West Education Campus 4th Graders Give Back

While  showing off the colorful tug toys that they made for the dogs at WARL, West Education Campus 4th graders, along with their teacher, Ms. Cole, pose behind the donation  boxes that they placed in the school lobby,    

West Education Campus fourth graders  spent a good chunk of the 2014-2015 school year learning about animals.  And, as the school year draws to a close they spearheaded projects to help the cats and dogs at WARL.   During the school year the class went on a field trip to WARL, had a very special dog visit their classroom, read books about animals and learned what they can do to help cats and dogs in the community.   The students retained lots of information and happily shared their new knowledge on the final evaluation and in thank you letters. "I would like to thank you for spending your time with us,...The fourth graders next year are so lucky." wrote Keyon,  When asked what the students learned  during the year La'Sha,  Tynesha, Litzy and Moses mentioned the importance of spaying and neutering;Simeon, Donnie and Alexis referenced animal cruelty.  Undoubtedly, Ms. Cole's fourth graders will take their new found knowledge and make the world a better place for animals. 

Adoption at Any Age

Hank, the second from the left,  a recent WARL alum,
enjoys a treat with his new best-buds.  

Finding a  home for a "senior" dog can be difficult at best.  But, when you have a super-terrific foster home with a stellar placement record, you know that it is just a matter of time before the perfect home is found.  Hank is a prime example --  an older abandoned dog finds himself in a shelter, endears himself to shelter staff, loyal volunteer/fosterer agrees to take the little guy, and the rest as they say is "history".  

One Person Can Make a Difference!

Thanks to Sandy Spring Friends School student, Miriam Gardsbane,  How I Became an Elephant, a brutal, truthful documentary will be screened, and open to the public,  Saturday, May 23rd at Sandy Spring Friends School, 16923 Norwood Rd, Sandy Spring, MD 20860.  Seats are limited!

Miriam is proof that one person's efforts do make a difference. check out the video about Miriam.
http://www.howibecameanelephant.com/2015/04/nine-year-old-takes-action-after-being-inspired-by-our-film/ And, then register to attend the screening!
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/they-deserve-to-be-free-screening-of-how-i-became-an-elephant-tickets-16604077242?aff=es2

Aidan Montessori's Girls on the Run Team go the Extra Mile to Help the Cats and Dogs at WARL

 L to R: Betel, Anna, Eliza, Charlotte, Catherine, Joy, Lucy, Hannah

 Back row – Coach Tyler, Coach Megan

The Girls on the Run web site (www.girlsontherun.org) advocates Power through Service -- 

What a great way to kick-off the 100th Anniversary of Be Kind to Animals Week, May 3-9.  When asked to  "brainstorm institutions in our community that could use our help,” the Aidan Montessori School Girls on the Run chapter decided to fund “pets that don’t have homes”.  WARL is the recipient of the group's very successful bake sale.  Tomorrow, the eight take-charge animal advocates and their dedicated coaches will visit the shelter and present WARL with the $250 they raised during a successfully, delicious bake sale.

Say That Again, Please

"You want me to do what?" asks Mackenzie of her guardian.  If ever there was an expression that deserves to go viral, it's this one.   Mackenzie, formerly Eskimo, is celebrating her first month in her new home.   She has a kitten bff  named Edgar and a  two-legged friend who insists that Mackenzie become something called housebroken.  To emphasize the housebreaking thing, the two-legged takes Maclenzie for plenty of walks.

Happy Earth Day!

Everyone Can be a Poet

Dean Koontz, a prolific writer whose books are typically read by adults, collaborated with Trixie Koontz (Dean's faithful companion also identified as a Golden Retriever) and illustrator Janet Cleland, to pen I,Trixie Who is Dog.  The opening of the tale, written in verse, is a perfect reminder that APRIL  is still National Poetry Month.

Dog is the best of the best things to be.

Sorry you are not dog.

Not everyone can be.

I decided to use Dean and Trixie's style to craft a cat's retort

Cat is the perfect creature - true

Want to see a  flawless feline?

Look at me, not you!

The Puppy Made off with My Slippers

by Jack Perleutsky
The puppy made off with my slippers
and buried them both in the yard.
I now grow remarkable shoe trees-
it isn't especially hard.
(From A Pizza the size of the Sun )
Happy National Poetry Month!

Bunnies for Kitties!

A crafty family left a gift for the shelter cats.   Eggs.  Or Bunnies.  Or Egg-bunnies, Bunny-eggs.   They wobble, make a sound (filled with beans or cat crunchies) and tickle your nose. Now, officially cat-tested at WARL. Thank you holiday elves.  

Four Years in a Row!

 The local 4-H group stopped by on Sunday armed with a variety of donations -- food, treats, toys and cat litter, plus a money jar filled with cash  The Takoma Park group's annual spring drive for WARL started out as a chapter effort in 2012 and has blossomed into full-blown community event.   The members are getting older and taller and their collections are getting, bigger too!   Thanks 4-H friends!

