Washington Humane Society Blog

WHS Alumni Update: May 25, 2012

It’s a holiday weekend, so we’ll keep today’s post short and sweet. Catch up with two amazing WHS alumni!

Rocky

Rocky went home yesterday! Rocky came to the Washington Humane Society emaciated with severe congenital skeletal deformations as well as calluses on both legs and a severely infected sore on one leg. He was being kept in a crate approximately half his size with no bedding for 15-20 hours a day. After a long recovery under the care of dedicated officers in our Humane Law Enforcement Department, he has happily found his forever family! Hooray for Rocky! (Check out all the love he received on our recent Facebook post!).















Coco

"We picked Coco up on Christmas Eve and she is the best present we’ve ever given ourselves. We love her more than we thought it was possible to love anything…we are so grateful for everything that you all did for Coco, and continue to do for all of the animals at WHS. I just started a blog about Coco and our lives together and thought it would be fun for you all to read it and hear about how Coco has done over the last six months. She has had multiple infections and health issues, but she is improving slowly and we are glad to have her home.”
-Lauren Smith

Read Coco’s blog at:  http://positivelypittie.wordpress.com/. 














Want to see more happy endings? Help our pets like Ginger, Pet of the Week, find forever families! Download our flyers, “share” our pets on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to our blog and e-news to learn more about adoptable animals, WHS events, info, and more.

WHS Alumni Update: May 18, 2012

Check out more amazing alumni stories below. We love our WHS family!

Peanut
“Peanut is a real blessing. I'm very happy that I took a chance on adopting a special needs senior Chihuahua. He's a really sweet dog and has adjusted very well, and he gets along well with Lil Missy Riverdale, another senior dog who was adopted from WHS the year before. Peanut loves the mini-rawhide chew bones and gets around well indoors and outside, despite his vision problem. He's like having a puppy around all the time.”
-Rita Pazzelli

Want to meet more great seniors like Peanut? We’re helping the “Class of 2012” graduate this weekend by offering fee-waived adoptions on all of our older and long-time pet residents! Visit our adoption centers May 18-20 to meet your new best friend! 

 

 

 

Angus
Angus, formerly Amos, is enjoying midday naps with his new forever family. Angus was adopted from the Washington Humane Society after being fostered by our friends at Wagtime.



















Lola and Clooney
Our favorite rabbit/guinea pig pair was adopted this week! These two came to WHS as best friends and after a long wait, they happily left together just as they came in. Congrats to the new family! 

Mara
Watch Mara, formerly Molly, participate in Capital Flyers Flydog Team practice! Family of WHS volunteer Valerie Amerkail adopted Mara, and they show us she’s doing great! (Mara is featured in the video from approximately :20 to :30 seconds.)

Paige
Paige is making strides in her new home! A WHS STEPs (Shelter Training Enrichment Program) volunteer is working with Paige to help her overcome her fears and gain confidence through training at Spot On Training. She reports that Paige is doing great and having fun! 

DC Cats and Kittens Challenging our Community

Thanks to you, our WHS community, our animals found the foster homes they needed during a renovation project at our New York Avenue adoption center. Our supporters stepped in quickly and in numbers to help dogs and cats in need.

Today, in the midst of our Foster Challenge, we see that baby animal season is in full swing. Our adoption centers are experiencing an especially high volume of cats and kittens who need temporary or permanent housing. As the open access shelter in Washington, DC, this impacts us significantly. We hope we can count on you to help by providing short-term emergency foster care, or by spreading the word your families, friends, and communities to adopt or foster.

Foster volunteers do an invaluable service by simply providing extra space – and love – for animals while we seek permanent homes for them. Each time an animal is taken out of the shelter and placed into a foster home, it provides space for another animal who needs our special care and attention.

We rely on the support of our community to help DC animals; foster homes save lives. Please consider opening your heart and home to save a cat or kitten in need starting today. Any individual, family, or business with the compassion and willingness to help needy animals may apply to serve as a foster caregiver. Sessions can range from a few days or weeks to a month or more depending on the preferences of the volunteers.

If you are interested in fostering a cat or helping during this busy time, contact Alyson Burgess at 202-608-1356 ext. 101 or ABurgess@washhumane.org. Dog foster applicants may contact Lauren Hagerty at 202-723-5730 ext. 136 or LHagerty@washhumane.org. More information on fostering can be found on our website; click here for an application.

Thank you for your continued support of DC’s animals!

WHS Alumni Update: May 11, 2012

We have more happy endings to report this week!

Donald
Yesterday was a BIG day--Donald, one of our longer term senior residents who was facing medical issues, was adopted! Previously, Donald was forced to live outside 24/7 in a chain-link pen situated on concrete and gravel. A lot of love, care, and attention was given to Donald to help him see this day. Congrats to the new family! 

