Sara has been a volunteer for over a year. Every week she arrives at the Shelter with treats in her pockets, ready to give our dogs some exercise and TLC! "When I come to the Shelter, I get to be a Good Samaritan by taking a homeless dog out for a walk in the grass and fresh air and some frolicking in the play yard. Ear scratches and belly rubs are usually appreciated, too (for the dogs!). Sloppy kisses certainly cheer me up if I'm grumpy, " she said.

As a volunteer, Sara helps the League in other ways, too, including being a wildlife transporter. Wildlife often arrives at the shelter injured and needs to be transported to a local wildlife rehabilitator. Sara remembers, "My first transport was of an injured, young male Cooper's Hawk. The raptor rehabilitator let me help get some liquids into the stunned hawk."

Sara loves the time she spends at the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter. "If you have even just a few spare minutes each week, the animals would greatly benefit from your time with them. Please consider volunteering - it's quite uplifting for you and the critters!" If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the Manager of Volunteer Services at (703) 838-4774, x225.

Gold Medal of Valor Award from the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce awarded to Officer Pete Fitzgerald
On April 21, Officer Pete Fitzgerald will receive a tremendous honor. Please join us in congratulating Officer Fitzgerald for his selection as a Gold Medal of Valor award from the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce. This commendation exemplifies and represents the courage, heroism, and gallantry that Officer Fitzgerald displays on a daily basis.

Officer Fitzgerald was awarded this distinction as a result of a courageous act performed on his way home from work on March 17. As he drove, he smelled smoke and immediately called for Fire and Rescue, and then attempted to evacuate the remaining residents. Officer Fitzgerald remained at the location directing traffic until the fire was extinguished. Congratulations to Officer Pete Fitzgerald for a job well done, both on and off duty!

Ritual Crimes and the Occult
On Thursday, March 27, Animal Control Officer Alan Corman attended a seminar sponsored by the Loudon County Department of Animal Care and Control. The seminar entitled, "Ritual Crimes and the Occult" was very informative, although dark at times. However, it was especially informative in relation to crime scene investigations.

Officer Corman offers an example. "Let's say you observe chicken feet dangling from a string on the front porch. Is it evidence of Voodoo? Is it evidence of witchcraft? Is it evidence of an animal sacrifice, or something much deeper and darker? More often than not, it is simply evidence of a previous night's dinner and nothing illegal. It is easy to assume that body parts, feathers, or feet are evidence of an animal sacrifice. However, in this example it is a cultural situation and not a ritual situation. The chicken's feet would simply be the remains of a family's dinner." Officer Corman continues to explain clues to a darker situation could be colored powders or stones, animal skulls and skeletal remains arranged in a specific manner, or something resembling an altar or table sacrifice.

We do not want to think any dark type of activity could be discovered in the Alexandria area. However, in the summer of 2007, Animal Control Supervisor Chaun Gorden responded to a complaint about some roosters found dead on the grounds of a cemetery. The roosters appeared to have been strangled; they were not mutilated in any manner. Supervisor Gorden found various objects scattered nearby, such as candles, baskets, different types of fruit, and rice. These suggested a possible religious or occult practice. However, no additional suspicious activities were ever reported and the true source of the scene was never determined.

One Day in the Life of an Animal Control Officer
There is probably no such thing as a routine day for the Animal Control Officers, (ACO) at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. Each day brings new animal complaints and concerns. Many days the calls relate to dogs barking or dog owners who do not pick up after their dogs when walking them. Other days the calls are more urgent, such as a dog running loose on Duke Street during heavy traffic. Animal Control Officers no longer simply pick up stray animals roaming the city. They assist humans during moments of panic, fear and anger. The officers must remain calm, professional and courteous at all times. What makes their job so unique is that each day is a new experience.

Gone are the days of the "dog-catcher". The role of the ACOs has evolved to where our officers wear many hats, so to speak. The ACOs not only deal with the animals on a daily basis, but they deal with the public as well. They need to remain calm, professional, and courteous. This includes dealing with hostile, aggressive or fearful people. The experiences that our officers bring to their roles are also unique. At the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, two of the four ACOs have military experience, with one of them having prior military law enforcement training in the US Air Force. Another of the ACOs is a part-time Special Conservator of the Peace. The ACOs bring a wealth of education and experience to the animal control department, whether it is being current on adult CPR and AED, or Pet First Aid. They also attend various training seminars and courses that broaden their animal control knowledge. Collectively, the ACOs and the Director of Animal Control bring more than 20 years of experience and knowledge to the Animal Welfare of Alexandria and city of Alexandria.

The American Humane Association is hosting Every Day is Tag Dayâ„¢, which began on Saturday, April 5. Each year millions of cherished pets get lost and find themselves in the care of animal shelters. Sadly, many are never reunited with their families. To help fight this problem, the American Humane Association encourages pet owners to provide pets with an ID tag.

On your pet's I.D. tag, remember to include a contact name, address, and daytime and evening phone number. Consider providing a phone number for an alternate contact, such as a neighbor or family member, in case you cannot be reached. Moreover, do not forget to update your pet's tags when you move. Also, consider microchipping your pet to increase the likelihood that you and he will be reunited if he is ever lost. Find tips on pet identification and what to do if your pet gets lost at www.americanhumane.org/tagday.

