Seattle, WA
Andrés Muñoz is Cool For Cats with Seattle Area Feline Rescue
Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz loves all animals, but cats hold a special place in his heart. You’ve probably seen his cat Matilda, a grumpy-faced, golden-eyed Persian who travels with Muñoz and his wife Wendy, riding along to road cities in her pink princess carrier. Andrés and Wendy adopted Matilda out of a neglectful situation in Mexico, where the Muñoz family has a history of taking in abandoned or abused animals. Now Andrés is helping adoptable cats in his adopted home of Seattle, teaming up with Seattle Area Feline Rescue (SAFe) for a fundraising effort to support the work SAFe does for pets and pet parents in Washington and beyond.
SAFe takes in cats who need homes from all over Washington, as well as Southern California and Hawaii; they also partner with other agencies to provide relief to overcrowded shelters in times of natural disasters, and with shelters right here in the city when they experience overcrowding. In addition to supporting the cats in their care—which includes supplies and training for foster families as well as medical support for the up to 30 cats on-site—SAFe also supports community pet parents, offering support via a pet food pantry and low-cost wellness care (vaccines, microchips, parasite control, etc.) for low-income families designed to keep cats at home with their loving families.
Emily Sprong, Executive Director of SAFe, says having a quieter shelter environment that focuses only on cats provides better outcomes for the cats in their care. A shelter environment is stressful and scary for any pet, which can cause a strain on a stray cat’s already overburdened immune system, and that environment is only exacerbated for cats when there are barking dogs present.
The Muñozes used a precious off-day this Monday to visit SAFe to tour the facilities in North Shoreline, where the shelter moved into a bigger space a year and a half ago. The new facility—over two and a half times bigger than their old space—boasts an adoption center where potential pet parents can bond with adoptable animals, vet care techs and surgical facilities where cats can get the care they need, an isolation unit for cats suffering from ringworm or other fungal infections, a community meeting space, a pet pantry, exam rooms, and much more.
“I had no idea so much goes on behind the scenes,” said Muñoz, who was given an extensive tour of the shelter and asked many thoughtful questions throughout his visit, including studying a full-body x-ray of a cat with one of the vet technicians. “There’s all this stuff nobody sees.”
Muñoz was especially interested in comparing the procedures at SAFe with what he’s familiar with from Mexico, where his grandfather ran a de facto animal shelter. “He took all the dogs he could, all the street dogs, because he had a lot of land,” said Muñoz. “At one time they told me he had 26 dogs and they’d all sleep in the same bed because he had a big bed, so everybody would jump up on the bed and try to sleep with him. So from there, my mom started to pick up dogs and cats. We just try to do our best to take care of them.”
“[In Mexico], there are a lot of animals around,” he said. “You see a lot of dogs and cats in the streets, you can see their bones from how hungry they are. We can’t let that happen. I don’t like to see anybody suffer,” he said. “We have to take care of them. We as humans, we can fend for ourselves, but animals need us.”
As much as he feels like a protector of animals, Muñoz is quick to point out that animals give back to their people, as well; they’re good for mental health, he says. Your pets don’t care if you had a bad day on the mound or a good one; they’re just happy to see you. “I think they are the best friend of a human. That is why I love to take care of them. They give you a lot of happiness.”
Sprong, the director of SAFe, agrees, noting that cat adoptions were especially popular during the pandemic. “I feel like right now there are a lot of people who are just feeling a little overwhelmed with life, but we can absolutely make a difference in these cats’ lives, and in the lives of people who are adopting them.”
One day, Muñoz dreams of having an actual animal sanctuary in his native Mexico.
“That is one of my goals in life. I would love to do something like this in Mexico. It’s awesome what they do here.”
“We can take care of ourselves, but cats need us to take care of them. I saw a lot of things before of animal cruelty, and I just can’t let those things happen. I can’t do everything, but I will do my best to do what I can.”
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Part of what Muñoz is doing to contribute is lending his presence to SAFe, partnering with the shelter to auction off two packages on behalf of SAFe: each package includes four tickets to a game, along with four passes to batting practice and an opportunity for a meet-and-greet with Andrés. The auction is live now and will run until May 5. And for a $100 donation to SAFe, you’ll receive an exclusive printed photo of Muñoz captured during his visit to SAFe, including Andrés cuddling some adorable kitties.
Because adoption fees cover only about 12% of the cost SAFe incurs per cat, donations are a crucial lifeline to keep SAFe hard at work rescuing cats. This year, SAFe is running their “GiveBIG” fundraising drive from May 6-7, and you can donate any amount here, or sign up to help fundraise.
You can also support Seattle-area kitties by coming out to SAFe night at the ballpark on Tuesday July 22nd against the Brewers. “Take Meow’t to the Ballgame” night will be on July 22 and $5 from every ticket sold through this special ticket offer will go to SAFe. You’ll also get this cool hat with a sassy lil’ cartoon cat and mini cat ears (it says “Take Meow’t To The Ballgame” across the back). Deadline to purchase tickets is July 21 by 5 PM.
