A Washington Humane Society Style Christmas

By: Tara

This will be my last blog of 2007, as I hop on a plane tomorrow and head to London and then Madrid for a week. It is so hard to pack up and leave for a week; my office is my second home and the thought of not being here for a little over a week is so upsetting. I'll miss my work, my colleagues, and the animals.

I will especially miss my beloved dog Dubious, who will be "on vacation" as I call it on my family's farm outside of Charlottesville, Virginia for the time I am away. The second I pulled my suitcase out last night to begin packing, he started his sad routine, where he follows me around frantically, as though he is begging me not to leave. So, I make myself feel better by telling him he is going on vacation too, and will be on the farm where he can run on more than sixty acres and play with all of his little friends. Always right before I leave for a big trip, I feel so incredibly guilty for leaving him behind; he's been my companion for almost 9 years... that is my longest relationship to date! (photo of Dubi below)

Since I was a little girl, I always found Christmas day to be very hard, as I looked around at all of the people gathered together, always in the back of my mind were those animals left with no one, out in the cold. I always thought they could sense it was a special day that brought people together, and that it must make them sad since it is a reminder they do not have a family of their own. This is why the Washington Humane Society's Christmas Has Gone to the Dogs program means so much to me.

On Christmas morning, two teams lead by Washington Humane Society Humane Law Enforcement Officer's Tim Moyer and Ann Russell, deliver food and treats to the lonesome guard dogs in the District of Columbia. (photo of Officer Moyer below)
In DC there are fifty to sixty guard dogs left out alone in the cold. On Christmas morning, as children all around the city unwrap gifts from Santa Claus, the Washington Humane Society Humane Law Enforcement Officers and their volunteer teams trek to every junk yard and down every alley to deliver the tasty treats to every guard dog in the city. The dogs, typically German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Pit Bulls, love the treats and attention the Officers deliver.

Since we enforce all of the District's animal laws, anti-cruelty statutes under an 1870 Congressional charter, and all animal control laws under a contract with the Department of Health. The Humane Law Enforcement Officers also use this as an additional opportunity to assess the health and the living conditions of the guard dogs, to be sure that their owners are not in any violation of the law. (the sad photo below was taken in '06 by a Washington Humane Society Officer while delivering treats to a local guard dog)

While I spend time with friends in London and unwrap my presents, I am truly thankful that the Washington Humane Society is here, and Officer's Moyer and Russell, and their teams of volunteers are kindly sacrificing their Christmas morning to give attention, love and treats to those animals without a loving family to call their own.

I wish everyone a very happy holiday! I will return to DC on December 31st, just in time to join friends for a grand New Year's party at the City Tavern Club. For those of you who read the first blog I ever wrote... I bet you can guess what my new year's resolution will be! Looking forward to sharing my 2008 with you! It will be a very busy year, kicking off with our Sugar & Champagne Affair on January 24th at the Galleria at Lafayette Center, followed by our Fashion for Paws event (my baby) at the Italian Embassy on April 12th, and then the unforgettable 21st Annual Bark Ball on June 7th, not to mention a few very exciting surprises I can't mention just yet! Stay tuned!

Comments

[mai]

have a safe and fun trip. i will miss you!