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| May 2008 | |
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Volunteer Spotlight
Volunteers at one of our recent events, hosted by Buzz Bakery
In addition to the League's own Special Events each year, we also participate in many special events hosted by other generous businesses and supporters, to benefit the League. These events help raise funds that go towards our many programs, including operation of the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter, and to promote some of the many wonderful animals available for adoption. It would not be possible for us to participate in so many of these events without the dedication and support of our wonderful and enthusiastic volunteers who turn up rain or shine! Our volunteers help spread the word about who we are and what we do. And of course, they usually have adoptable animals alongside, which is fun for everyone in attendance! Thank you to all of the volunteers who dedicate their time to the Shelter! 
Animal Control Highlights
April was a busy month indeed for the League's dedicated Animal Control Officers. While the League receives many calls from the public regarding animal complaints and concerns all year long, spring is an especially bustling time. This month, many of our calls centered around wildlife rescue, as babies of all kinds are in abundance at this time of the year. In one call for help this month, Animal Control was called upon to rescue a baby Mallard duck found all alone in front of the Alexandria courthouse. Officer Gorden took the young duckling and attempted to introduce him to another family of baby ducklings on the nearby Potomac River, close to Founders Park. Orphaned ducklings can sometimes be successfully introduced to another mother duck with her own clutch of ducklings. Sadly, this mother duck didn't agree with our plan, and was not at all receptive to the proposed new family member. She immediately identified it as not one of her own and began to shoo it away. Then, deeming this approach unsuccessful, she attempted to drown the orphan. Officer Gorden quickly rescued the unfortunate baby from the unreceptive mother duck, and brought it back to the Shelter, which the League operates. Typically, ducklings are covered in down when they hatch and mom and babies can leave their nest 13-16 hours later. They become independent around two months old or so. Luckily for this little guy, who was much too young to be alone, there are a number of dedicated wildlife rehabilitators in this area. The League's volunteer drivers were able to transport the orphan duckling on to one who would care for it until old enough to be released back into the wild. On another day, Animal Control received a call from a concerned citizen regarding a dead opossum with live babies clinging to her, in their back yard. Although nothing could be done for the mother, the call put into motion the events ensuring that at least the babies would survive. Arriving quickly on the scene, Officer Corman was met by the anxious residents. Carefully checking the mother's body, he was surprised to find no obvious signs of trauma, such as bite wounds, poisoning, or shooting. Upon inspection of her pouch, he did find one live baby still clinging inside, snuggling for comfort and protection. Huddled around her body were five additional baby opossums, all of which appeared in good condition. Officer Corman was confident the babies would survive and assured the residents that the babies "were in the right hands," knowing that the Animal Welfare League has great partnerships with local wildlife rehabilitators. While in the wildlife rehabilitator's care, they would be fed and tended to in a safe and secure environment until they were older, again with the goal of later release back into the wild. These stories are just two examples of the many amazing success stories the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria shares with the citizens of our community. Had it not been for the awareness and concern of the citizens who took the time to call us, the babies in these stories would most likely have died. The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is proud to be here for those calls for help.
Congratulations to Megan Brooks on 15 Years with the AWLA
 Before coming to work with the League, Megan had already achieved degrees in Communication and Spanish, as well as positions including the Event Supervisor for the Helen Woodward Animal Shelter in San Diego, CA. Wanting to continue her work in sheltering after moving to Virginia, Megan volunteered with AWLA and was quickly hired as an Adoption Counselor. Her experience grew as she moved on to other positions in the organization. These days, as Director of Shelter Operations, Megan oversees the daily operation of our facility, ensuring that the Adoption and Animal Care teams work together as a cohesive unit, doing their best for the animals in our care and the people who come to us for adoption or animal care and behavior questions. One of the most positive changes Megan has seen during her career is the trend toward promoting compatible adoptions, enabling her staff to focus on the person's needs as well as the pet's to help ensure a successful, lifetime adoption. Drawing inspiration from her staff and the public she serves, she is grateful to work in a community that allows her to provide such a high quality of care for homeless and abandoned animals. Her inspiration also comes from the animals - whether a nursing mother cat that accepts an additional starving kitten into her family or a severely abused dog who finds it within his heart to trust people just one more time. Megan was the recipient of the 2008 Council of Governments Humane Education Award, and we are proud to have her on staff at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. |
We immediately brought this gentle and loving dog to emergency veterinarians, who began the tedious work of shaving off the matted fur and documenting her condition, should an owner ever be located and ultimately prosecuted. Not surprisingly, her mats were infested with fleas, the infection in her ears appalling, and she also seemed to have only very limited vision. After much time and compassionate labor by the veterinary team, they discovered this Cocker to be a girl. When the Cocker was returned to the Shelter, we named her Georgia, as she had been found on the George Washington Parkway. Her road to recovery continued with daily medications to battle the infection in her ears and the dryness of her eyes. People who saw her on arrival and see her now can scarcely believe she is the same dog. Our best guess is that Georgia is about 6 years old, and amazingly, appears to have already been spayed. Because Georgia does not see well, we decided to let her stay in our Volunteer and Education office rather than in a kennel while awaiting adoption. Not one to let her limited vision or past circumstances keep her down, she has blossomed into a fun, confident and affectionate dog, who loves her squeaky toys and walks beautifully on a leash. She does have some separation anxiety, however, resulting in loud barking and scratching at doors when left alone. (We have found that using a Citronella No Bark collar can work well for dogs who experience separation anxiety like this). We are currently looking for a good home to bring her story to a happy ending. Is that good home possibly yours?
