Some know the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) as the place where they adopted their best friend. Others know it as the shelter that helped reunite them with their lost pet. But the AWLA is so much larger than a building. The AWLA is a team of people dedicated to animals — and the people who love them.

In 2020, this included providing 40,000 pounds of pet supplies, largely donated, to support animals and animal lovers across the region.

For years, our community programs have existed to help pets stay with their families, and 2020 especially showed us that hardship shouldn’t be a reason for someone to give up a beloved pet. One of our earliest partnerships with Senior Services of Alexandria, a program called AniMeals, delivered pet food and supplies to senior and housebound residents who also participated in Meals on Wheels. Rather than having an animal, who may have lived with one person their whole life, have to go to a shelter because it was no longer possible for their owner to afford pet food on a fixed income, pets could stay with their best friends, who depended on their companionship and gave them loving care in turn.

In recent years, we expanded these efforts by partnering with Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA), to host clinics offering vaccines, basic care, training advice and supplies for pets at ARHA locations where residents may not have access to pet care and supplies. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we quickly transformed these into drive-up clinics at our facility and are already looking to the future with our new OneHealth Initiative that brings human and animal wellness check-ups and services into a single program.

As we shared the work we were doing, adopting innovative programs in the field of animal welfare, our supporters responded with, “How can I help too?” Our community programs became a way to connect people who wanted to help animals with those who needed assistance, and the results were amazing. When we asked for kitty litter — one of the most highly requested items from our Pet Pantry in March 2020 — it arrived by the truck-load thanks to the many donors ready to help. If we request special assistance with a particular animal, whether it’s prescription food or for a picky eater, they are sure to receive exactly what they need. 

The AWLA works not only with individuals but also with shelters and rescues in areas with fewer adopters, fewer donors and more animals coming in. By partnering with these organizations, we are able to help more pets find homes, bringing adoptable dogs, cats, rabbits, mice and more to the AWLA to find families and sending their vehicles back as full as they came. They return with food and supplies to help the animals from their region, whether that is rural Virginia, West Virginia, Florida or beyond. If donors in our area have donated more pet stairs than we can use in our facility, they are passed on to a rescue that specifically helps senior pets. When a shelter just needs more dog food to help make ends meet, we fill up their van before they drive home.

When we share how grateful we are for our generous community, we mean it. The work we do for animals, people, our neighbors near and far, is not possible without the support we receive from you each and every day. 40,000 pounds of pet food and supplies made all the difference in 2020, and because of you, we will be able to help even more animals and people in 2021.

 

 

 

Read our announcement: AWLA Provides More Than 40,000 Pounds of Pet Supplies in 2020

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