Washington Humane Society Blog

Save-the Dates: Holiday Pet Photos and Parties

Please join us for our Holiday Pet Photos and Parties to benefit the programs and animals of the Washington Humane Society on:

*Thursday, December 4^th from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. This is WHS’s first Home for the Holiday’s themed Meow Mixer and Cat Holiday photo event. You just might find your “purrfect” match while enjoying hors d'oeuvres, refreshments and holiday photo fun with your kitty and meeting WHS cats and kittens available for adoption. The food is sponsored by Dos Gringos and the cat toys are compliments of The Big Bad Woof. A $15 donation to WHS is required for a holiday photo of your cat with Santa Claus. The event will take place at the new WHS Behavior & Learning Center,7315 Georgia Avenue, NW. For more information please contact 202-723-5730 (ext. 150) or dfoley@washhumane.org

 

*Saturday, December 6th - 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Dog Shop, in Georgetown. With a $15 donation to WHS, you will receive a 4x6 printed photo and an electronic version of photo to use as you please. The Dog Shop, 1625 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, 20007

 

*Sunday, December 7th– 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Barkley Square Gourmet Dog Bakery & Boutique. With a $15 donation to WHS, you will receive a 4x6 printed photo and an electronic version of photo use as you please. Barkley Square Gourmet Dog Bakery & Boutique, 2006 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA

 

*Sunday, December 14th – 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Bloomingdale’s, Chevy Chase Haute Holidays for the Hounds to benefit WHS. With a $15 donation to WHS celebrate your canine best friend and the holidays, by pampering your pooch with gourmet cookies and holiday photos. Bloomingdale's, 5300 Western Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD

Evelyn Brooks Christmas Project to Benefit WHS

The Evelyn Brooks Designs (EBD) business mission is to give back to the community.  This year she  proudly presents the Evelyn Brooks Designs’ Christmas Project 2008. For every purchase you make through the Evelyn Brooks web site, at a private jewelry trunk show, or at any other special event, Evelyn Brooks Designs will given between 10% and 25% of the proceeds to the Washington Humane Society.  

How does it work?

-          Make your purchase through the web site and choose how much you want to give back. When you buy online, you’ll receive a 15% discount on your jewelry selection and EBD will donate 10% of the sale to the Washington Humane Society.  You can increase your giving by forgoing your 15% discount so that EBD can increase your donation to 25%. All you have to do is provide the details for the Washington Humane Society Chairty.

-          Join EBD at their private trunk shows and special events. When you make your purchase, you’ll fill out our EBD Christmas Project postcards with your information, how much you want to give, and that you want EBD to send give that donation.

This project begins November 11^TH  and will continue to December 31, 2008. With every purchase, you’ll also receive a free good luck sterling silver “huayruro” charm as a token of EBD's thanks.

Book Signing Event to Benefit WHS

Booksigning Event ~ What Puppies Dream
Sunday, December 14th, 2008 10:00am - 2:00pm

Author Dan Martinage, has just written a wonderful children's book about his 4-legged best friend, Briggs, called What Puppies Dream.

He will be at The Big Bad Woof for a booksigning and reading so please bring in your kids and meet Daniel for an engaging storytime!

Readings at 11:00am and 1:00pm - partial proceeds benefit the Washington Humane Society

The Big Bad Woof
117 Carroll St NW
Washington DC 20012
(202) 291-2404

Support WHS with Donations of Goods and Services

There are many ways to support the work and mission of WHS, and in-kind donations are greatly needed and truly appreciated. Donations can be dropped off at either of our two shelter locations (addresses below).