Iguanas are designed to climb and perch in trees. Magic has adapted his climbing ability to his "job" here at the shelter. He keeps our staff company while riding on their shoulders and keeping himself warm. Iguanas are native to Central and South America; they enjoy tropical temperatures and basking in the sunshine. When handled regularly, iguanas can be gentle companions for their human owners. They have quickly become the most purchased reptile in North America, yet many owners do not understand the time and attention that iguanas require. Magic will need a special home with people who can provide the care he needs. In return, he will happily keep his human friends company, always looking over their shoulder!

"Somebody to Love" is the theme of the 2008 Annual Dinner and Silent Auction, and we want YOU to help us celebrate the bond between people and their animal companions. We are seeking photos of you with your pets for possible inclusion in our event invitation, program and other printed materials. Submitted photographs should be close-up shots and should reflect the loving relationship between you and your pets. Photos should have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi and be saved as either a .jpg at the highest optimization or as a .tif file with LZW compression.

The deadline for photo submission is June 1. Please email your photo along with your name, the names of everyone in the photo, and a sentence or two about your relationship with your pet to dhohenthaner@alexandriaanimals.org Attn: Annual Dinner Photo. Submission of a photo grants the AWLA the right to publish, use, adapt, edit and/or modify all submitted photos in any and in all media, without limitation and without consideration to the entrant, whether or not such submission is selected for use for this particular event.

A meeting for Northern Virginia Animal-Related Emergency Management for Employees took place on April 7 at the Fairfax County Alternate Emergency Operations Center. In attendance was League staff and a representative from the City's Office of Emergency Management, along with those from various other jurisdictions. Discussion focused on how to best disseminate monies for purchase of evacuation supply trailers and how to stock the mobile storage units with the correct supplies. Such networking between neighboring jurisdictions will ensure that cities like Alexandria will be better prepared to deal with a disaster evacuation involving their pets.

On March 12, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria hosted a lecture and training seminar About Bats 101. Attendees were invited to learn more about these lesser-known creatures to spread knowledge about these interesting winged animals.

On March 12, Brownies at the Fort Hunt Elementary School were treated to a class on Animal Care from the AWLA, helping them to receive their Badges. Children were allowed to interact with a wonderful rabbit named Sullivan and ask questions about caring for rabbits and other animals.

As always, Tours of Vola Lawson Animal Shelter are always welcomed and can be arranged at almost any time. Off-site presentations may be scheduled as well... please call our Outreach Coordinator at 703-838-4774 x210 to make your memorable visit today!

Beginning in the month of February, the League began coordinating efforts to work with pet-friendly residential buildings to promote awareness of animal needs, emergency preparedness for pets and initiating donation projects to collect much needed supplies for the Shelter. If your establishment is interested in getting involved, Please contact Lisabeth Adams, Director of Development at 703-838-4774 x206.

On March 16, the AWLA hosted a Rabies Clinic where residents could come for vaccinations for their pets with the option of having their pet microchiped at the same time. Make sure to for our next clinic to be scheduled in October.

Career Day at George Washington Middle School was held on April 4. On hand for the event was our very own Lesa Miller, Outreach Coordinator for the League. She was able to present all the wonderful options in the career field of Animal Welfare.

Emergency Trailer
In early April, the City of Alexandria's Office of Emergency Management delivered a 20-foot trailer to the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter. The trailer was purchased for the storage of emergency pet supplies to be used in the event of a disaster. The money to purchase the trailer was federally mandated to jurisdictions throughout the country by FEMA and will result in saving the lives of animals AND their owners who must evacuate potentially dangerous situations. Thanks to everyone involved in making this possible! Please check out next month's issue to see photos of the new emergency trailer.

In addition, the AWLA is proud to announce the acquisition of new Oxygen masks for pets to be allocated to various local fire departments to increase the chances of pets being saved in life-threatening emergencies. An enormous thank you is due to our donors and our dedicated staff who made this possible.

Be sure to check out our ever-changing website for new and enhanced features and updates. Our new informative emergency information and on-line Pet Emergency Preparedness brochures can be found there, as well as many other exciting new developments. We now also offer Pet First Aid Kits purchased from the Red Cross that are available for sale at the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter.

If you are interested in donating to the Pet Emergency Preparedness fund, please contact The Director of Development, Lisabeth Adams at (703) 838-4774 x206, or by email at ladams@alexandriaanimals.org.

You may access the online giving icon from any page on our website. So visit us often via the Internet at www.alexandriaanimals.org to learn more about the League, what we are doing, who is up for adoption, and do not forget to give from your heart while you are there!

We hope you'll not only use GoodSearch as your main search engine from now on, but will also tell your friends, family and co-workers so they, too, can start using GoodSearch to support their favorite cause! Spread the word!

Their goal is to help as many nonprofits as possible. GoodSearch will allow people to feel connected to the AWLA by helping to make the world a better place and support the animals every single day. "Doing well" should be a part of people's everyday lives, and this is a simple way to do so.

Because Goodsearch donates such a substantial part of their revenue to the organizations that you designate, they do not spend a lot on advertising. That is why we need your help in spreading the word! Tell your friends and family to use this search engine to benefit the League! Every time you search, money will be donated to the AWLA. Just go to the website above and follow the prompts to start your grass roots funding today. If you have questions, please feel free to call Lisabeth Adams, Director of Development at 703-838-4774 x206.

Please check out our website for our updated wish list on a regular basis. We are always in need supplies!

To be added to our email list, please send an email to staff@alexandriaanimals.org.