Washington Humane Society Blog

Inside WHS: Bottle Babies Update

Pet Parenting Day 3 by Peter  Larson - Director of Annual Giving and Special Events

 

The“Bottle Babies” have become an office-wide rescue project.  Everyone is eager to help feed and take care of the little creatures.  Employees from neighboring offices stop by to check on them and

WHS volunteers bring their children to meet the little ones. 

 

We even had a visit from our Board Chairman Jay Timmons who jumped right in and took care of a feeding.  He is a ‘natural’ and it was amazing to see him sitting on the floor with a puppy, still in his business suit.

 

 
The pups are growing quickly and have almost doubled in size since we got them.

 

The boy’s right eye has started to open.

Inside WHS: Staff Foster Dad to the Rescue!

Peter Larson is not only WHS’ Director of Annual Giving and Special Events, he’s now a foster dad.  After meeting the cute little pit puppies, Peter decided to take on the challenge of being a foster parent and is chronicling his adventure in a new blog to inspire others to foster animals in need at the Washington Humane Society.

 

Pet Parenting Day 1 -

The puppies’ 10^th day on earth was my first day with puppies this young.  I’m still calling them the “Bottle Babies” since that’s what Zita Macinanti, our Director of Humane Law Enforcement called them and that’s what they are.  Luckily we had a very experienced foster mom, Mary who took them over the weekend and really worked with them to get them healthy and back on track after a shaky first week in their original home.

It’s been amazing.  They are both such tiny, little beings; so dependent on others to take care of them.  It’s hard to believe they will grow up to be full sized dogs, right now they look more like hamsters.  The little girl and her brother weigh just over a pound each.

Who knew that besides bottle feeding a puppy that young, you also have to coax the bi-product out the other end?  So much to learn.  Thank you to foster mom Mary and Zita for providing training and insight to start me on this journey.

ADORABLE PIT PUPPIES NEED A HOME

 

 

They are sweet, cuddly and in desperate need of a foster home until they are old enough to be adopted.  Please help save two adorable pit pups who are the last of their litter.   The little girl and her brother are just over a week old and are smaller than a coke can. They where surrendered to the Washington Humane Society because their owner could no longer take care of them.

The owner had been bottle feeding but realized he was not able to provide the around the clock care they needed.  He wisely called the Washington Humane Society for help.  Now we need your help to find a foster home and eventually, a permanent home. 

These puppies are just a few of the animals in need of foster care at WHS. Kittens and puppies that are not weaned, too young for vaccines, or too young to be spayed/neutered need to go to a foster home before they can be adopted to their permanent home. Pregnant dogs, nursing moms with kittens, animals recovering from surgery, or those that are just scared in a shelter environment also need a foster home.

 

To find out more about how you can become a foster, please email: aburgess@washhumane.org.  

 

 

WHS's first ever Meow Mixer!

Join us for our first ever Meow Mixer; a cat OPEN HOUSE adoption event, on Thursday, May 22nd from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., where you just might find your “purrfect” match!

Enjoy hors d'oeuvres and drinks compliments of Whole Foods (P Street) and meet WHS's Mascat, Mr. Pibb. The event will take place at the NEW WHS Behavior & Learning Center (7315 Georgia Avenue). To R.S.V.P please contact, Diana Foley, 202-723-5730 (ext. 150) or dfoley@washhumane.org

Puppy in need of a family

By: Isabel

Eleanor mentioned that fellow volunteer Marc Jacobson just sent the following message to a whole bunch of friends. I thought I'd post his request here as well:

"Henna is the cutest little girl, sweet as can be and very affectionate. She's been trying to find a home for a couple of months now and could use your help. Please forward this on to everyone you know who might be interested in adopting Henna or who might know someone looking. I met Henna this past Saturday at the Washington Humane Society's Georgia Ave shelter, and if I could have dogs in my building I would have taken her with me."

(Update: Marc's good wishes - and yours! - brought her the new family she's been waiting so long for. She got adopted less than 24 hours after Marc's email went out. She is going home today!)

Henna's got other fans, too! Volunteer trainer Julie Stark says:

"Henna loves to go on walks and is very curious outside. She walks very quietly and always turns and looks back at me with a cute smile during our walk. She loves to be close, and always listens to me when we practice some training skills together."

Henna is an Azores Cattle Dog (Cao de Fila de Sao Miguel). Her previous people gave her up because they didn't have the time for a puppy. She is a little shy at first but, as Julie points out, she LOVES being next to you once she warms up. She will likely weigh 50 pounds when full grown. She needs a new family who'll help build her confidence with lots of affection and continued training.

Having spent lots of cuddle time with Henna, I know she'll be such a joy to have around. If you're looking for a new best friend, she's waiting to meet you at our Georgia Avenue shelter (7319 Georgia Avenue, between Fern and Geranium Streets). It's open from 12-7pm 7 days a week. You can also give Diana, our adoptions manager, a call at 202-723-5730 x150. If you aren't in a position to adopt, please forward her info to as many people as you can. Thank you very, very much!!

Go Go's New Year's resolution

By: Isabel

A former co-worker once told me that she struggled for years to get in shape. But once her dog Oliver came into her life, she lost 25 pounds, just like that. So she never complains when Ollie hogs the bed at night. After all, he totally changed her life!

Go Go is looking to meet someone who'll have the same life-changing effect on her. But while she's getting ready to kick off her exercise program after the holidays, she's hoping you'll make room for her to snuggle up. This girl (who is 3 years old and weighs a big and beautiful 125 pounds) is sooo incredibly affectionate!

Believe it or not, Go Go was found as a stray! Can she come home with you? Her happy, pretty face will surely brighten your day. Earlier today she had a vet appointment at our spay/neuter center. By the time you come visit her (she's at our New York Avenue shelter), she'll be ready to ride off into the sunset with her new best friend!

