|
|
| February 2008 | |
|
Volunteer Spotlight
In December, the League and all our animals lost a beloved friend and volunteer. Rosie Normand had been volunteering at the League as a Dog Companion. She was a vibrant and effervescent volunteer who found her second home at the shelter. The shelter dogs meant the world to Rosie, they were her passion. Every week you'd find her walking the dogs at the Shelter or just spending some quiet time on a bench with a shy dog. On one occasion Rosie was found asleep in a kennel, with a dog curled up on her lap. Rosie also helped with the League's special events and she loved to stop by the Shelter, pick up a dog and take him/her to the event. As shown in the photo above, Rosie will always remain in the hearts of the Leagues' staff, volunteers and friends.
Community Outreach
The League is excited to announce the impending birth of (no, not an animal!) its new local television show entitled, "Alexandria Animal Matters", soon to be seen on Comcast Cable channel 69. The show will feature interviews and discussions with local professionals, shelter staff, and other experts in the field about a variety of animal-related topics including behavioral, medical, and problem-solving issues, among others. On the lighter side, each show will feature homeless animals up for adoption and will sometimes be filmed at remote locations to add fun and variety, and to capture the essence of the current issue. Stay tuned for details! Our Community Outreach Coordinator also taught at Mt. Vernon Community School during Intersession in early January 2008. The week-long class, "Cold Nose, Warm Heart", educated and entertained 18 eager students in the 4th and 5th grades. Activities were scheduled each day to educate on the subjects of pet overpopulation, proper care and responsibility, special needs of various species, and how children can help animals in their everyday lives. Undoubtedly, the highlights for the attendees were animal visitors from the Shelter and a visit to the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter itself. For many, it was the first time they had ever stepped inside a shelterY but hopefully not the last! They were encouraged to return if/when their families are ready for a new pet in the home. The Mt. Vernon Kiwanis Club in Alexandria invited the Animal Welfare League's Community Outreach Coordinator, Lesa Miller to be a guest speaker at their November 7, 2007 meeting. After dining with Club members, the presentation included information about the various services provided by the animal shelter with an emphasis on pet adoptions, animal control issues, volunteerism, and emergency preparedness. We wish to thank Kiwanis members who purchased League calendars and made other monetary donations to help the animals at our shelter! The annual breakfast and donation drive put on by The Montebello Pet Club in Alexandria was a big success! On December 8, 2007, the Community Outreach Coordinator represented the League while enjoying a delicious breakfast and visiting with pet club members who told stories about their pets! The welcoming attitude and generosity of the Montebello Pet Club members is always appreciated! Young Donors and Exceptional Kids in Alexandria who Love Animals
We at the AWLA are so pleased and grateful for all of the kind and generous donations we receive throughout the year. At this time, we would like to highlight two of our young donors who, on their own accord, recently went out of their way to save and invest their hard earned money and time to help the animals here at the League.
Eleven year old Michael Boggess made special arrangements to save his own money and present it to the animals here at the League. He and his family enjoyed a tour of the shelter and information about how he could further help the cause that is so dear to his heart. Thirteen year old Harris Fitzgerel donated the money and gifts for the animals that he arranged to collect from his friends and family at his Bar Mitzvah. When it comes to helping animals, the youth in our community is a powerful force. From learning to care for pets, to raising public awareness in their schools and families, to collecting and saving their own money and resources, young people in Alexandria accomplish a lot for our furred and feathered friends. Every day we hear from kids and teens who want to help but feel that their age might prevent them from getting involved. While they may not be able to volunteer directly at the Shelter, there are lots of other ways to help and we want to empower them to join in the important work of protecting animals.   |
Visit www.alexandriaanimals.org to view more animals available for adoption or stop by the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter, located at 4101 Eisenhower Ave., for a personal visit with Hannah Montana or her adoptable animal friends.
There's still time to reserve your tickets to "Hollywoof!" the 4th Annual Black Tie & Tails Gala! Join us on Saturday, February 9, 2008, 7:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites on First Street in Alexandria for a rare black tie event that welcomes your canine companion as well!
Enjoy a fantastic, fun-filled evening celebrating Hollywood and dogs in film. One of the highlights of the evening will be a canine couture fashion show orchestrated by Carlos Mejias of Olde Towne School for Dogs and Kristina Robertson of Barkley Square Gourmet Dog Bakery & Boutique. An amazing limited live auction will follow the fashion show. The evening will also include dancing to the music of Charlene Cochran & the Fifth Avenue Band, celebrity impersonator Karen Hayes, "paw reader" Madam Canina, a Bow-Wow Bar featuring creative canine cocktails, a Doggy Buffet for the canine guests, delicious hors d'oeuvres and desserts for the human guests, and more! Guests may browse our Vendor Row of pet friendly businesses or have a professional commemorative photograph taken.
Tickets are $165 per person or $300 per couple and include one dog per person. Reservations are limited to 300 people and 100 dogs, and we ask that you please RSVP as soon as possible if you wish to attend. Complimentary parking is available in the hotel garage. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 703/838-4774. Many thanks to our event sponsors: Alexandria Animal Hospital at the Man's Best Friend level, Belle Haven Animal Medical Centre at the No Bones About It level, and Lindsay Lexus Automotive Group at the No Bones About It level.
