Road Trip -- Part 2

Murphy is no fan of car travel. Even worse, Murphy hates trips to the vet. And, since Murphy typically hits the bodily function trifecta (poop, pee, puke) during road trips, he did not get breakfast before his 9:00 a.m. appointment with Dr. Hamilton. Needless to say, Murphy was not a happy camper. From the minute he popped out of his carrier, he was all claws! And muscle. And, that was before Dr. Hamilton looked into Murphy's irritated eye. Once the exam was over, and medicines were dispensed, he did a casual stroll into his carrier and settled in for a peaceful ride home -- and BREAKFAST!

Ready to Hit the Road -- Part One

Meet Flippy. He's waiting to choose the right person or family. He's currently interviewing prospective forever candidates in the main cat room in our Oglethorpe Street shelter. Look closely at the Flippy photo. He's happily riding shot gun as he travelled from our New York Avenue Shelter to Oglethorpe. It is not our custom to transport unsecured cats --  but Flippy chose to go carrier-less. Once on the road, he leisurely let himself out of the carrier and made himself comfortable in the passenger seat of the van. This guy is MR. PERSONALITY. He loves to eat, is a real people-pleaser, and would make the perfect travel companion. So, drive on over and meet fabulous Flippy today.

CAMP!

Like the All-Star break signifying the 1/2 way mark of the baseball season, this week represents the 1/2 way mark in the Humane Rescue Alliance's summer camp schedule. Careers, Working with Animals begins next week and Animals and Art starts August 6th. Below are photos from our earlier sessions -- All About Animals and Animal Advocates camps.

Dr. Woosley gives campers
 a crash course in veterinary medicine.

Team Work! 
Campers make tug toys for
shelter dogs!

Kodiak, a Kyra's Rescue Goodwill Ambassador
visits  with campers.

Hammy and George, beagles rescued from a laboratory,
wait patiently for a treat! They visited camp representing the
 Rescue + Freedom Project

Rose Howard, a Protagonist to Root For

Ann M.Martin knows kids. Ann M. Martin knows dogs. And, Ann M. Martin can really tell a story. In her 2007, In A Dog's Life:Autobiography of a Stray, Squirrel, an abandoned pup, tells her tale of abuse, hunger, loneliness, and friendship. In her 2014 book, Rain Reign (Feiwel and Friends), Rose Howard, a fifth grader, straightforwardly informs the reader, "My official diagnosis is high-functioning autism, which some people call Asperger's syndrome (Do you have a diagnosis?)" 
Rose uses a whole dictionary of homophones (including her name, Rose, and her dog's Reign/rain) to tell  her story of  love,  loss. and perseverance. Rose is strong. Rose endures rabid teasing from classmates, frustration emanating from teachers, and rejection from her tormented father. Rose likes rules. Rose follows rules so much so that she is willing to give-up Rain, the one being who is always there for her. Rain helped to bridge the divide between Rose and her classmates, Rain waited every day when Rose got home from school, and Reign slept with Rose from that very first night. When Rain goes missing during the aftermath of a hurricane, Rose breaks from her routines and boldly goes beyond her comfort zone to find her dog. And that's when she discovers the truth, Rain belongs to the Henderson family. 
Grab a box of tissues, hug your dog, and cheer for Rose. Rain Reign is a winner. A great book to put on everyone’s summer reading list!

Young Animal Heroes Recognized for Their Good Deeds! Thank you Ge'Kyi and John 'Yae

"I was fortunate enough to have some assistance from a few youths in field this evening with a very skittish, adorable small terrier. These guys found a small dog running-at-large on the grounds of their apartment complex and were able to slowly earn its trust to keep it in the area until I arrived.  Their patient efforts in bringing this pup to justice were invaluable!" wrote Animal Control Officer Ryan Jesien way back in March. Recently, I accompanied Officer Jesien to Ingenuity Prep Public Charter School where awards were presented to two of the five young animal heroes. We intend to recognize the other three helpers at their school next week. While the students were not looking for recognition, their efforts to help the frightened, lonely dog definitely deserve to be praised.  Thank you Ge'Kyi and John 'Yae!