Area veterinarians and other professionals with expertise in cat care and behavior will join us for a lively and informative roundtable discussion. After listening to presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and share as a group. The first roundtable, on Saturday, June 7 from 1-3 PM, will focus on kitten care issues, such as diet and health care, proper toys, play biting, scratching post use, and litter box training. The second roundtable, on Saturday, June 21 from 1-3 PM, will focus on elder cat issues, like dietary changes, eye and skin disorders, arthritis, and dementia.
Don't forget to check the League's website for more details as they become available. No RSVP is required for either session, but if you have questions, please contact the League's Community Outreach Coordinator, Lesa Miller, at 703/838-4774 ext. 210. A reception for all current members of the League's Pawsitive Impact Circle will be held on Wednesday, June 11, 2008, between 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM. This year's reception is being generously sponsored by and held at Commerce Bank, located on the corner of Van Dorn Street & South Pickett Street. Guests will dine on light hors d'oeuvres and have the opportunity to chat with members of our Staff and Board of Directors.
While each and every gift to the League is appreciated, members of the Pawsitive Impact Circle (PIC) have shown their support through significant and generous annual contributions, providing the financial stability necessary for the League to strengthen our programs and continue to provide care for homeless animals.
Membership in the PIC is based on monetary gifts made during a 12 month time period, and can be made as a single gift or cumulative smaller gifts to reach a chosen giving level. Pledges toward the membership levels are also accepted, however In-kind gift values and Special Event registration fees are not eligible. The Pawsitive Impact Circle has four giving levels, with corresponding benefits. Bronze Collar members make gifts totaling from $500 - $999, and receive a special recognition ribbon on the Annual Dinner badge, invitations to all League events, the Spotlight on Animals newsletter twice a year, and the monthly email newsletter! Silver Collar members make gifts totaling from $1,000 - $2,499, and receive all of the above benefits, plus sponsorship of either a cat condo or dog kennel for one year with your name in the animal residence area! Golden Collar members make gifts totaling from $2,500 - $4,999, and receive all of the above benefits, along with a complimentary invitation to one League event, a letter from the President twice a year with updates and announcements about League activities and programs, and recognition of your gift in the lobby. Platinum Collar members make gifts totaling $5,000 or more, and receive all of the above benefits, plus a private dinner with the President of the Board and Executive Director of the AWLA, and sponsorship of both a cat condo and dog kennel for one year with your name in the animal residence area!
For more information on the Pawsitive Impact Circle, please contact our Director of Development, Lisabeth Adams, at 703/838-4774 ext. 206.
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Comcast
The AWLA has been hard at work creating and producing our exciting Comcast network debut! The series will focus on animal professionals, animal welfare and humane education. In the first few episodes viewers will get to hear the League's Executive Director and Board President talking about the League. Continuing episodes will include interviews with the president of the Wildlife Rescue League, and other expert members of the community such as Carlos Mejias of Olde Towne School for Dogs and Kristina Robertson of Barkley Square speaking about trends in dog foods, toys, etc. We will be producing more exciting animal segments as time goes on, and welcome suggestions from the community on future episode topics. Make sure to tune in Monday evenings at 6:30 on Comcast channel 69, beginning with our debut on Monday, June 9.
The 2009 Pet Calendar Contest is underway!
Is your pet a cover girl or guy? Now is the time to share those wonderful photos of your special friend with other pet lovers while helping homeless animals at the same time! All pets are eligible to enter and all entries will appear in the calendar.  Cover and monthly photo winners are determined by voting on the entrants. The photo receiving the most votes wins a custom pet portrait from PawPrints Photography, which will be featured on the calendar cover. The 13 runners-up will receive a free professional photo shoot from Expressions3 studio. The photographer's choice photo from each session will be featured as a "Pet of the Month" or "Year at a Glance" photo. Each vote is only $1.00! Owners may vote for their own pets, and certainly encourage friends and family to vote for their little star as well. Past winners have not been above touting their pets as deserving cover models to strangers either! There is no limit on the number of votes you and your friends can cast, and last year's spirited voting was hot and heavy right up to the end! To enter the contest, submit a good quality 4 X 6 photo of the pet only (no people) along with an entry form and $25.00 entry fee (one entry per pet). For more information and for complete rules and an entry form, just go to the Special Events page of our website or call us at 703/838-4774 ext. 216.
Your most special photos are needed!
"Somebody to Love" is the theme of the 2008 Annual Dinner and Silent Auction, and we want YOU to help us celebrate the bond between people and their animal companions. We are seeking photos of you with your pets for possible inclusion in our event invitation, program and other printed materials. Submitted photographs should be close-up shots that reflect the loving relationship between you and your pets (Please note - photos must have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi and be saved as either a .jpg at the highest optimization or as a .tif file with LZW compression if they are to be sent electronically). Printed photos that are submitted cannot be returned.  The photo submission deadline is  The League would like to honor or remember eighteen special pets with birthdays in April and May. Ollie Cat - April 1 Gracie Allen - May 1 Any pet can join our Birthday Club! To help celebrate that special day, each Birthday Club pet receives a birthday card, recognition in our E-Newsletter and in the Shelter's display case. Best of all, lifetime membership is only $10 and proceeds help the League find homes for Shelter animals so that they can also enjoy the good life with a family that cares. To enroll, click here. Monthly Giving Program
Would you be interested in our Monthly Giving Program? Your monthly gift would support a solution for the animal care issues that face us now. We see a future of no more homeless animals. We see a future with no unwanted litters of kittens and puppies. We see a future where animals don't suffer. If you are interested in contributing to the welfare and humane treatment of animals, please consider making a donation today. 
To be added to our email list, please send an email to staff@alexandriaanimals.org. |
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Fond of felines? In honor June being Adopt-a-Cat month, the League will have two free public educational roundtables devoted to cat lovers! 2008 Feline Follies has been appropriately entitled "Ages & Stages".