Please contact our Special Event Coordinator, Diann Hohenthaner, at 703-838-4774 x216, or dhohenthaner@alexandriaanimals.org for tickets or more information.
In celebration of Adopt a Rabbit Month, the League will host a Bunny Spa on Sunday February 17, 2008 from 12:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Volunteers from the Friends of Rabbits rescue group will join us for grooming and massaging rabbits whose owners want them treated to a day of pampering! Please call Pam Hurley at 703-305-5993 to schedule an appointment for your hun-bun! This is an opportunity to hear excellent advice on rabbit care, to purchase rabbit supplies, and to visit the homeless rabbits here at our shelter. We have many friendly bunnies waiting for homes. A portion of the proceeds go to benefit the League's animals and programs.
The schedule and registration form for Animal Awareness Camp 2008 will be available in mid-late February. This summer day camp is lots of fun and educational at the same time! It is geared toward kids 9-12 years and 13-15 years. Please contact Lesa Miller, Community Outreach Coordinator at 703-838-4774, ext. 210 for more details or check our website under Animal Camp and Educational Programs in February.
Attorney Peter King of Hauswiesner King LLP in McLean, VA will speak at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria about estate planning for pets on Saturday March 1, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. This presentation is a free educational seminar and no reservation is required. As a bonus, anyone purchasing a personal will or trust package receives a free pet trust.
We are thrilled at the number of teachers/students and scout leaders/troops who ask us how they can volunteer their time for community service projects or in what ways they can earn a pet care badge. It never ceases to amaze us how contagious the enthusiasm of young, energetic students who want to help animals is!
One way to help is for kids to organize a pet club or animal activist club at school. There are plenty of materials and how-to's available to get them started. If you know a child or a school group interested in doing a community service project that will benefit the homeless animals at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, please contact Lesa Miller, Community Outreach Coordinator at lmiller@alexandriaanimals.org or 703-838-4774, ext. 210.
|
February is Adopt a Rabbit Month
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria joins with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in celebrating "Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month" this February. This year's theme is "Warm Your Heart, Warm Your Home - Adopt a Rescued Rabbit." There are thousands of domestic rabbits in shelters around the country waiting for homes; many of these rabbits were babies purchased during Easter season by families who didn't know how to care for and interact with them. In many cases, children tire of them, and parents have dropped them off at already-crowded shelters. The AWLA would like to take the opportunity to educate the public about these frequently misunderstood companion animals, and to encourage adoption of rabbits into appropriate homes. However, these adorable creatures are not for everyone, and so our staff and volunteers work hard to educate the public about what rabbits are and what they are not. In the months preceding Easter, it is critical that we get the word out. Rabbits can be wonderful indoor companions and get along with many other animals. They are intelligent, affectionate and inquisitive, and can readily be trained to use a litter box; however, they can also be destructive. The ideal rabbit owner is gentle, patient and eager to get to know a rabbit on his or her terms, and must be willing to rabbit-proof their home to prevent destructive chewing.Like the ASPCA, we advocate spaying and neutering rabbits - both for health and behavioral reasons and also to help put an end to the animal overpopulation problem.
We need Blankets and other Supplies!
As you can imagine, the League requires a large number of supplies to operate the Shelter, many of which come primarily from donations. Please consider making a gift specifically of supplies, so we may continue to help all of the deserving animals who come through our doors. Currently, we are most in need of blankets for our animals. Please view our website at alexandriaanimals.org for other needed items. 
Thirteen special pets are celebrating their birthday in January and February. Our warmest birthday wishes go out to:
Sable - January 1 Any pet can join our Birthday Club! To help celebrate that special day, each Birthday Club pet receives a card from Chewie, the League mascot, recognition in our E-Newsletter and in the Shelter lobby. 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.
Pet Emergency Preparedness in Alexandria
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is currently launching its new Pet Emergency Preparedness (PEP) plan! In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the eyes of federal, state, and local governments were opened to the need for provisions of jurisdictions everywhere to establish an evacuation plan for pets, in the event of an emergency. The City of Alexandria's Office of Emergency Management is working with the AWLA to organize an efficient protocol to include emergency shelters for animals who have nowhere else to go. Public education and publicity are an essential part of the success of this project. We've developed "how-to" literature and pamphlets specific to the City of Alexandria about this issue. Along with the Homeland Security pamphlet, these PEP pamphlets will be widely distributed throughout the City. If you are able to help us distribute pamphlets, are interested in volunteering to help at an emergency animal shelter, or can assist in another capacity, please contact Lesa Miller, Community Outreach Coordinator at 703-838-4774, ext. 210 or lmiller@alexandriaanimals.org.
Site to See
Have you checked our website lately? It's a great resource for checking out adoptable animals, upcoming events, job listings, volunteer opportunities, and animal information. Visit www.alexandriaanimals.org.
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.
Your generosity would help provide the financial stability that enables the League to care for thousands of animals at the Shelter each year, find them permanent homes, extend outreach services into the community, and educate youth and adults about being part of the solution. Please contact our Development Department at (703) 838-4774 for further information. 
To be added to our email list, please send an email to staff@alexandriaanimals.org. |
||
|
You are receiving this e-mail because your name is on the League's mailing list. If you wish to no longer subscribe, please send an email to awlanews-request@alexandriaanimals.org. We never sell or share our list. | ||||