Shelter Needs
Towels, wash cloths, hand towels and blankets
Tool Kit (hammer, wrench, nails, etc)
Animal beds, small or medium
Unopened wet dog food
Shoeboxes
Cat and dog scale
Hand sanitizer/lotion
Plastic bags without holes
Nail clippers, scissor-type
Heating pads
Exam gloves, small and powder-free
Baby Gates
Frontline for dogs and cats/ revolution and capstar
Rubbermaid 30 Gallon Containers with lids
Dish detergent, such as Dawn
Laundry detergent
Bleach
Dog hair dryers

Animal Needs
  DOGS:
6 ft. nylon leashes and or 4 ft with double handle
Martingale collars
Hard rubber toys such as kongs
NylaBones (new)
Kongs
Grooming items; (brushes and scissors)
Dog Treats, pig ears
Esbilac for puppies
Canned dog food

CATS:
Litter boxes (new only)
Cardboard scratching post
Cat grass/nip
Fleece donut cat beds
Grooming items; (brushes and combs)
Clay cat litter; Care Fresh Litter; Nonclumping
Plastic or rubber toys (nothing furry)
KMR for kitten

RABBITS, FERRETS, BIRDS
Wooden chew items (new only)
Bird toys and accessories (such as perches)
Cages for bird/ferrets
Aquariums and lids in good shape
Plastic exercise balls
Timber hide-away houses
Spray millet for birds
Carefresh Critter litter and bedding
Oxbow Timothy Hay
Paper towel roll

Washington Humane Society Shelters:

7319 Georgia Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20012
tel: 202-BE HUMANE (202-234-8626)

1201 New York Ave., NE (Operated by WHS under contract from the Department of Health)
Washington, DC 20002
tel: 202-576-6664 (24 hours)

 

WHS Offers Puppy Kindergarten Classes to First Family Adopters

  By: WHS President and CEO, Lisa LaFontaine

Dog lovers across the nation have been captivated by the mystery of who will become the nation’s next First Dog. President-elect Obama’s message to his daughters that they have earned their new puppy has generated a flurry of speculation about the breed and gender, with contests, polls and countless recommendations.

At the center of the discussion is whether the new First Family will adopt a purebred, rescue or shelter dog.

The Washington Humane Society (WHS), the largest humane society in the nation’s capital, has been inundated with calls from supporters who hope that the First Family will adopt a dog from their new hometown shelter. Those of us in the animal sheltering community are thrilled that the President-elect has, through his public statements, raised awareness about the issues of pet overpopulation and homelessness. We are particularly appreciative of their desire to consider a shelter dog.   

As with every family considering adoption, the Obama’s have unique needs to be taken into account. They deserve the opportunity to choose a dog in their own way, and in their own time. All of us who have adopted a dog know it is a meaningful experience in the life of a family, and we hope the spotlight they are under as First Family-elect doesn’t compromise that experience in any way. We are certain the Obama’s will approach this important family decision with care and deliberation, and trust they will make an excellent choice. If they adopt a dog from WHS, that will be a wonderful thing. If they adopt a dog from another rescue resource, we will celebrate the adoption of a dog, no matter the organization the dog is from.

Perhaps WHS can best be considered as a resource in helping the family, and particularly the girls, with training and socializing their new companion with the guidance from professional  trainers from our WHS Behavior & Learning Center. It is always an important undertaking to integrate a dog effectively into the family and household, and we have some of the best professionals in the field to help with that transition. We stand ready to offer ongoing support and behavioral training to help get their new companion off on the right paw.

WHS Implements Meet Your Match Program

The ASPCA’s Meet Your Match™ is a wonderful humane society matchmaking program that evaluates an animal’s behavior and interests and matches them to an adopter’s preferences so that if you are adopting a companion animal, you take home a pet who will succeed in your home.

Each adoptable animal is assessed based on level of interest in play, exploring, “talking,” and being the center of attention so that he or she can be placed into one of the color-coded “feline-ality” or “canine-ality” types that make up the Meet Your Match program. Green cats are savvy and adventurous, orange cats make the perfect companions and purple kitties are quiet, seek affection and stay out of trouble. Dogs are placed into one of nine color-coded Canine-alities. Some pooches are laid-back “Couch Potatoes,” others are curious “Busy Bees,” and then there are the action hero “Go-Getter” types. The color is indicated on the animal’s kennel card, along with a short description, so you’ll know just who you’re dealing with in your quest for your dream companion.

Let’s say you are looking to find the cat or dog of your dreams. When you go to a shelter using the Feline-ality and Canine-ality assessment, you’ll be asked to fill out a one-page Adopter Survey—19 questions about your lifestyle and how you envision your pet fitting in to this lifestyle. Your results will tell the WHS Adoptions team what your “color” is—and who will best fit into your family!