animals. We provide animal services because we believe that families include pets. One of those pet services include our Foster Boarding Program where we provide temporary shelter for pets when our clients are unable to as a result of housing, financial, medical, safety and/or legal constraints. Our goal is to to provide services and partner with others so that families can resolve those constraints, achieve stability and keep pets out of the shelther and with their families as they belong. We will, on occassion, receive a permanent surrender of a pet due to a client's death, illness, long-term incarceration and/or other reasons. In those cases we will work with our rescue partners to rehome the animal permanently.
Do you partner with other agencies and law enforcement?
Yes! We rely on a number of partnerships including social service agencies, animal welfare and rescue organizations, law enforcement, animal control and veterinarians to both run our own programs and fill the gaps for services we don't directly provide.
Why do people have pets if they have limited financial resources or are without shelter?
Living beings thrive and survive on connection. When there is a lack of connection not only is both a human and animal's physical and mental health compromised but isolation and despair set in. And when that happens destruction to self and/or others invevitably occurs. For some, the only connection they have is with their pet. Seniors may have lost their spouse and live far away from their children. Children may seek the safety and comfort of a pet in an unstable home enviornment. Domestic violence victims will protect their pet at the risk of their own safety. Families in poverty get a break from the struggle by the joy a pet brings to the home. These pets are deeply loved and cared for - often receiving more attention than in the average household. No matter how a family came to include a pet the reasons for keeping them are the same as those with more financial resources and housing options. Losing that connection is neither benefical to the human, the pet or the community. Keeping them together is not only is healthy for families but it provides relief to an overburdened rescue/shelter system already filled with animals that do not have a loving and caring home.
What is your position on spay/neuter?
Beck's Place believes it is in the best interest of the animals' health and welfare to be spayed/neutered, reduces the number of animals in shelters, prevents related euthanizations and enables families with limited resources to better save for the care of their pets. We do require that your pet be spayed or neutered to be eligible for our services. If you are applying to our Foster Boarding Program and your pet is not spayed or neutered you must consent to do so while they are in our care in order to be considered for the program.
Do you only help the chronically homeless?
No. Beck's Place serves both low income and homeless families with pets who are in need of our services. Families are defined as having at least one human and one pet. Approximately one-third of Snohomish County families are low income and there are an estimated 30,000 pets living in poverty.
Do you report animal abuse or neglect?
Yes. While our focus is on keeping families together, inclusive of pets, while enabling them to access services to achieve stability it is never at the expense of the health and well-being of the pet. All clients sign a clause on the intake form that indicates that they are aware that Beck's Place will report any signs of animal cruelty or abuse to the proper authorities. If you witness animal abuse or neglect please report it to your local police department or animal control. We can not report any incidents which we have not personally witnessed.
Do you only help people with pets?
Beck's Place exists to address gaps in services for families with pets that are seeking stability. Therefore having a pet is a requirement for our programs and services. A family is defined as being at least one human and one pet. That said, given that we frequently work on the streets with homeless families we do provide basic needs resources to neighbors and friends of the homeless families we serve as we have items available.
Do you provide housing?
Affordable pet friendly housing is a priority for Beck's Place, however, at this time we are unable to provide that service. When we are aware of affordable pet friendly housing in the community we will provide information on this site, Facebook and work directly with clients to refer them to that particular opportunity.