“Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation marks its tenth anniversary of helping homeless animals this year, and it is continuing to grow and expand.Starting out with just a few volunteers who worked in conjunction with animal control officers to help shelter and care for strays, WAIF now occupies a building with dog and cat shelters and a veterinary facility, two thrift stores, and soon, two cat adoption centers, said Shari Bibich, manager of the WAIF shelter on Highway 20 in Coupeville.The thrift store opened in Oak Harbor about 14 months ago, and is to undergo a remodel next month. The store will be closed for the remodeling of its retail facilities from June 1 to June 8, said Krista Hays, volunteer coordinator for WAIF. The store will reopen with a grand re-opening event on June 9. The remodel will be totally a volunteer effort, Hays said. The Oak Harbor thrift store will also be the site of a new cat adoption center, similar to the adoption center at the thrift store in Freeland.At the cat adoption center, the cats will be allowed to roam in a secure environment without having to be caged. It will be more like a home-setting where people will be able to see the personalities and behaviors of cats up for adoption, said Bibich. If the cat adoption center is not complete by the June 9 re-opening of the store, it will be more than half-way done, said Hays.Part of WAIF’s mission, Bibich said, is to educate the public about responsible pet ownership, and to help people understand that getting a pet is a commitment for the lifetime of the animal. Often the shelter houses animals that were turned in because the family was moving away, or worse, just abandoned on the roadside, Bibich said. Two cats were found Thursday along the roadside of Highway 20, abandoned in their cages.Bibich said there is no reason for anyone to abandon an animal. While WAIF does charge an impound fee to those turning in an animal, it can be waived. Additionally, she said, the staff and volunteers at the shelter remain non-judgmental of everyone that brings an animal in.Some of the programs offered by WAIF are geared toward helping low-income families provide adequate care for their pets, Bibich said. WAIF provides partial funding for spaying and neutering, a crisis care program to assist with the veterinary costs associated with an illness or injury, and a pet food bank.Other programs sponsored by WAIF include a program to vontrol the feral cat population. Feral cats are those that live in the wild and are not suitable for pets because of their lack of tameness or ability to bond with people. WAIF volunteers humanely trap feral cats and bring them to the shelter. There the feral cats are spayed or neutered, and once completely healed, released back into the wild. Additionally, the group raises funds to pay for specialized care and medical treatment for animals in need. Shelter resident, Katie, a Labrador retriever mix, needs hip surgery. Katie was brought to WAIF with a badly injured knee after falling off a cliff. WAIF veterinarians operated on the knee but soon discovered that she also requires hip replacement surgery. The surgery will cost over $3,000, so WAIF is raising funds to help the pooch.Katie is a sweet, friendly, lovable dog who would make a great family pet, Babich said.Volunteers are welcomed by WAIF staff to help keep up with the care of the animals and maintenance of the facility, as well as providing assistance at the thrift stores and special events. One volunteer program available through WAIF brings the homeless animals to the volunteers, instead of the volunteers to the shelter.The foster home program joins caring volunteers and families with animals that are not ready to be adopted. Often this means puppies and kittens that are too young to live in the shelter or to be adopted out. Foster volunteers take care of the animals in their own homes until they are ready to be adopted. Sometimes foster volunteers are called upon to take care of a mother dog or cat and its litter, and other times the baby animals have no mother, Bibich said.Those interested in volunteering in any capacity may call volunteer coordinator Krista Hays at 678-5816.The second annual Wag N’ Walk fund-raiser will take place on June 16, with proceeds benefitting WAIF. The event is a walk-a-thon, and it will take place at the Coupeville Elementary School, beginning with registration at 10 a.m. The public is invited to participate in the walk-a-thon, and pet dogs are welcome to attend with their owners. Funds will be raised by walk participants gathering pledges. Registration forms are available at many local retailers, said Babich, or interested parties may call the WAIF event line at 679-4668 for more information.The Wag N’ Walk will include activities such as demonstrations and contests. Prizes will be awarded.It’s just a big dog party, said Sue Van Etten, WAIF volunteer.You can reach News-Times reporter Christine Smith at csmith@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611 “