DC International Students Make a Plan, Execute it, and Help the Animals!

Awesome looking booth at local farmer's markets

HRA supporters hard at work

Gourmet treats!

Three D.C. International students, who I met in their classroom two years ago,  contacted me recently with a very well-thought out plan to help re-unite animals with their guardians. They wrote, Our idea is to raise money to get dogs or cats to get micro chipped so they don't get lost. The reason why we want to do this for our project and work with the humane society is because first, we all want to help animals as much as we can.  Second, we want to work with the humane society because you help animals for a living and we have already known each other from our past. After a fact-finding trip to HRA, they wrote to several local farmers' markets and asked for space to sell homemade dog biscuits to benefit their microchip initiative. Their first, very successful booth was held at Takoma on Sunday, April 22nd and, for those who missed the opportunity to purchase dog goodies at the market, catch Ana Isabel, Athziri and Anya at the Mount Pleasant Market, on Saturday, April 28th, https://www.facebook.com/MtPFarMar/.    

Caring Camper and Friend Raise Money for the Animals!

Spring break campers met dogs, cats, turtles, snakes, rabbits, and other animals. They made dog toys and cat shelters. They were introduced to survivors of animal cruelty, and helped to socialize a recent rescue who lacked confidence. They met a  volunteer from Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a Search and Rescue Team, and worked with a Humane Officer to solve an animal neglect case. And, they enjoyed a freestyle performance by several pairs from Greenbelt Dog Training.
One camper's family adopted a dog and another camper's family adopted a guinea pig! 

Lily and Ella visit the dogs who will benefit from their donation.

And, Lily returned to the Humane Rescue Alliance, a few days after camp, to bring a $78 donation. Lily, and her friend Ella, started a neighborhood dog-walking business more than a year ago.The young entrepreneurs and animal lovers decided to donate their profits to the Humane Rescue Alliance to help "dogs in need" . THANK YOU Lily and Ella!💗💗💗

Happy Valentine's Day! Love & Laughter with the Softies

Archie💗

Matt & Tara💗

When the Show Your Soft Side team came to Washington to take pics of one of their newest Softies, Washington Defensive End Matt Ioannidis, and his lovable pooch, Tara, Humane Law Enforcement Officer Stephon Daniels was there!

K-9 Captain, Christopher Holmes and his DC Fire/EMS and FEMA Urban Search and Rescue partner, Cazo, were photographed, too.

And, then there was Archie, the sweetest and smallest member of the Show Your Soft Side team.  So much fun!💗

For more information about the Show Your Soft Side campaign check out, https://showyoursoftside.org/.

Chris and Cazo💗

💗Stephon & Matt💗

Happy 2018 ! Keep Your Critters Safe and Warm During the Frosty Winter Temperatures

⛄⛄

Thank you Troop 44039

The cozy critter beds that Troop 44039 made for the animals at HRA are perfect for snuggling.   The soft, no-sew beds are just one of the many creature comforts that all companion animals should enjoy.  Please remember that not all animals are safe and warm.   Cold weather is on the way.   An arctic blast is predicted for later this week.   If you see animals who needs help, especially dogs and cats left outside in the cold, please use our 24 hour emergency number to seek help.   202-576-6664.

Cuddle Up With A Good Book!

It feels like winter, the perfect time to curl up with a critter and read a good book.   I have a  couple of suggestions.

Ms. Beasely, a local third grade teacher let me borrow Catie Copley, the beautifully illustrated story of a well-mannered, people pleasing black Labrador retriever.  Catie Copley, works at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts, in the employ of Jim Carey, the hotel’s director of concierge services.   The story left me curious about what Catie might be up to currently.   As we all know, google searches provide an abundance of information quickly.   I learned that there is another canine ambassador at the hotel these days, Carly Copley.   For several years the two dogs worked side by side -- the hotel has lots of guests -- but when Catie retired, Carly began performing double duty.   And, as I continued my search, I learned that the beloved Catie Copley, born in 2001, who trained as a seeing eye dog and served as a goodwill ambassador touching the lives of thousands of hotel visitors since 2004 died in May, 2017.  The tweet announcing her death read, With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the news that our beloved Catie Copley has passed away. Her paw-some love will be missed by all, https://twitter.com/FairmontCopley/status/868103663969021953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bostonmagazine.com%2Fnews%2F2017%2F05%2F26%2Fcatie-copley%2F.

