About Us

Seattle is regularly rated as one of the top most pet-friendly cities in the United States. We love our pets and we're a progressive city, so many residents assume that we have progressive animal welfare practices, too. This assumption is reinforced through limited media coverage of animal-related issues and cruelty cases. But is this the reality?

Seattle also has many companion animal rescue groups, but they do not appear to form coalitions or coordinate advocacy activities. Why not?

We began interviewing local animal welfare organizations to get their input on the state of animal welfare within the City of Seattle. These interviews, and years of research into animal cruelty trends and legal outcomes highlighted a number of issues: the municipal shelter must rely on donations to supplement its government funding for basic animal care, the laws in the Seattle Municipal Code that protect companion animals haven't seen material updates since 1985, and animal abuse cases are not a priority for the City Attorney's office.

These findings led to the creation of Seattle Animal Watch in 2022.

Please note that we do not accept donations or solicit funds for our work.

Our Vision

To make Seattle a model city for the humane treatment of animals and the prevention of cruelty and neglect.

Our Mission

Seattle Animal Watch uses evidence-based advocacy to improve local laws and build community support for animal welfare.

Meet The Team

Jill Allyn

Jill is a retired law librarian who is passionate about information. She believes democracy thrives when citizens are informed, and that healthy libraries fuel healthy communities. She is a domestic violence survivor and understands the many issues families living with danger face. She collects photos of local graffiti for color ideas in embroidery.

Anna Hennessey

Anna is a long-time Seattle resident who has volunteered and advocated for animal welfare for almost thirty years. Her professional career has encompassed work in public, private and nonprofit sectors. She has a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Washington. She loves to game and hopes to one day finally finish Dark Souls 3.

Elise Murphy

Elise has been an animal rescue volunteer for as long as she can remember, focusing on special needs and exotic animals since 2008. She has a Masters in Information Technology and leads the security and anti-cheat engineering team at a video game company. She loves to hike and climb and can be found in the mountains in her free time.