A small dog with a white and black coat wearing a green and beige striped sweater stands attentively on a blue towel covering an exam table, with a woman smiling behind him and another person in a dark shirt blurred in the background.
Community

Doney Coe Pet Clinic: King County Steps Up for Seattle’s Pets

by Alex Garland

The building at 1101 Airport Way S. sat empty for months before a member of King County Facilities connected with a board member with ties to a 30-year-old pet clinic for low-income and homeless pet owners.

The City has rented a series of buildings and parking lots along Airport Way South, and although a homeless shelter was planned for that location, the neighbors (BMW Seattle, among others) complained, and the building remained empty. Now, a pet clinic for pets owned by Seattle’s unhoused and low-income residents have a place for services.

A woman in a brown sweater gently holds a small, tan and white Chihuahua on a blue-towel-covered exam table, while filling out paperwork beside a digital scale and medical supplies.
Volunteer Chantel fills out Lola’s paperwork. (Photo: Alex Garland)

With its start 30 years ago as a mobile clinic, Doney Coe met even more challenges during the pandemic. Volunteers stepped up, and partnerships with organizations, like pet insurance company Trupanion and veterinary clinic Urban Animal, provided essential support. From makeshift locations such as school basements and parking garages, the clinic persevered, ensuring its pet patients received the care they needed.

Now with a home base and equipped with medical equipment like X-ray and anesthesia machines, Doney Coe is poised to expand its services. Beyond its initial offerings of medical treatments and dental exams, the clinic now offers compassionate end-of-life care, including free euthanasia services and options for pet cremation.

A veterinary examination room with two stainless steel exam tables covered in blue towels. The room is lit with natural light from large windows and is equipped with various medical supplies and instruments.
The Doney Coe Pet Clinic exam room looks out over SoDo. (Photo: Alex Garland)

Michelle Kelley, a volunteer and board member for the clinic, took the Emerald on a tour of the facility and explained why free and low-cost veterinary care is so meaningful. “You can keep animals out of shelters if you can help their owners, who still want to have them, with the costs of owning the animal,” she said. “It benefits King County Animal Control, it benefits Seattle Animal Control, it benefits all these places for us to be here, so that these folks don’t have to surrender their animals because they can’t find them care and they can’t afford them anymore.”

To learn more about Doney Coe Pet Clinic’s low-cost, compassionate care for Seattle’s furry friends, visit its website.

Two small dogs, one wearing a beige sweater and the other in a black and white striped sweater are standing on a wooden floor in a room with office chairs and medical equipment in the background. A vet staff member stands next to the pair in green scrubs.
Charlie and Charlito after their checkups. (Photo: Alex Garland)
Two volunteers in a veterinary clinic setting, one kneeling on the floor, the other sitting, coaxing a brindle dog with a patterned coat to come forward. They appear focused on comforting and examining the dog.
Volunteer Chantel (left) and Dr. Falk (right) meeting Max. (Photo: Alex Garland)
A tortoiseshell cat with a striking blend of black, orange, and cream fur, peering out with wide eyes from inside a pink plastic tub sitting on a blue towel.
Waiting for a checkup at Doney Coe Pet Clinic. (Photo: Alex Garland)
A woman with curly blonde hair, wearing a blue scarf and a black coat, affectionately holds a light brown and white dog in her lap. The dog appears content and is squinting its eyes while being embraced.
Shannon and 12-year-old Chico. (Photo: Alex Garland)
Two men seated outdoors on folding chairs in a fenced area with a stroller beside them. The man on the left is wearing a brown jacket and sunglasses, the man on the right is in a yellow hoodie and baseball cap. Between them is a dog wearing a colorful scarf, attentively looking off to the side.
Jasmine waits with Tim (left) and Jerry (right). (Photo: Alex Garland)
Two people, one wearing a black beanie and a vest, the other in glasses and a patterned coat, are seated outside with a small black and white dog on one of their laps, and they're both looking at a clipboard the person in the vest is holding.
From left to right: Parga, Quincy, and Ginger (on lap). (Photo: Alex Garland)
A small beige dog with big brown eyes and a black muzzle looks directly at the camera, standing on a sidewalk with a red collar and green grass in the background.
Loki waits in line. (Photo: Alex Garland)
A woman in a black hoodie and a volunteer wearing glasses and a grey sweater are examining a small black and tan dog wearing a striped sweater in a sunlit room with medical supplies in the background.
Charlito at Doney Coe Pet Clinic. (Photo: Alex Garland)
A banner that reads "Celebrating 35 Years! DONEY COE PET CLINIC Veterinary Care for Low Income and Homeless Families" hangs on a wall above a small dog that appears to be walking away, in a room with an industrial feel.
At the Doney Coe Pet Clinic. (Photo: Alex Garland)
A close-up of a small, elderly black and tan dog with bright, attentive eyes, being held while a person in a grey fleece jacket fills out paperwork, with a chain-link fence and clear sky in the background.
Charlito. (Photo: Alex Garland)

Alex Garland is a photojournalist and reporter. With a degree in emergency administration and disaster planning from the University of North Texas, Alex spent his early professional career as a GIS analyst for FEMA. Follow him on Twitter.

📸 Featured Image: Charlie gets a checkup at Doney Coe Pet Clinic. (Photo: Alex Garland)

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