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Sprong is grateful to Muñoz, baseball’s #1 cat dad, for lending his voice in support of cats, who don’t always receive the same amount of attention as adoptable dogs.
“It’s phenomenal. Cats are definitely underserved, overshadowed by dogs in the adoption space. I love dogs too, I have a dog at home, but being able to have a space like this that is designed and built for cats…it’s a quiet environment, there’s no barking or anything, it makes a really big difference. It allows us to really focus on their unique needs. As we have increasing density in Seattle, more and more people are living in apartments, that’s a little easier with a cat than with a dog.
So it’s really great to have somebody shining a light on cats, and we really appreciate it.”
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Seattle, WA
VIDEO: Scream Club Seattle keeps growing, midway through first year
(Story originally posted 8:22 pm, updated 12:32 am)
By Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
From a distance, they looked like a regular crowd of people enjoying a nice evening walk on the shores of Lincoln Park. But they were gathered here for a singular purpose: to scream. Since September 2025, the Scream Club Seattle has met at Lincoln Park on every third Sunday to scream, led by head organizer Amber Walcker. No explanation, justification, or invitation to scream is needed – come as you are. “There are some harder emotions people come here to deal with, sure, but some people also just come to scream.” head organizer Amber explained.
Tonight’s crowd showed the club is rapidly growing. From around a dozen or so participants in the first gathering in September, tonight seemed to attract around 40 people gathering to let it all out.
As the sun started to set, and everyone was finally gathered together, the Scream Club was ready to begin.
There are only three screams, organizer Amber explained. The first, she said, is a scream to get used to doing it in public. The second scream is there to ground you. And the final – and longest scream – is there to let you have an emotional catharsis.
She also wanted to make sure people were taking care of their vocal health beforehand. As she told everyone to walk a little bit from the meeting place and start to gather near the shore, she instructed the crowd to hum for a few minutes on the way, to warm up the vocal cords.
With that, the crowd walked towards the shore.
“On the count of one – two – three – scream!” said organizer Amber.
You can see our video of the proceedings here. After the screaming, we talked to a few participants about why they came out.
“There’s not one thing that’s really making me want to scream. There’s a lot of stuff going on for me, a lot of emotional ups and downs. Screaming into the ocean together gives you a sense of community.” said Jessie.
“This is my third or fourth time coming to scream. With the political climate, with everything that’s happening, getting together with local community to scream feels more productive than screaming into the internet on social media.” said Ursula.
“This is my first time coming out.” said Liz. “I screamed after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, and I really felt something. I realized I’ve been feeling a lot of frustration recently, and it felt like coming here was a healthy way to get it out rather than screaming at your neighbors.”
Organizer Amber recognizes much of what they were saying. “Meeting like this can be an important element to have in your mental health toolbox. It’s rare to have scream therapy.” She shared an anecdote about the therapeutic origins of the group, which originally started with a chapter in Chicago. “The founder was a life coach. Their girlfriend was having a bad day, and they encouraged them to go to the Chicago Pier and just let it out. He walked her through the process, and that was that. Eventually they invited more people to come do it.” She hopes to bring that same therapeutic energy to the practice here. “It’s a moment of emotional release more than anything else. Depending on what’s going on in people’s minds, everyone will come here with a different mindset and purpose. We’re providing a safe space to do that.”
Scream Club Seattle meets at Lincoln Park on the first Sunday of every month, and they are also starting to meet on the third Sunday of every month at Golden Gardens in Ballard. Tentatively, the next events will be in Lincoln Park on April 5th around 6 PM, and Golden Gardens on March 15th around 5 PM. If you’d like to know more, you can find them on Instagram here or look at their future events on their Eventbrite page here.
Seattle, WA
Detectives Investigating Robbery, Shooting Over $20 Necklace – SPD Blotter
Seattle police detectives are investigating a robbery and shooting of a 23-year-old man over a $20 necklace in Pioneer Square this morning.
At about 12:40 a.m., patrol officers responded to a shooting in the 500 block of 2nd Avenue. There, they found a victim, bleeding, with a gunshot wound to his right thigh. Police and the Seattle Fire Department treated his injury. Medics took him to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) in stable condition.
Police determined that the victim just left a bar, getting into the passenger seat of his friend’s car, when the suspect, wearing a ski mask and armed with a firearm, approached him and demanded his necklace. They struggled over the item, and the suspect shot the victim in the leg. The shooter fled in a vehicle with the necklace before police arrived. The value of the “chain” is about $20.
Detectives in the Robbery Unit responded to the scene and HMC. Anyone with information is asked to call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip line at 206-233-5000. Anonymous tips are accepted.
Incident Number: 2026-57536
Seattle, WA
Fast Start for Kraken Win, Homestand | Seattle Kraken
That stretch begins with five more home games: A skilled and successful Carolina squad Monday, followed by St. Louis (for the second time in a week) Wednesday, Ottawa next Saturday, then Nashville (just behind Seattle in the West wild-card race) on March 10 and then finishing with Western Conference leader Colorado March 12.