PS - Go Go is one of HOT 99.5's 12 Strays of Christmas. As Tara mentioned, HOT 99.5 is helping us find homes for 12 of our shelter dogs and cats. Thanks again, guys!!

Adopting from the Washington Humane Society is Hot, Hot, Hot!

By: Tara

Two days ago when I drafted my first official blog, I remember thinking, will I really have enough to blog about every day? Now, just two days later I can't stop telling myself, don't forget to mention this, this, and this! I have so much to tell you about, I don't know where to start! Today, I want to give a HUGE thank you the radio station Hot 99.5, who has partnered with us on their "12 Strays of Christmas" promotion. I also have to thank a very good friend and supporter of WHS, Heather Guay, (Side note: Heather and I become good friends when we worked together at Washington Life Magazine a few years back) who is the PR Manager of the new Bloomingdale's in Chevy Chase, or "Chevy Chic" as Heather likes to say. Heather was on the way to work last week and heard on the radio that Hot 99.5 was hoping to do this, and e-mailed immediately to tell me.

Starting this morning Hot 99.5's well-known morning host, Kane (see photo), will promote 12 of our wonderful Washington Humane Society (WHS) animals available for adoption, featuring 6 cats and 6 dogs on their web site, and talking about it on air all through next week!

In honor of this, we named one of our fantastic Georgia Avenue shelter residents after Kane (see photo of our four-legged Kane below)

This promotion means so much to WHS and to me. Since we operate the only two open-access shelters in Washington, DC, we take in an average of thirty animals a day, and we are committed to our 5-year Good Home Guarantee plan that promises to place every adoptable animal entering our shelters in a loving by 2010. I often find from talking to members of our community that so many do not know the amount of incredible work that WHS does, how multifaceted we are, that we are the only DC based organization answering every single call for help, and turning NO animal away (24 hours a day-7 days a week), and just how much support we give the entire DC metro region through all of our programs and services, (not done yet) and just how committed we are to becoming a model for urban animal care to lead the entire country!

All of this is what brought me to WHS just a little over a year ago, and I can't wait to tell you all the story on how I got here! It is quiet an interesting "tail!" I hope to see you tomorrow at the new Bloomingdale's, Chevy Chase, for our holiday Santa/Frosty photo event! Please keep your comments coming, they are really helping me through this blogging process!   

Executive cat takes charge!

By: Isabel

I'm not sure why, but ever since we starting putting our Georgia Avenue shelter cats through the ASPCA's Feline-ality assessment, most have turned out to be Personal Assistants or Sidekicks. Helen (pictured below with her sister Lily, a Party Animal) is one notable exception. She's broken through the glass ceiling to become an Executive cat!

Helen and Lily are 7 month old kittens rescued from a home where they were kept in a closet. They are among several pairs of best friends who are hoping to be adopted together.

Here are Tyr (orange; Sidekick) and Thor (brown; Personal Assistant), 1-year-old brothers whose previous owner could no longer afford to have pets.

And Midnight (Secret Admirer in a tux!) and Rocky (gray tabby; Sidekick), who are 6 and 7 month old boy cats.

And poor Tom Tom and Rufus, who are on their second stay with us. They were adopted a few months ago, but their adopter got engaged to someone who's allergic to cats :( They are only 6 months old and oh so handsome! Please come visit these and many other adorable kitties at our Georgia Avenue shelter!

Fox 5 helps find homes for Maya and Gizmo!

By: Isabel

A BIG thank you to Fox 5 for featuring Gizmo, Maya and Celo last Friday!! Diana Foley, our adoption manager, got to introduce three of our shelter favorites on the morning news. (You can watch the segment here.) Thanks to the exposure, Gizmo and Maya have already found homes!

Mellow, cuddly Gizmo is a 3-year-old Shih Tzu who was found as a stray around the 100 block of Uhland Terrace NE.

Sweet, happy Maya, a 6-year-old Spaniel/Papillion mx, had a similar story. Someone spotted her wandering alone around 13th & Q Streets NW and brought her to the shelter.

Celo is hoping he'll be next. He's a super affectionate 7-year-old Scottish Terrier/Cocker Spaniel mix whose previous owner gave him up because he's not a young puppy any more. Celo is full grown at an apartment-sized 29lbs. If you're looking for canine companionship but aren't up for a lot of exercise, he'd make a fantastic friend. Please come visit him at our New York Avenue shelter!

My Velveteen Rabbit

By: Isabel

His previous family brought him to the shelter; they didn't want him any more. He waited in our cat room for weeks and weeks. Hundreds of prospective adopters must have come through. He got compliments here and there, and hugs now and then, but nobody offered to take him home. I signed up to foster him because I felt like he deserved better, but I thought of him only as a guest. I already had two cats and wasn't looking for a third.

But... over the next two weeks, I found it harder and harder to understand why nobody picked him. The more time I spent with him, the more adorable he became. Finally I filled out his adoption form. As I signed my name at the end, I thought of the Velveteen Rabbit, a children's book you might have read. Real isn't how you start out, it said. It's something that happens to you. When someone loves you, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.

After I turned in the paperwork to make China Man (he needs a new name!) mine, I stopped by to give Jazzy a celebratory kitty spa treatment. She has the thickest, softest fur ever and loves being brushed. She just got adopted too, after a long, long stay at the shelter. I'm glad her new person recognizes the beauty and sweetness that so many others overlooked.

I visited with Diva too, and hoped that someone will come along to make her Real. Cute as she is in her shelter cage, I'll bet you'll find her absolutely stunning and totally irresistible once you bring her home. Please - give her a chance!