 

Trunks 
Remember Trunks, the sweet stray dog who had some joint issues that made climbing stairs a challenge? His former foster family told us he is the sweetest dog they have met to date. He’s now found a forever home, and he looks very content with his new sibling!

 

Rooster
“We adopted Rooster from the New York Ave adoption center on March 13. He's been a joy. He follows us from room to room and is getting used to being a ‘house cat.’ He wakes us up every morning by purring and nuzzling our faces. In addition to being very sweet (on his own schedule, of course!), he is also very curious and is always finding new places to explore. As I was writing this email he plopped himself down right between my arms =) Thank you for your help in getting us our new pet!”
- Kelsey Reese

 

Safflower
Safflower found a forever home! We are very happy that this sweet, shy, and gorgeous gal will get all the love she craves from her new family. (We just love this photo:)

WHS Animals are Coming to a Neighborhood Near You!

Can’t make it to our adoption centers? Get to know your potential new companion in your own back yard!

Through our many engaging adoption, outreach, and special events, we’ve always known that bringing our animals directly to the communities that support them is key to helping more pets find more homes. The Washington Humane Society (WHS) is thrilled to announce the unveiling of our brand new mobile adoption center, an accessible animal transport van that will help us do just that (see a sneak peek, left!).

The vehicle was acquired thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Stanton Foundation, a New York based foundation created by Dr. Frank Stanton, a media pioneer and lifelong dog owner and admirer. This incredible gift will allow DC animals to meet members of our community in the neighborhoods where they live and work, providing tremendous opportunity to build hundreds, and eventually thousands more families.
 
To celebrate the arrival of our new mobile adoption center, we are hosting an unveiling in conjunction with our 8th Annual Doga event on Saturday, May 12, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Rose Park (near 26th and P Streets NW)!  We hope you will join us to meet adoptable pets; tour the vehicle and submit suggestions to “name” it through a Facebook voting contest; ask volunteers about fostering and helping WHS; and participate with your dog in doga (doggie yoga) with Tranquil Space Yoga, an hour of stretching, snacks, and dog treats by Doggy Style from 11 a.m. to noon.
 
To save more animals’ lives, we will host more off-site adoption events at DC area businesses and high-traffic locations throughout the region. Visit www.washhumane.org/events to see where we’ll be next!

WHS Alumni Update: April 20, 2012

Aruba Grace
“February 2012 was Aruba Grace's first anniversary with my flock, which includes her sister Firooza Violetta, and brother Sonny C. Aruba’s other brother, Vic, sadly passed away in January after a battle with neurological issues. Near the end of Vic's life, Firooza started ignoring him; however, Aruba Grace was the one who stuck by him, feeding and warbling to him. I was worried she would stop eating when we lost him, however, she has adjusted well and is back to flying, bathing, singing, ringing bells, and swinging to bluegrass music. In fact, the flock is now getting along like the ‘Three Musketeers.’ One day, the trio made a group effort to push their bird bath off the cage top, sending it crashing to the floor and splashing the water out of it!”
 -Erin P. Doherty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Puzzle
WHS staff is ecstatic! Long-time resident sweetie Puzzle finally found her forever home this week. We know this energetic former PACK (People & Animal Cardio Klub) pup will be a great forever companion!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JaJa
“Poor Sweet Memphis didn't know what to do about this. He wasn't eating his breakfast one morning so I went to check things out and this is what I had found. Jaja, an adorable rat adopted from the Washington Humane Society, had escaped from the bathroom and was enjoying a breakfast made for Memphis. JaJa now resides in my office so she doesn't torment the other animals! We love JaJa as she keeps us entertained all day. She is super active and gets into trouble all the time but that's why we love her.”
-JJ Scheele

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash
“Seven months ago, I took this pic of Cash (Austin) in the New York Avenue adoption center parking lot on the day I took him home. I knew the moment I found out his birthday was April 15th (aka Tax Day!) that he was meant for me since I write about accounting and taxes for a living! In honor of his first birthday, we will be giving a donation to WHS as a small token of thanks from me and Cash's fellow WHS alum ‘brother’ Buck for bringing this fantastically weird, always entertaining cat into our lives. Happy birthday, Cash!”
-Adrienne Gonzalez

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

George
And finally, last but not least WHS would like to extend a huge thank you to Marie Osmond, our Honorary Fashion for Paws Chairwoman, for adopting little George, whom she met at last weekend’s event. We are happy to report the new family is doing great!

WHS Alumni Update: Scuppers!

