The Pacific Northwest is home to many different habitats, flora and fauna species, communities, and domestic animals. In this region, you can find mountain goats, grizzly bears, transient and resident orcas, northwestern salamanders, western pond turtles, red foxes, grey wolves, long-tailed weasels, cougars, bobcats, and so much more. Domestic animals also call this place home as well and have existed with humans for thousands of years. Dogs, cats, horses, chickens, sheep, and more have had a huge impact both on human life and the environment in this region.
As one of the four Belgian herding breeds, the Belgian Malinois is a large breed with an energetic and sometimes intense personality. They were named after the city of Malines, where they were initially developed, and have been around since the 19th century. It wasn’t...
Happy Pride! For the last several decades, June and early July have been a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and a protest for our rights. Animals of the Pacific Northwest is focused on pet care, wildlife conservation, and environmental justice so why does Pride...
Puffins are an easily recognizable species and because of their iconic looks, are often called parrots of the sea or even sea clowns. These birds live their entire lives near or on the sea in the Northern Hemisphere and technically speaking, there are four species:...
It is finally summer here in the Pacific Northwest (more or less!), which means nice weather and plenty of chances to enjoy the nature all around us. The Pacific Northwest is blessed with a range of different environments; there are lakes, rivers, forests, sagelands,...
In addition to all the other animals that call the Pacific Northwest home, there are several species of frogs that also live in the region! One such species is the Oregon Spotted Frog (Rana pretiosa), which is found in different areas of the northwest. They can be...
Global warming and climate change play a huge role in the rising temperatures here in the Northwest and around the world. Summers seem to be getting longer and hotter all across the world and these rising temperatures are impacting people, animals of all kinds, and...
The Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu, also known as HPAI and avian/bird flu, has unfortunately been a large-scale issue across the Pacific Northwest and North America over the last year and a half. This flu strain (H5N1) impacts wild birds like California Condors and...
Designer breeds like Goldendoodles and Pomskys have become very popular over the last few years. But at what cost?
Also known as pumas, mountain lions, and catamounts, cougars are adaptable predators and the world’s fourth largest wildcat following lions, tigers, and jaguars. Cougars are relatively solitary animals but despite living mostly alone, these cats still have complex...
Formerly known as the Brittany Spaniel, these dogs are incredibly energetic and affectionate dogs up for adventures!
Spend time in nature and become a citizen scientist this weekend – April 28 to May 1, 2023!
Happy Earth Day!
Animals of the Pacific Northwest is an online space for folks to learn more about the animals found in and around the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It was started in August of 2017 by me, Andrea Merrill, and began after I spent years caring for all sorts of animals.
Animals of the Pacific Northwest is a labor of love and is a project that I do not get paid for. As much as I love working on the site, there are some costs to running and maintaining it. I am now working with Google AdSense to place some ads around the site to help offset those costs.
One of the things I love about this site is all the stories that you, the audience, tell me! That includes all the wonderful wildlife sightings. While I’m not going to be able to verify every sighting, I can at least try to confirm what you saw.
Also, I am not a biologist, zoologist, or wildlife official so my understanding of wild animals in the Pacific Northwest is more limited than those with more specialized education and experience. That said, I’ll try my darnedest to find an answer if you ask about a wild animal sighting.
Right now, I, unfortunately, don’t have the resources or abilities to know every rescue group and shelter in the Pacific Northwest. That means that typically, I’m not going to have many suggestions on where to find a specific breed of dog or cat you can adopt.
In my ‘Behind the Breed’ series, I try to see if there are any groups or organizations that focus on rescuing that breed. But for the most part, my best recommendation on finding a specific type of dog, cat, or other animals from a rescue is to do some research or look on sites like PetFinder.
At the moment, I am not currently taking any unsolicited submissions for the site. That may change in the future.
You can email me at info@animalsofpnw.com with any questions, concerns, or comments!
You can find Animals of the Pacific Northwest on many social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
I am not a veterinarian, vet tech, animal trainer, behaviorist, or nutritionist and do not have any sort of professional experience in these fields. Much of the information shared on this blog comes from plenty of research or from my years of caring for animals. New routines, including new diets or exercises, should be discussed with your vet or appropriate professional before being put into place. Information found on this site cannot and should not be substituted for information obtained by a licensed professional.
Some posts on Animals of the Pacific Northwest contain affiliate links that I could make a commission off of. All opinions expressed are my own and any post with affiliate links will contain a disclosure statement at the beginning. There are some additional third party ads on the site that I could also make a commission off of.
Do not sell, reproduce, or otherwise modify any written content found on this blog. That also applies to photos on Animals of the Pacific Northwest’s Instagram or ones for sale. Sharing a link with proper credit is allowed.
Lastly, any and all opinions shared by the author are solely the author’s. The author, Andrea, does not speak for any and all outside employers.