Wish is currently on my bedside table. I'm 3/4 the way through and, so far, it is a real heart-breaker. Charlie, short for Charlemagne, is sent to live with relatives in the sticks. Charlie has no plans to stay with Bertha (her mother's kind-hearted sister) and Gus -- from the beginning she's determined to go back to Raleigh. She pines for a family that's not "broken". Charlie's mother, suffers from depression and can't get "her feet on the ground", and her dad, who she calls Scrappy, is serving jail time. Her older sister, Jackie, the lucky one, gets to stay with a friend, and Charlie is sent to live with "squirrel eating hillbillies" in a house falling off a mountain. And that's just the beginning of Charlie's "pity-party". Charlie, who wants a dog more than anything. The dog Charlie's always wanted shows up, a bedraggled, quick-to-learn stray, not unlike Charlie. But, he takes off, too, leaving Charlie bereft; not only does she lose Wishbone, the dog of her dreams, but she says the most hurtful thing imaginable to Howard, her one and only true friend in her temporary town.

And, that's where I am! Flannel jammies, lots of blankets on the bed, a mug of hot chocolate, Murphy and Charlotte snuggling close and Barbara O'Connor's (How to Steal a Dog) Wish in hand!

Happy Halloween! And, Words of Wisdom from Murphy!

Stay Safe.
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
Keep Cats and Dogs Inside.

People Treats are for People

Not Critters!

Nina Picks a Home!

This is it! I'm home!!
I have my own GREAT people
and my own ornery cat!

The surest way to pick your own family is to be the perfect dog in the foster home!   That's what Nina did.  Her foster family typically fosters little dogs.   They have placed countless dogs in forever homes, none ever weighing more than 20 lbs.  At 50 solid lbs, and 12 years-old, the fosterer knew that Nina could take a while to place.  However, Nina's foster stay was really quite short.  Not long after Nina moved into her foster home, the fosterer reported  that Nina "is a very good girl, housebroken and great around our cat...."   Two weeks ago they signed the papers, Nina's fosterers are now Nina's adopters. Congratulations all!

Allowance Aids Animals!

Nico presents Officer Cindy with his donation and she presents Nicco with a certificate of appreciation!  

Sherlock waits ....

Seven-year-old Nico recently started receiving allowance and adopted the Spend, Save, and Donate philosophy.  So, when it came time to donate to a worthy organization, there was no question who he wanted to help. The animals, of course!  After all, the young philanthropists' parents adopted two shelter cats long before Nico was born.  Plus Lin, Nico's  neighbor, close friend, and HRA volunteer, adopted a little dog last year. Missi loves when Nico visits -- they play silly games and enjoy quiet time together. 
Nico wants all animals to have life-long human companions, but in the meantime, he hopes his donation will help HRA care for animals, like Sherlock, who is patiently waiting for a place and a person that she can call her own.

Five Baby Bunnies -- Count the Dots!

Ever heard the expression "Reproducing like rabbits?"  Well, the phrase came about for a reason. The five bunnies in the window at the HRA Oglethorpe Street shelter are two months old.  Did you know that if their mother had not already been spayed she could have given birth to more babies by now?  A mama rabbit is pregnant for only 31 days and can get pregnant when her baby bunnies are just a few days old. So, if you have a bunny, make sure that your bunny is spayed or neutered.  A spayed or neutered bunny is a healthier bunny and won't be bringing more rabbits into the already crowded world of rabbits!  Call our Medical Center at (202) 726-2273 to schedule an appointment.

Enjoy the Lazy Days of Summer!

The mercury is climbing. Summer = Heat + Humidity. Good day for relaxing with a good book -- how about a classic like Beverly Cleary's Socks, originally published in 1973, reissued most recently in 2015. Socks is a happy, trouble-free cat until a baby arrives.  It takes awhile, but the attention-seeking cat learns that the new family member can be a fun playmate.

