After a year open “by appointment only” due to the pandemic, PAWS of Grays Harbor will hold an open house to celebrate the reopening of the shelter to the community.

“We are ecstatic to begin going back to regular hours for the community we serve,” said Molle Bouch, PAWS of Grays Harbor President. “This last year, because of COVID, we’ve had to operate at a reduced capacity to maintain the safety of our animals, staff, and volunteers. Now, we are moving forward and taking steps back to normalcy and providing additional availability for our community.”

The shelter will be open to the public — no appointment necessary — Wednesdays starting Aug. 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The open house is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 21 with drawings and prizes, and the office will resume its open Saturday from then on, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“We are extremely grateful and treasure our community, and want them to know we are there for them,” said Bouch. “People can’t always make appointments or schedule a visit to our shelter in advance, so this is a great opportunity for individuals to come in and visit all our adoptable animals.”

The shelter will still continue to maintain an appointment only schedule during the other days of the week, with an eye to adding more open days in the future. Appointments are still required for scheduled services, such as Community Care — low-cost vaccinations, medical treatments, and grooming services.

PAWS of Grays Harbor, the largest no-kill shelter in the county, does require all unvaccinated guests of the shelter to wear a mask while visiting.

“We are excited and look forward to people dropping in and visiting us,” said Bouch. “It will be great to see the community interacting with the animals and who knows, maybe finding that forever cat or dog.”

For more information about the shelter, the services provided, and to view adoptable animals, please visit pawsgh.org.