Washington Humane Society Blog

You're Invited to our Meow Mixer II on July 24th!

Join us for our second Meow Mixer; a cat OPEN HOUSE adoption event, on Thursday, July 24th 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).

The event will take place at the NEW WHS Behavior & Learning Center. Space is limited. To R.S.V.P or for more information please contact, WHS Adoption Manager, Diana Foley, 202-723-5730 (ext. 150) or dfoley@washhumane.org

Green Acres is now the Place to be

By: Diana Foley, WHS Adoption Manager

(photo below of Diana Foley)

Shelby and Basil, a pair of 8-week-old German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix puppies, arrived at the Washington Humane Society (WHS) as many animals do, scared and confused.  When I first met them, they were hiding under a table in the examination room, trembling.  The two pups were covered from head to toe in grease and dirt,

and the first order of business was getting them bathed and cleaned. As our Veterinary Technician Gina Lantella lathered up them both up in a hot bath, we learned their story.

 

On a dreary January day, WHS Humane Law Enforcement Officer Gardner responded to a complaint about several dogs left out in the cold with no shelter.  When she arrived on the scene, Officer Gardner discovered six dogs, including a mother shepherd and 3 puppies, being kept at an automobile junkyard in

Northeast DC

. Their only escape from the cold winter weather was to huddle together underneath junk cars.  The owners of the dogs were advised to provide a doghouse for the shepherd and her puppies and were given free vouchers to spay and neuter them at our

National

Capital

Area

Spay & Neuter

Center

. Officer

Gardner

 encouraged the owners to surrender the puppies to WHS to be placed into our adoptions program, but the owners insisted that they already had homes lined up for the three puppies.

 

A week later, DC Animal Control (operated by WHS) received a call about a puppy hit by a car on Kenilworth Avenue near the junkyard. Shelby and Basil's littermate had been killed.  Officer Gardner immediately returned to the junkyard to check on the other dogs; when she arrived, Shelby and Basil were running through the junkyard covered in grease and mud.  The owners finally agreed to surrender the puppies to WHS.

 

After a good soak in the tub, Shelby and Basil were placed together in a kennel, where they finally had a warm place to sleep and soft blankets in which to curl up.  After a few days of adjusting to shelter life, they were made available for adoption and began their search for new homes.

 

Basil was the first to get over her fear and was soon eagerly greeting volunteers and staff, bouncing around her kennel and initiating games of tug and fetch. 

Shelby

often followed cautiously behind her sister, curious but still unsure of her surroundings and unable to gain the confidence to play. 

 

As adorable as Shelby and Basil were, potential adopters were deterred after hearing that the puppies would likely grow to be 80 pound dogs.  After nearly a month in the shelter, I received an e-mail from a farmer in

Montgomery

County

who had seen Shelby and Basil on our web site and thought she could give them the home they needed. (photos below of Shelby and Basil)

 

Gayle and Ken came to meet the puppies in person.  We carried the puppies into the visiting room where Basil took an instant liking to Gayle, and

Shelby

hid under a desk. After several minutes, Gayle coaxed

Shelby

out from under the desk by offering her fleece glove as a toy.

Shelby

cautiously crept out, took the glove, and began a tug-of-war with her sister. Gayle and Ken laughed as the two puppies played together, and decided that if they were taking one, they were taking both!  

 

Shelby and Basil, now named Sadie and Sophie, left the shelter that afternoon to spend their days together frolicking around 150 acres with their new pals, Gayle and Ken's two  rescued Rottweilers, and a herd of dairy cows!  Their new owners tell us that they are fast learners and eager to please.  Although their life began in a junkyard, for Shelby and Basil, green acres is now the place to be!

Kitty Steps!

By: Hanna Lentz, Adoption Coordinator

 

I sometimes wonder how my cats would react if they ended up at an animal shelter.  Yoshimi is gentle, but often shy.  Gaudio, my wild man, is trouble with a capital “T”. At a shelter their sweetness and charms would turn into fear and stress.  No one would know they would make perfect pets!  While creating our new Shelter Training and Enrichment Program, every feline in the Washington Humane Society’s (WHS) became “my cat.”

 

Kitty STEPS has been designed specifically for cats at WHS in order to diminish anxiety, boredom, and depression.  The program ensures that every cat receives regular physical and mental stimulation, socialization, and a safe place to stay.  They are kept on a rotating schedule of enrichment and equipped with interactive toys to engage the public in play.   Kitty STEPS utilizes Comfort Zone with Feliway, a feline pheromone analogue that mimics the natural chemicals a cat uses to mark his territory and feel secure in his environment.  In addition, every cat has daily one-on-one “dates” tailored to their individual needs.  Simple to implement and run entirely by our phenomenal WHS volunteers, Kitty STEPS will sustain our cats’ mental health and allow their true personalities to shine.

