Camper Pup Happy -- Muddy Paws & All -- in Forever Home!

Hurrah!  We heard back today from one our camp puppies' forever guardian.   She wrote,

Thank you for your letters about Brandy, I was so happy to read about the pup's early training and glad to learn he had such great teachers.
I changed the pup's name, as both of you suggested, and he now goes by "District." He loves to take early morning long walks.
I am very lucky to live right across from where I work so we get to see each other for lunch. He is doing very well with his crate training and has almost mastered the come, sit, down and stay commands. He likes to romp around in the dog park but he often gets muddy so I have to wash his paws in the tub (see pic)!
In the afternoons we like to walk down to the waterfront where we see a lot other pups and humans.
Thank you again for your letters and I hope you like the pictures!

Allegra, puppy formerly known as Brandy,
and Ariana sit for their camp portrait

What a nice September morning email.  I'm sure District's trainers will be thrilled with the update.  Hope we hear an equally favorable report from this lucky guy's brothers and sister.

Back to School

Pups begging to go to camp

It's official.  Summer is over.   Well, maybe NOT according to the calendar -- summer doesn't officially end until September 21st -- but along with school starting, camps ended at the League.  Four adorable Labrador retriever mix pups, Basil, Bonzo, Brandy, and Bama quickly moved into their forever homes shortly after completing  Caring Kids -- Training 101 -- Camp, Session 2 .  Their eight camper/trainers did a wonderful job giving the foursome the basics.   They, like students returning to school, need to keep practicing their newly learned skills.   We are hoping to get progress reports from their adopters soon. 

Caring Kids Camp 2013 Highlights Creatures Great and Small

All About Animals Camp campers loved visiting with  the cats and dogs housed at the shelter, but they also delighted in meeting other animals like the box turtles and gecko that Dr. Pricilla Joyner from Pender Veterinary Center brought to camp.  Both turtles had been injured and neither could be released to the wild.  The gecko, a former patient of Dr. Joyner's, was constantly being treated  for eye infections.  At one point the reptile's guardian said that she couldn't care for the Leopard Gecko any longer, and that's how Dr. Joyner adopted her little buddy.  Dr. Joyner not only sees small  exotic creatures at the hospital, but she helps to care for large, potentially endangered wild animals living at the Smithsonian's science centers.  Many campers are interested in becoming veterinarians.   After Dr. Joyner's visit, they learned that if they are at all interested in caring for, and studying, a large assortment of animals, they better be prepared for many, many years of education.  Several eagerly said that they were up for the challenge.

There are two more weeks of Caring Kids Camp scheduled for this summer. Animals and Art runs July 29- August 2 and Dog Training 101 is set for August 12-16.  All sessions for 2013 are completely full.

Camp Memories!



Lillian concentrates on molding
 her spirit animal in Animals & Art





Miles introduces All About Animals
campers to a young pup.



Sophia & Allegra team teach Gary
 in T3-Training, Tips and Treats.

Some area students started school a couple of weeks ago; others went back today.  Most local students return to school next Monday.   Before I start planning for a busy school year, I decided to make the summer last a little bit longer by spending time today enjoying the many photographs taken during our three sessions of Caring Kids Camp -- All About Animals, Animals & Art, and T-3- Training, Tips, and Treats.   In all three sessions I was thrilled to see returning campers; plus I met delightful new friends who I hope to see next year, if not before.   Because camps were filled to capacity, with waiting lists that never moved, we will add a fourth week in 2013.  Information about four weeks of Caring Kids Camp will be posted on the blog and the League's website, warl.org, in early February. To see more photos click on the pictures on the right-haand side of the page under Dr. Hughes' Friendship Tales.

Campers and Critters -- Oh My!

Think Washington Animal Rescue League, and you probably think cats and dogs.   That's mostly true -- unless it is Caring Kids --All About Animals -- Camp week at the League.   For five days in late June,  17 campers were introduced to, and visited, with snakes, turtles, bunnies, bats, hissing cockroaches (true!), goats, sheep, horses, chickens and a number of other animals including a baby alligator.   The campers learned about companion animal care, habitat destruction, and a myriad of other issues concerning companion, exotic, farm, and wild animals.  We were fortunate to have Joyce Davis,a WARL supporter and photographer, chronicle our adventures throughout the week.  To see many more of Joyce's pictures click on the group picture of campers to the right. 

  

The two remaining sessions of Caring Kids Camp 2012, Animals and Art and Training 101 are completely full.   To attend camp at the League during the summer of 2013, check back with us in February.

HOME! for Thanksgiving

Sammi is spending her first Thanksgiving in her forever home.   Who knows where the little poodle spent Thanksgiving in years past, but this year we know that she is with her favorite person, Katherine, and the rest of her new family --  including Jingle, a big, 10-year-old bunny. 

Katherine attended the third session of our  Caring Kids summer camp, the one that focused on dog training.    At the end of the five days Katherine told her pup good-bye, but she continued working on her family about adopting the tiny P-pup.   She must be quite persuasive because after a couple of days her mom called from their vacation and asked if the pup was still available.  "No, " she was told, the puppy was already in a new home.

Soon after their return, Katherine and her family visited the League.  And, there was Allison Krause!   A pretty autumn-colored poodle who had just been returned.   To the best of our knowledge the little dog had lived in at least three homes, probably more.  Katherine's would be her FOREVER home.

Katherine's mother sent a recent update --

It's been 2 1/2 months. We renamed her Sammi. It was 2 weeks before she barked. It was another few weeks before she would not cower around men. She is still afraid of most new people. We took her for her first grooming and she trembled most of the time.  I expect her to become more confident with time. But with us, she's just a sweet, good tempered pup. We just love her.

She gets 2-3 walks a day during the week and more on weekends.  Sammi goes to soccer with us and we've taken her to Great Falls Park.  Sammi is somewhat interested in our rabbit. She sniffs him but that is about it.

Katherine's mom reports that the family cat is not quite so sure about Sammi.   But I am guessing that by next Thanksgiving the update will include a photo of the cat and Sammi in close proximity of one another.  

There is much to be thankful for -- Caring Kids campers, animals in forever home, and for parents, who have never had a dog, but who make the plunge to adopt and then fall in love. 

Caring Campers Encourage League Visitors to Adopt Dogs

The League's first-ever Caring Kids Camp concluded last Friday with certificates of completion, media interviews (WUSA-channel 9 interviewed Carolos, Delicia, and Tselote), hugs and promises to keep in touch. Evidence of the 14 campers commitment to making the world a better place for the animals continues to be displayed in the shelter. On Tuesday of last week the campers created adoption posters highlighting many of the dogs' best qualities. Artist Carol Hilliard, who illustrated the book I Like Dogs, conducted a workshop focusing mostly on drawing dogs, but demonstrated with a cat drawing, too. The campers applied those techniques when designing their adoption posters. A couple of the dogs have already gone home; their new families got to keep the camper-created posters. We're looking forward to Bogey, Keiffer, and Thunder heading out to their forever homes soon.