By Lexi Lepiarz, WHS Adoption Center Manager, Georgia Avenue

I adopted Scuppers in October of 2011. Usually small dogs are adopted quickly, but poor Scuppers was overwhelmed at the adoption center, and wasn't "connecting" with potential adopters. Instead of sitting in their laps and bonding instantly (as so many small dogs seem to do), Scuppers would pace the room looking for an exit and avoid potential adopters' attempts to pet him. With hopes that he would de-stress and ultimately interact better with adoption center visitors, I decided to take him home with me at night, as a temporary foster. I knew the first night I spent with him in my home that he was "my dog." His personality changed the moment we stepped through my front door; he was an instant snuggle-bug in my home, and polite with my other pets. By night two, the thought of Scuppers going home with anyone else actually brought tears to my eyes--so I officially adopted him the very next day! I wasn't planning to adopt a dog, but I realized without a doubt that I did indeed have room in my home and heart for Scuppers even though his entry into my life was not expected.
 
The past six months have been wonderful. Scuppers is a perfect fit for my lifestyle, as I knew he would be, and a great pal for my three cats. Yes, cats. He prefers cat toys to dog toys, enjoys rambunctious games of chase around the house (the cats chase him!), and of course every day I have to convince him that his food is just as tasty as the stuff the cats get. He has really bonded with my female cat, Gita; the two sleep together, share toys, and are rarely out of one another's sight. Scuppers completes my pack, and I'm so happy to have had the unexpected “Ah Ha!” moment of "I can give a dog a great home." It's so rewarding to think back to his first day at the adoption center, when I handled his surrender to WHS and walked him through the front door, and know that I was also the one who walked him out of the adoption center and into his permanent home: mine.

   Download GitaScupMovie

 

Creating the Right “Rabbitat”

Spring has sprung and our minds are turning to flowers, chicks, bunnies and baskets. Fortunately, the trend of buying pet rabbits as Easter novelties seems to be fading, but too many people still dive into rabbit ownership without enough information on how these adorable and social creatures need to be cared for and housed in order to foster a happy and lasting relationship between “Bun Bun” and his family. 

First and foremost, you’ll need an appropriate “rabbitat”. Don’t think cage–think habitat. Unlike a dog who can have the pleasure of daily walks around the neighborhood, or a cat who can roam the house freely and lounge in front of sunny windows, a rabbit, for his own safety and security, cannot have free, unsupervised reign of your home. This means that any time you’re not supervising or spending time with your rabbit, he’ll be spending all of his time in the habitat that you create for him. 

The cages you typically see in pet stores that are marketed as rabbit homes are invariably too small. Rabbits are social and active animals who need to interact, run, jump, play, and stretch; if you want proof of a rabbit’s amazing variety of physical expressiveness (and utter cuteness!), head to YouTube and search “rabbit binky” (“binky” is the common term for a rabbit’s expressive dance of joy, which often includes fascinating acrobatic feats like 360 degree spins in mid-air or two-foot-high pops straight upwards).  A rabbit who is left alone for long hours in a small cage can become sick and depressed from a lack of socialization and exercise, and you’ll miss out on discovering your rabbit’s unique abilities and personality. 

My favorite enclosure for a rabbit is a puppy exercise pen or “x-pen”. These collapsible pens can be folded out into squares, rectangles, and other shapes that allow you to custom fit them to the size of your space. You can easily connect two x-pens together to create an even larger habitat, and they allow a bunny enough room to stretch out and stand up tall on his hind legs to survey his territory. In addition, the x-pen offers you the freedom to easily move bunny’s house when needed (when staying with a pet sitter, for instance), and can also quickly be unfolded and used to block a doorway when you’re letting your bunny run loose in the room with you (always under close supervision!). Other good housing options include a large dog crate or, if you’re the handy and creative type, a custom-built house. 

When setting up your bunny’s habitat, don’t forget the litter box. Rabbits are fastidiously clean animals and will most often litter box train themselves. All you need to do is provide the box and appropriate litter (paper pulp type litter such as Carefresh—not cat litter.) 

Of course, all of these rabbitats are for housing Bun Bun indoors. Domestic rabbits are not wild animals and should not be left in the outdoors, where they are susceptible to weather changes and predators, as well as exposed to parasites and diseases carried by wildlife. 

Once you’ve decided on the right enclosure for your rabbit and your home, the next step to creating your rabbitat is designing an enriching environment. Luckily, this doesn’t have to be an expensive task. Cardboard boxes, paper towel and bathroom tissue rolls, cardboard cat scratchers, empty tissue boxes, and even and old phone book make great toys for your rabbit to play and nibble (just be sure there is no glue or staples in the items you give your rabbit.) If you want to treat your bunny to some special items, online stores like the Busy Bunny sell untreated wicker baskets, balls, tunnels, and grass mats for chewing and digging.  One of my rabbit’s favorite toys is the SlimCat Ball, which is designed for cats but is a perfect way to offer your bunny his pellet food (as he rolls the ball around with his nose, food drops out a little at a time, offering him an experience similar to natural foraging behavior). 