Students Do More for the Animals

Alexis hands an envelope
filled with $160 to HRA staff

Do More 24 (https://domore24.org/) is an annual event that encourages grassroots activism.  Eighth grade students at Deal Middle School in Washington, DC got jump on their local philanthropic good deeds.  Four students stopped by the shelter on Tuesday to drop off donations.  Francesca and Delanie came by first. They brought a collection of toys and two large containers of homemade dog biscuits that could have easily been mistaken for people cookies.   Less than an hour later Alexis stopped by with $160 raised from a successful bake sale.  And, a few minutes after that  Minnie showed up with a check for$113.35 that she and her friend  Linnea raised through a Go Fund Me page highlighting the plight of shelter animals.  

A day earlier,  Girl Scout Troop  1580 came by the shelter to deliver a check for $400 that was raised from their annual  cookie sale.  They met cats, dog, puppies, kittens, bunnies, and guinea pigs during their visit.  

Do More 24 is a great way to bring attention to all of the many deserving organizations in the community.   The Deal students, the Brownies, and the many other young people who do good things for the animals exemplify the importance of giving more, caring more and doing more all of the time.

Troop 4647 Positive Actions are a Change for Good

Troop 4647 are not only caring, compassionate young animal lovers, but they are awesome  Girl Scout cookie sales people who contributed $175 in cookie sales profits to help the animals at the  Humane Rescue Alliance.  And that's not all -- they  dedicated their CHANGE Project to making the world a better place for the animals in their community. Besides the monetary donation, the girls  collected and donated linens for use in the kennels and made enough toys to fill several  brightly decorated toy boxes.  During their shelter visit they learned about individual animals, the organization's mission and what they can do to continue to help the animals.   Thank you Troop 4647 for your kindness and contributions!

125 Pet Rescues!

Available wherever books are sold and featuring Nigel, the world's best dog  Actually, there are many wonderful animals highlighted throughout National Geographic Kids' 125 Pet Rescues.  There are dogs, cats, rabbits, donkeys, horses, ducks and lots of other critters.  There's a pig who is  happily living an hour from D.C. at the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary. Great photos, of Aseop, Beatrice and Sunshine, a turtle, an iguana and a snake currently residing at the Reptile Rescue Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. There are dogs with important jobs like Kai in San Antonio, Texas who went from a cast-off shelter dog to an investigator with the local fire department. And, cats with unusual hobbies like Kuli, the surfing cat in Hawaii.   125 heart-warming, humorous and inspiring stories, each complimented by an equally heart-warming, humorous and inspiring pictures.   And, for easy reference, Nigel is highlighted on page, 103!  Check it out https://www.amazon.com/125-Pet-Rescues-Palace-Homeless/dp/1426327366/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494953594&sr=8-1&keywords=125+pet+rescues.

Spring Break Camp 2017 at the Humane Rescue Alliance A Photographic Success!

Cats, dogs, guinea pigs, and bunnies waiting for forever homes; visiting therapy dogs, rescued former laboratory dogs, working dogs, and dancing dogs; and a long nature walk through Rock Creek Park!

 It was a great week!

Hammy, the Beagle, an Ambassador for Being an Educated, Cruelty-Free Consumer

Get ready, Hammy, treat coming!

Treat Please!

 Hammy the beagle, and his person, Melanie, recently visited fifth grade.   The pats, tricks, and treats were endless.  And, Hammy, a survivor of 4 years in a laboratory, was not only a welcomed visitor, but a teacher.   Students learned that that millions of animals are used for product testing every year; they saw the green tattoo in Hammy's left ear, a forever reminder of his life before being Melanie's much-loved buddy.  They learned why animals, particularly beagles, are used  in laboratories and how to identify cruelty free products.  Melanie adopted Hammy several years ago through the Beagle Freedom Project, bfp.org, an organization dedicated to negotiating with laboratories world-wide to secure the release of dogs and other animals and give them a chance for a normal home life.  
Do your own research, learn the cruelty-free symbols.  Check out the products in your home.

More treats, please!

Tomorrow is Dr. Seuss' Birthday

Kelis and Friends!

Get ready.  Tomorrow is the day to celebrate

Pick up a book and read,

Don’t wait!