Stars Shine and Star-Crossed Hat Trick
Vince Dunn opened the scoring in his 600th NHL game. Jordan Eberle topped the best Kraken-season goals mark with his 21st and 22nd goals of the year, with 23 games left to flirt with his first 30-plus goals on the year since his sophomore season in 2011-12. Joey Daccord registered 27 saves on the victorious night, including nine high-danger chances in the first 40 minutes alone.
To the fans’ disappointment, the slick-stickhandling Daccord missed a historic goalie goal by inches. But the sellout crowd was rewarded when Eberle cashed in on the Vancouver empty net. Eberle now has four two-goal games this season.
In a bizarre twist, when Eberle scored that empty-netter, Kraken fans rightfully cheered and tossed headwear for what was presumed to be a hat-trick score. But after Eberle scored, the scoring change on the Kraken’s power play goal was announced when off-ice officials realized Eberle’s shot had just ever-so-slightly deflected off Matty Beniers’ skate. So no hat trick for the second time this season. Linemate Jared McCann and hat-tossing fans thought the Kraken’s all-time leading scorer had notched a hat trick earlier this season, only to have it reversed when an offside infraction by, wait for it, Beniers, erased the goal.
Eberle joked post-game that maybe fans deserved some hats. The Kraken captain also said when Daccord missed by inches on his goalie goal, he was on the bench saying, “he got it, he got it.” Post-game, Eberle said, “It’s just a matter of time before he gets one” because he greatly admires the goaltender’s puck-handling skills.
The Kraken came out fast Saturday night with two goals, a couple of near-misses, lots of scoring attempts and pucks on net during the first 20 minutes. One near-miss was a hard wrist shot from Jordan Eberle that clanged off the far post. But no matter, Eberle scored a pivotal goal in the second period, getting in front of a Vancouver shot and chasing his own ricochet to create a breakaway with his still-elite speed. The 35-year-old Seattle captain went to his lethal backhand to beat Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen. Eberle’s tally re-upped the two-goal lead.
Good night for Kraken special teams as well. The penalty killer snuffed an early third period Canucks power play to keep the two-score cushion. Later third period, Matty Beniers scored on the power play, deflecting an Eberle shot, to push the score to 4-1. Chandler Stephenson earned his second point of the night with the primary assist. Same for Dunn, who notched the second assist. The Kraken needed just 10 seconds to score the man-advantage marker.
Captaining His Best Kraken Season…
It is Eberle’s 21st goal of the season. The next one he scores will set a new high as a Kraken for the teammate everyone calls “Ebs.” That makes it three of five seasons that Eberle has scored 20 or more goals. Eberle almost scored again later second period when matching cross-checking penalties on SEA forward Kaapo Kakko and VAN defenseman Filip Hronek. The ensuing 4-on-4 play was dominated by the Kraken quartet of Eberle, Matty Beniers, Brandon Montour and Ryker Evans. Beniers stood with some moves and an improv that had future Hall of Fame play-by-play man John Forslund saying, “Beniers did everything but score.” It was heartening to see Seattle flexing its offensive chops with a 3-1 lead.
The Kraken scored twice in an opening 20 minutes played to order, returning to the hard forechecking game they exhibited on a heater 10-game streak before the Olympic break. The starting goalie did his part, stopping all nine of Vancouver’s shots in the first 20 minutes to bring confidence to the first-intermission home locker room.
Jumping Out of the Starting Blocks
The Kraken faithful were mega-decibel loud during the announcement of the starting lineups, welcoming back Olympian bronze medalists Kaapo Kakko and Eeli Tolvanen, as well as Seattle teammates. This week’s two road losses forgotten, replaced by rousing cheers for starters and fourth-liners Freddy Gaudreau, centering Jacob Melanson and Ben Meyers (on the wing for the first since a road matchup in LA right before the winter holiday break).
Defenseman Cale Fleury and Ryker Evans rounded out the skaters in front of Joey Daccord. It’s not a stretch to think head coach Lane Lambert was sending a message with his fourth line and third pair getting the first shift after losing two games in the Midwest by a composite score of 9-2.
Saturday morning, both defenseman Vince Dunn and Lambert both talked about what would be the ideal first 10 to 20 minutes in this Pacific Division showdown with rival Vancouver.
“We need to play simple and hard and direct,” said Dunn, who was playing in his 600th NHL game, 333 with Seattle. “I think we’re very connected when we can get our forecheck going. I think the way we play as a five-man unit is that we slow teams down and don’t get scrambled in our own end. We’re more patient in our own end and letting guys accept their positions and roles and areas that they need to defend in.
“Right away, we need to start shooting pucks … the past two games, the shot count hasn’t been where we wanted it to be in the first 10 minutes. So let’s get some looks and see what happens. Let’s see if we can get the other team scrambling.”
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