By providing your bunny with a safe and roomy indoor habitat, a healthy diet, and daily attention and affection, you’re sure to have many happy years of bunny companionship. The Washington Humane Society has rabbits available for adoption year-round who are waiting to hop into your heart!

 Written by Diana Schiripa, WHS volunteer

WHS Alumni Update: March 30, 2012

We have more great Friday stories from our WHS Alumni this week!

Ivan
After many months at Animal Farm Foundation (AFF), Ivan the Wonderful is home! Ivan had a rough start in life, but after making tremendous strides with our friends at AFF, this passionate and energetic pup has found his second chance, and we couldn’t be happier for him! Ivan is now the companion of a fabulous family in New Jersey with two young girls. They look forward to playing ball and engaging in other high-energy activities with this very special spirited pup. Congratulations, Ivan!


  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lene and Bertie
Lene (formerly Goldie) and Bertie (nee Boba Fett) are enjoying their new home. The adopters are current WHS volunteers who were looking for a cat as a companion to their single cat, Ravin, a black ear-tipped kitty. They ended up bringing home two cats – and clearly Ravin approves of their choices!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buster
“Buster (formerly known as ‘Pillsbury’) was adopted from the Georgia Avenue location in 2009. Today he lives with another rescue pit bull. He couldn't be any more loving or friendly. Thank you for such a wonderful addition to our family!”
-Elyssa Dornic



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luna
“Today (March 21) is Luna's 5th birthday. I got her from the New York Avenue shelter four and a half years ago, when she was four months old. Every day, I look at her in her pretty blue and brown eye and I think to myself, how could anyone give you up? But I am so glad they did cause she is the apple of my same colored eyes :D”
-Nini Jin



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Babylon
Congratulations to Babylon and his new dad! Babylon, a former pet-of-the week, had been at our Georgia Avenue adoption center for a very long stretch, waiting for just the right human companion. Happily, this week they found each other!

Where Are They Now? The animals of our anti-cruelty public service campaign

The “stars” of our 2010 Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign touched us with their heart-wrenching stories of abuse and neglect. Recently, we checked in with a few of their forever families.

Gracie
“Gracie is doing great! Ever since I picked her up in 2010 she has been my little shadow. She has adjusted very well, and last May got a roommate, a three-year-old Goldendoodle brother named Harry. Grace passed obedience class last year and has been swimming a couple of times and also enjoys jogging.  She still loves to sit in chairs and can be found sometimes on the back deck sitting upright in a chair watching for passersby.” 
-Brendan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ovie, formerly known as Fendi
“Ovie is doing absolutely terrific and now has a sister (piglet) to play with, though she also spends a lot of time playing mother to her. People love to come up to her and pet her.  She does really well with our 3-year-old niece, Madison, too.  Her photo shows them cuddling on Thanksgiving.  Ovie is so well-behaved and cuddle-obsessed that we are looking at getting her into the Canine Good Citizen program and then into Therapy Dog certification.  We think she could be really good at comforting people in need. We can't thank everyone at WHS enough for giving us such a great family member.  She lives to be with us, and us with her.  She's made rescuing her breed a life-long passion now and we are looking to someday open up our own family rescue in New England.”
-Liz Cavallaro and Hank Webster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Danger Powers
“Danger has been a complete joy, as have Babs (our female rabbit whom we adopted) and Josie (the coolest hamster, who came from WHS as well).  Danger is quite fond of jumping up on the bed and digging through the covers, and he still readily jumps out of his hutch when I call him.  I think it speaks volumes about the care they got at WHS that they're all so affectionate. Babs was shy at first but has now come into her own enough that she's pretty much in charge of the whole crew ;-)”
-Ally Hazen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zeus
And finally, we are very sad to report that Zeus, our original “poster pup,” has passed away due to what is believed to be heart disease. He was with his mom, Anne, and his closest human friend, knowing he was loved right up to the end. When we reached out to his amazing caregiver and shared a photo of her with her beloved Zeus, she thanked us for “the nice reminder of the joy he brought me,” and continued, “I am glad we could help the [anti-cruelty] program…and I know Zeus helped debunk the pit bull myth with every person who met him.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our hearts go out to Anne and her family. We have no doubt that Zeus is in a wonderful place and that his legacy will live on.

We can’t thank all of our incredible adopters enough for opening their hearts and homes to animals who deserve a second chance at life. We love nothing more than uniting people and animals to help create meaningful lifelong bonds. Keep an eye out for a new round of PSAs highlighting the human-animal bond coming this spring.