From the Pen of a Fabulous Foster

What a sweet face!!  
Nanook's foster wrote, 
Nanook is a charming little gentleman. Poor Nanook lived in a home but his beloved guardian passed away. He enjoys the company of other dogs and he is cat friendly. He shows nice house manners, likes soft comfy dog beds and he is particularly fond of belly rubs. Nanook does have some health issues but that has not stopped him from loving life. help him in his golden years. If you know someone who might interested in meeting Nanook, contact adopt@warl.org. 

SPRING Forward and Warmer Days Will Follow

 Driving is bad enough, but add snow and ice to the mix, and I would much rather spend  my day  like Charlotte and Merl, snoozing in the sunshine.   Better bank a little extra sleep now, we lose an hour Saturday night when we spring forward for the start of Daylight Savings Time.   Could that mean that warmer days are really and truly ahead?

Who Knew Charlotte Could be so Funny?

"You are so funny,"  laughs, Nigel.  
"It's March already and you think it's 
going to snow again?  Go on! Tell me another joke."

WARL Animals Benefit from Market Mania at Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School

Second graders, also known as the Ospreys,  in Ms. Camila and Ms. Naomi's class at Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School recently studied the ins and outs of markets.   As part of their business plan,  they chose to donate the proceeds from their sales to the Washington Animal Rescue League!  The young entrepreneurs created and sold paper jewelry, origami, bottle cap key chains and metal wind chimes.    Their creative wares were in great demand.  A check for $150 arrived at WARL over the weekend along with a nice, colorful  note from the students.   On behalf of the cats and dogs and the staff at WARL, thank you Mundo Verde Public Charter School Ospreys for caring about animals and using the proceeds from Market Mania to help them. 

A Birthday Tradition Benefitting WARL Animals



Bella and her friend pose in front of bags of birthday donations.  Julian, an animal caretaker, and Ruby, WARL's  Medical Director's loyal companion, show their appreciation for all of the gifts.

This is not the first time that Bella has asked for gifts for the animals at WARL in lieu of birthday presents.  Last year she and her mom delivered so many bags that WARL staff declared it a colossal donation.  This year's birthday delivery came in two carloads!   Bella, who wants to be a veterinarian like her grandmother, understands that shelter animals benefit greatly from comfy beds, toys and treats -- so that's what Bella asked friends, family, and classmates to give to help celebrate her birthday -- linens, toys, and treats for the animals at WARL.   Thanks, Bella, have a great year!



Cats are Better Than Television!

When I get up from my favorite rocking chair, Merl and Charlotte quickly claim the seat for their own.  It doesn't take long before one cat gets a tad bit possessive of the space.   Who do you think will be QUEEN of the chair after this little kitty exchange?   

Happy Home Photos

These photo updates are worth more than 1000 words.  
How many adjectives are there for the word HAPPY?   

Ellie, formerly Blanche,
sitting pretty for her  happy home portrait!

Pony smiling for the camera during her snowy walk!

Looks like these dogs may have been adopted by professional photographers!

It Takes Imagination, Innovation & A Kind-Hearted Neighborhood Business

I recently got an email from a Destination Imagination team -- an organization whose vision is  --

To be the global leader in teaching the creative process from imagination to innovation 

explaining that they had organized the SSA (Saving Sad Animals) Kids Club and were planning  a bake sale to help the animals.  Apparently, they are taking a multi-facet approach.  Their awareness-fund-raising effort greeted me front and center when I walked into my neighborhood BARKS! store in the Burnt Mills Shopping Center.  It was nice of  Erika, Sophia, Vincent, Sammy, and Mila to choose WARL as the recipient of their charitable efforts and extremely nice of the local store to give the SSA Kids Club a space on the counter right next to the register!  

 

Birthdays are the Perfect Time for Celebrating Animal Companions

Cheese, a young hound mix waiting 

to be adopted, jumped up to thank Matthew. 

When Matthew was preparing to celebrate his 7th birthday his mom asked him  to choose a charity to receive gifts in his honor.   Matthew didn't hesitate, a devoted animal-lover, he said he wanted to help cats & dogs.  Yesterday he and his mom stopped by WARL, armed with bags of  toys and treats selected from our wish-list.  

Older, Calmer & Wiser Dog Finds Forever Home!

Looking toward the front door, Tyson was eager to go home.   It took awhile for the staff favorite to finally exit the shelter on his adoption day.  He had to make the rounds so staff could say good-bye.
Tyson ended up in the shelter through no fault of his own.  His beloved guardian died, leaving the 7-year-old boxer mix orphaned.   He waited patiently at WARL for several weeks.  He went to adoption events, was featured as the "Pet-of-the-Week" on major media outlets, and was shared on staff and volunteers' Facebook pages.  Tyson's adopter, however,  just happened to wander in looking for the perfect dog.     And, he found one.  Enjoy your senior years, Tyson.   

RESCUE ME!