Read to your mom, your dad or your brother.

Read to one cat or another.

Honor Horton’s creator, Dr. Seuss

With a good book and a glass of Beezle-Nut juice!

Reading, Writing and Responsible Animal Care

Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students at LaSalle Backus Education Campus listened attentively as Animal Control Officer/Wildlife Specialist Cindy Velasquez explained the joys and disappointments that come with responding to a wide range of animal rescue calls. The students were surprised to learn that PupPup, the obviously well-cared for, eager to please 3 year-old pitbull, was once a discarded puppy, suffering from parvovirus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protoparvovirus).   
PupPup routinely upstaged Officer Cindy during the 45 minute visit.  The students enjoyed floor time with PupPup and shared stories with Officer Cindy about their own animals interactions.   Thanks Officer Cindy and PupPup for visiting LaSalle Backus Education Campus!

Art for the Animals and an Adoption, Too!

Sheridan School's 7th grade students are not only awesome artists but they are crafty, resourceful  kids who decided to do something to help the animals at the Humane Rescue Alliance.   They created dog toys out of scraps from other art projects.
The dogs at the shelter serenaded visitors with the hand sewn squeaker toys and the puppies played tug with the long braids.
Many of the Sheridan School students live with rescue animals. One of the student's family adopted  a little puppy, Patagonia,  from the shelter a couple of years ago.  Cole  kindly forwarded a photo of the regal looking Bella for staff to see .   We LOVE updates.   Bella is pretty in pink!

Patagonia

Bella, formerly Patagonia,
all grown up!

Ringling Brothers to Close Circus

This is a headline that was a long time coming.  Animal welfare activists have worked tirelessly for years to put an end to carting wild animals around for the purpose of  profit and human amusement.  
The January 15th announcement that Ringling Brothers, the grand-daddy of  circuses, would close after 100 years was welcomed news.    
The decision to disband the circus was based on economics.  The high operating costs and the decline of ticket sales, "made the circus an unsustainable business for the company," said Feld Entertainment CEO Kenneth Feld.

Now comes the difficult task of finding proper placement for the animals. The Washington Post's Sunday, January 22nd article, Where Will All The Animals Go,    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/01/19/one-problem-with-shutting-down-the-circus-where-will-the-animals-go/?utm_term=.0fb487a6ec02, raised the question, what now?  
The circus animals deserve to live out their lives in sanctuaries that provide an environment as close to a natural habitat as possible.   Anything less would be just plain wrong!

New Year's Resolution -- Keep Charlotte and Murphy on a No-Weight-Gain Diet!

I took Murphy to the animal hospital for his first post-adoption, get to know the veterinarian, visit.  She said all was great, but she did offer a word of caution -- watch Murphy's weight.  

When Murphy was admitted to the shelter he weighed  a slim 11 pounds.  This morning, after a full breakfast, he weighed 14.1 pounds.   Charlotte has been instructed to eat less, exercise more, too.   

My New Year's resolution is to make sure that Murphy and Charlotte stick to their diets (less food in the bowl) and more exercise. They have each other  for support and I expect them to run laps around the house all day when I'm at work.

Murphy's trek to the vet reminded me of a book, Milton Goes to the Vet,  I used to read to Max.  Milton, a very opinionated cat,  tries to maintain control at all times. After his futile attempts to escape the dreaded carrier fail, Milton narrates the horrid journey every step of the way from the car ride to the lobby, to the meeting of the veterinarian.  The trip home is a joy ride and Milton's home reentry is uneventful.  

I could change the book title to Murphy Goes to the Vet.  Getting Murphy into the carrier proved difficult for us both.    After re-positioning the carrier and Murphy numerous times, he was packed into the large plastic carrier and on his way.  He voiced his resentment the entire ride, was feisty during the exam, and a complete gentleman on the way back and walked out of the carrier, once home, as if he had just returned from a planned vacation!

Check out Milton and Milton Goes to the Vet at https://www.amazon.com/Milton-Goes-Vet-Hayde-Ardalan/dp/0811828433/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1482856008&sr=8-2&keywords=cat+goes+to+the+vet