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 20, 2019

A carload of donations for the animals!
Molly happily visits with Arya
When Arya, a rising 9th grader, decided to help HRA help the animals as a means of earning her Girl Scout Silver Award, she decided to spearhead a linen collection. But, not just any linen collection, she contacted local hotels and asked if they would donate their castoff towels and sheets to HRA. The Omni Shoreham hotel on Calvert Street, N.W. said that they routinely donate their used linens to other organizations, but would be happy to make regular contributions to HRA, too. Arya's mom served as linen transporter. Her sedan was packed (trunk and back seat) full of bags of white towels and sheets. The linens came at a crucial time for the shelter. Our shelters are filled to capacity with cats, dogs, puppies, and kittens waiting for homes. Linens are used for cleaning kennels, bathing animals, and bedding.
Thanks, Arya, for arranging the Omni's generous donation and employing your mom to help get the linens to HRA. There are lots of white towels and sheets being used in our kennels today!

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Summer Reading Recomendations

It's fun to shop at school book fairs, especially when they offer BOGO. I picked up eight  books at Center City Public Charter School -- Petworth Campus' recent sale.The photo on Cecilia Galante's Strays Like Us book cover got my attention, but it was the heartfelt, first person narrative that sucked me in and held me until the last page. Fred (Winifred) is one of those middle school protagonists who goes through a whirlwind of emotional changes in 300 pages! She is  supported a long the way by an eccentric, motorcycle driving, welder foster mom; a bullied classmate determined to be Fred's friend; and an abused neighbor dog. The motley band of misfits are survivors. Fred's mother's drug addiction is  central to the story, but not a main story line. It's Fred's relationships with the others that drive the story and highlight  Fred's resiliency and transformation. Some of the dog scenes are difficult to read; they make you wonder why animal control couldn't step in and remove the dog. It's a small rural town where everyone minds their own business, so the lack of humane law intervention does  not come out of left field. Fred and Toby, the old dog, eventually come together for keeps after a series of breath-sucking, tragic events.
I also picked up Royal Dogs, a quick, fun read that highlights the journey of Meghan Markle's rescue beagle, Guy. The little dog traveled from a shelter in Kentucky to an adoption event in Canada. That's where the Duchess met him and fell in love. He then moved to England with Meghan where he is enjoying a legitimately royal life. Lots of famous people have adopted shelter animals, probably so many that an entire book could be filled of with their photos and stories.