 

(photo below of Simplicity, a wonderful cat in need of a home who is staying at our shelter on 1201 New York Avenue. Please visit www.washhumane.org to view all of the wonderful cats in our care in need of forever homes)

My cats will never end up at a shelter waiting for someone to recognize how wonderful they are, and this makes them lucky. But, with this new program, the cats who reside at WHS get their chance to win big.  Their individual personalities will be recognized and their emotional needs will be met.  I’m thrilled that we’re able to expand our ability to help our cats take this important step, and I invite everyone to join with me to make it a happen.

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

Foster Your Love for Cats!

By: Kate Zapf, Foster Program Coordinator

It seems like just a few days ago I was bundling up my dog for our treks in the cold winter weather, but with this beautiful balmy weather we’re having, there’s no denying now that Spring is here to stay! With the Spring come the kittens and they’re pouring into our shelters—tiny mewling ones still with their mom, rambunctious boys wrestling with their brothers, cuddly girls just learning to eat on their own. Our most valuable resource in addressing this onslaught is our Foster Program, which gets these vulnerable little ones out of the shelter and into safe, quiet homes where they can get big enough, strong enough and socialized enough for adoption. Without the dedication of our amazing volunteer Foster Parents, we would have few options for these adorable springtime specials.

Fostering is one of the most rewarding ways to help the animals of the District. Just by opening your home to some needy kittens until they are adopted, you can experience the joys of kitten companionship AND the pride of finding them a new, permanent home. You’ll also know that you’ve helped expand the walls of our shelter and opened up more space for homeless animals that need our help. 

All you need to care for kittens is a spare room—even a bathroom will do!—and a lot of love.  Becoming a Foster Parent is easy—just fill out an application and attend one of our upcoming  Cat/Kitten Foster Trainings. To learn more about our Foster Program, visit our website: http://www.washhumane.org/fostercare.asp or email me at kzapf@washhumane.org. 

Contact me for an application and then plan to attend one of these trainings:

Wednesday, April 30, 6 p.m. at 7319 Georgia Ave., NW

Tuesday, May 6, 7 p.m. at 7319 Georgia Ave., NW

Saturday, May 10,  11 a.m. at 7319 Georgia Ave., NW

Wednesday, May 14, 6 p.m. at 1201 New York Ave., NW

Sunday, May 18, 11 a.m. at 1201 New York Ave., NW

Monday, May 19, 7 p.m. at 7319 Georgia Ave., NW

Saturday, May 31, 11 a.m. at 7319 Georgia Ave., NW

Kitten Season ... It’s coming!

By: Kate Zapf, Foster Program Coordinator

It’s coming!

It seems to get here earlier every year…first the soft pitter patter of a few tiny little paws, then the thunder of hundreds and hundreds of tiny little paws. It’s Kitten Season. Due to the nature of animals’ breeding cycles, the warm weather brings with it an overwhelming number of baby animals of every kind, but nothing prepares you for the masses of kittens that come pouring in the doors. In the shelter, our minds are already turning, just trying to figure out the answer to the Kitten Season Question: “Where will they all GO?”

The shelter is not a good place for young kittens, or for moms trying to raise their litters. Young animals are extremely vulnerable to disease, and stress adds significantly to the risk. Most of the kittens that come into the shelter in the spring are too young for adoption (they must be at least 8-weeks-old), and the moms and litters of babies must wait several weeks before they can be adopted. We can’t hold them in the shelter for that time—even if we have the space to hold them, the stress and illness will take its toll.

This is why we need foster homes so much in the spring. Our foster parents are ready, on short notice, to come rescue moms and litters, or young kittens by themselves, from the shelter. They bring them home and give them a safe, quiet space to grow and develop. They socialize the kittens, feed them and love them and then, when the time is right, find the “purrfect” adopters and send them off to their new forever homes. It’s a little work with a lot of reward—not only do you get to play with and love some unbelievably adorable kittens, but you also get the satisfaction of knowing that without you, they wouldn’t have had the chance to find loving homes.

All you need to foster kittens is a safe, quiet place for them, isolated from your other pets. Moms and litters do well in spare bathrooms; older kittens are perfectly happy to set up camp in your guest room or study. When the kittens are old enough, we publicize them on our web site, showcase them at our adoption events, and help you find them their new home! Once everyone is adopted you are ready to bring home another group of tiny little kitten paws.

Our amazing foster homes help us save hundreds of lives every year, but we need more help to bear the load of Kitten Season. Please consider opening your home to these adorable babies this spring and helping us to save more lives! If you would like to learn more about fostering, or fill out a foster home application, please email me at kzapf@washhumane.org. I will be holding a Cat and Kitten Foster Training on Wednesday, March 26^th at 6 p.m. at our Behavior and Learning Center (7315 Georgia Ave., NW), and would love to have your applications before then so that we can get you started fostering right away!