SPEAK FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T
IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT AN ANIMAL IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
PLEASE CALL ANIMAL CONTROL,
202-576-6664
OUR OFFICERS ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP 24/7



Thursday, June 28, 2012

Cruising to All About Animals

I can't wait to share all of the awesome photos and tales (some about tails) from our All About Animals Camp.   But, right now I have to prepare for our last day, tomorrow.  It has been a very busy week.  We've met lots of animals -- and not just cats and dogs, this is All About ANIMALS Camp.  Bunnies, farm animals (goats, sheep, horses, chickens, turkeys, and more),  and turtles and snakes and more!  One of our campers, Matthew, travels to camp on the back of a really, big bike, and I don't meant like the 21 speed my son, Max, is pedaling to baseball camp.   Check back July 7th for lots of camp details and photos.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Can't Have a Cat or Dog at Home? You Can Help the Animals at the League

The little black kitten posing with Natalie, Viviana and Juliet is available for adoption.

And, that's exactly want Natalie, Viviana and Juliet did.   They held a very successful bake sale and told customers that all proceeds raised would benefit the cats and dogs at the Washington Animal Rescue League.  But that's not all.  Natalie and Juliet enlisted the  talents of their grandma, "who can make anything," to design and create AWESOME cat toys.  The crocheted  toys quickly became a cat room favorite.  Plus, WARL cats may be the first ones to have what could be the next big toy in the pet trade -- Grandma's Cat Crunchies (the the crocheted poms are filled with plastic bags to give them that crinkly sound. 
This was the caring trio's second recent  trip to the League.  Scroll down the blog, and look for the 4-H donation highlighted on the right side of the page.  The girls were part of the group that came by in March armed with bundles of donations -- including cat comforters and toys designed by the group, a collection of  towels,  food, treats and cash!   Thanks Natalie, Viviana and Juliet.


Sunday, June 17, 2012

Stay! Charlotte!

Charlotte in Max's arms
after an earlier save today!
What makes Charlotte want to go outside?    I wish I knew.   She has cat toys and climbing trees to keep her busy.  She has her mentor-cat Merl to play with.  AND, she has a nearly endless supply of crickets to chase (and mutilate) in the basement.  And, yet, every time we open the front door, Charlotte is perched to escape. 
I'm just as ready  -- I put my foot out and yell "Back Charlotte!"   Which Charlotte interprets  to mean "Run Charlotte".   She makes it over my outstretched foot more times than not.   After her mad dash, she goes flat in the grass, and if I don't get her right away, she nibbles a blade or two. 
The screened- in backporch  obviously does not begin to compare to the great outdoors.  If Charlotte is birdwatching  on the porch, and hears the front door lock turn, she hightails it across the house assuming her escape position.
This is one battle that I will NOT concede.   Charlotte, like Micky and Merl, is an inside cat.  An inside cat does not have to dodge cars or do battle with other animals. An inside cat cannot kill birds and baby bunnies.  When I go home today I'll put the key in the door, stick out my right foot and scream, "Back Charlotte!"   And, then I'll turn around and scoop Charlotte off the grass and take her back inside where she belongs.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Lowell Pre-Primary Students' Trunk Show Nets Profits for the Animals

I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way,
begins the iconic Whitney Houston song.  The four and five year old students in the Adventure Room at the Lowell School spent the latter part of the 2012 school year learning about entrepreneurship and philanthropy while applying their artistic talents.  The pre-primary students planned, created, and sold more than a 100 pieces of jewelry. The students sent the proceeds from their jewelry store sale to the League to help care for the animals.   Perhaps these future leaders will change the world so that there won't be millions of unwanted cats and dogs in the United States.   I am certain that every time a compliment is received about the jewelry, a story is told about its creation and the needs of the Washington Animal Rescue League.  So, that makes these rising kindergartners not only artists, entrepreneurs and philanthropists, but educators, too.  

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Students Learn About the League and Share their Findings

Minh-Hong  and Cleo, Capital City Public Charter School sophomores, chose to highlight animal welfare as their Realities of Injustice, a World History-English-Geometry Expedition project.   The presentation, held at the Hirshhorn Museum Sculpture Garden, gave students an opportunity to share their findings.  Describing the League's Read and Relax program, the girls wrote:
 We walked into a room that had many small breed dogs. Our eyes then led to a man reading a book. At first, we thought he was just taking a break by reading a book. As we moved closer, we realized he was reading out loud to a shy dog that was resting underneath him. Reading aloud will help the dog become more comfortable with people and make it easier to adopt this dog. These are the kind of activities volunteers at the Washington Animal Rescue League do every day.
The girls interviewed me several weeks ago.  Be the agents of change, I told the students.  Ending animal suffering, curbing the companion animal crisis, and promoting responsible animal care starts with compassionate, motivated and proactive individuals.  I appreciated the opportunity to talk to two such people, Minh-Hong and Cleo. Nice work ladies, have a great summer! 

Wednesday, June 6, 2012


 "Our girls are awesome cookie sellers!" said Stephanie, Ella's mom and Brownie Troop 2888's leader. "When we were working on a financial literacy badge, the girls were tasked with how to spend our cookie money-- they came up with the idea of making toys for shelter animals and contributing  money."  
The girls were very successful!  They visited the League last week bringing lots of handcrafted dog toys and a $250 donation.   Can anyone refuse buying a box of Thin Mints, especially when the purchase goes to help support the animals at the Washington Animal Rescue League?  Thank you troop 2888 for choosing the Washington Animal Rescue League as the recipient of this year's cookie sales.   The many dogs in our care are having a blast with the toys!  And, we've pulled the colorful braided tug toys past a cats or two -- none have complained that they are species specific.

Monday, June 4, 2012

June is ADOPT a cat Month

One curious kitten
nose kisses Ana,
a technician in our
 Medical Center .
While June is officially designated Adopt-A-Cat Month, by the looks of your cat room, every month should be Adopt-A-Cat Month.  Every cat condo is full of personable adult cats just waiting for that special someone to come by and say, "That's the cat!  I love him (or her)."  And our inside lobby showcase windows are teeming with kittens!    Cute, rambunctious, "Take Me, Take Me" kittens.  

We are hoping that the special event designation will increase adoptions at the League.  In honor of the national event, the League has waived cat fees.  But, that does not mean that there are FREE cats -- there's no such thing.   Food, bowls, toys, vet visits, scratching posts, litter boxes AND lots and lots of kitty litter, veterinarian visits and more add up quickly.   Taking in a cat or kitten is a lifetime commitment that comes with financial responsibilities and emotional bonds.   People lucky enough to share their lives with a cat, or two (or more), wouldn't have it any other way.  The companionship, the love, and the humor offered by a cat is beyond compare.  Come by the League and celebrate Adopt-A-Cat Month.