Left on our doorstep,  in an extra-large cage with a towel and sweater and a note explaining that a home could not be located,  this  little Siamese-mix is now safe and warm and awaiting a forever home.   WARL has a big, welcoming double door front entrance, but the cage was left at a side entrance.  The kitten was discovered early one morning two weeks ago, after probably spending a long, cold night at the top of the stairs.  Her discovery was due in large part to her loud Siamese voice.  Siamese cats are known to be quite vocal, and this kitten is quite the belter.  

It's cold outside and temperatures are dropping -- FAST.  Cats and dogs belong inside where it's safe and warm.  If you see an animal outside, without proper shelter, please report the situation to your local animal control agency.  

Vans Loaded With Gifts

Members of Girl Scout Troop 6694 
with just a portion of their gifts 
for the animals at WARL.

A couple of the collection boxes.

Tis the season.   Members of Girl Scout Troop 6694 really got into the spirit of organizing, collecting, and giving. The fourteen girls, hailing from six D.C. schools, decided to help the animals at WARL while earning their Bronze award.  That meant that each girl had to contribute 20 hours to the cause -- and, by the looks of what  they carried into the lobby, they made every minute count.   They didn't  do one project; they spearheaded a myriad of efforts to net three vans full of toys, treats, linens, home-baked goodies and more.  They used the money that they collected in hair salons, offices, schools, and other highly populated spots to purchase things on WARL's  wish list including special requests such as chicken broth and kongs.
Thank you Troop 6694!

Gifts for the Animals and WARL staff!

This the season......We have the greatest adoptions team and kennel staff.  The animals depend on them for their care in the shelter and their ability to find  them the  very best forever homes!   Yesterday, a visitor  came to our lobby with a cake, holiday card and happy pictures of WARL alums, now named Roxie and Bailey.  People who work in shelters do so because they love animals.   And,  cake!  Many thanks kind adopters. 

WARL dogs are getting new tug toys thanks to Ross Elementary School 4th grader, Noemie.   She braided toys for the dogs.  The toys are a bit different than the usual braided tugs, these are stretchy.   Noemie used cast-off leggings.  Leggings with holes are the perfect material for tug toys, Noemie explained.  The spandex in the leggings makes for fun stretchy tugs.  Kozy Girl, WARL alum and regular classroom visitor, checked out one of the toys in the classroom and declared the toys dog-tested, winners.

Homes for the Holidays!

I was listening to holiday music on the radio and Irving Berlin's classic tune, White Christmas, came on; I can't stop singing May your days be merry and bright; And may all your Christmases be white.  And while I was belting it out, I started  looking through recent adoption update photos and saw this picture of Foxy, who has now been in her forever home 5 months and I thought, Foxy is as white as snow and is absolutely going to enjoy a merry and bright holiday season -- she should be featured prominently on a holiday greeting.  So, I'm taking the liberty of sharing her photo to wish everyone, two-legged and four, a very happy, healthy holiday season in hopes that at least part of it -- maybe just a day or two -- is white!

A Microchip Can Be a Ticket Home

A quick injection  places  a microchip under kitty's skin

Ruby getting "wanded".

A loyal warlkids reader reminded me that micro-chipping  saves lives.    A common statistic in the animal-sheltering world is that, out of the  8 million animals who end up in shelters every year, only 15-20% of dogs and less than 2% of cats are ever reunited with their guardians.  Micro-chipping can help  boost the return rate.  Every cat, dog, puppy and kitten adopted from the Washington Animal Rescue League is "chipped". The quick procedure involves inserting a tiny microchip (about the size of a grain of rice) under the animal's skin  through an injection.  The information on the chip is then  registered to the adopter or traced back to WARL.  That way, if the cat or dog  gets lost and is brought  to a shelter or animal hospital, the identification  information stored on the chip can be read and used to contact the animal's person.   The identifying information is read by a scanner/wand.  And then, everyone lives happily-ever-after!

Thanksgiving 2014

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

My office buddy went home last week.  I am certain that  he has settled right in and has probably claimed a favorite spot or two!    

Nigel always enjoys this time of year.  He is particularly fond of all of the fallen leaves.  So many smells.  Sniffing every leaf can make walking a very s l o w process.   Sitting among the leaves is a good way for Nigel to soak up all of the scents at once.   I'm very thankful for November days like yesterday -- sunshine, unseasonably warm temperatures and lots of time to spend with Nigel, the best dog in the world.

Strong, Lovable Office Buddy Seeks Forever Home!

How About Homer?

This is my  office buddy.  His WARL name is French Toast. The name does not suit him.  I've been calling him Nick or Zeke. He needs a strong name.  Gus would be good.  Or Bud.   He is such a love bug. Perhaps  Romeo, Rhett, or Mr. Darcey?  He needs a forever name and a forever home.   

Just Hanging Out, Soaking Up the Sunshine

When the front door is open, leaving a nice, sun-warmed floor and perfect view of all street activity, Nigel, Merl and Charlotte assume their rightful places in what appears to be size order.   While  hypnotized by the silent ballet of the falling leaves, they are acutely aware of their rank -- Merl may not be top dog, but he is surely king  of the trio.  And, if he wants Nigel's spot, it is his for the taking.  I think, however, he likes being surrounded by his loyal subjects.