The call from distraught Alexandria city employees was urgent. They needed the AWLA to help with a tiny, furry problem: A baby raccoon was stuck on top of a city dump truck that the workers had been driving around town. AWLA Animal Services Officers Howard Stanback and Megan Lawrence were dispatched to the scene, where Officer Stanback climbed atop the …
Celebrating Pit Bull Awareness Month This October
October is Pit Bull Awareness Month, as if we needed another reason to talk about the many wonderful pups who come through our doors at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria! Whether you love them for their smiling faces or their resemblance to happy hippopotamuses, talking about “Pit Bull” dogs can be tricky since ”Pit Bull” is not actually a …
Celebrating Adopt a Shelter Dog Month
October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, so named to help bring awareness to the many adoptable dogs who are waiting to meet their future families at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria and at shelters and rescues across the country. But in October 2020, our pups don’t have to wait long. Since switching to virtual adoptions in April and …
Pet Pantry’s Doors Wide Open for a Community in Need
Linda Easley didn’t know where to turn. In recent years she had suffered a debilitating injury, lost her mobile home to a flood and then her money to identity theft. Now, living with a relative in Northern Virginia, she lacked funds to feed her longtime cherished pet, a nine-year-old Lhasa Apso named Bunny. Although Easley had worked for homeless shelters …
Remembering a Friend to Wildlife
Over the past decade, one of Virginia wildlife’s greatest resources was Dogue Hollow Wildlife Sanctuary, a nonprofit in Lorton dedicated to rehabilitating wildlife, especially raccoons. Last week we lost the organization’s director, Jenna Such, a champion for wildlife, but we will always remember her generous spirit and determination to help animals in need. Pictured: A baby raccoon who went to Dogue …
REPOST: Emergency Preparedness for Your Pets
September is Emergency Preparedness Month, and with storm season here and winter right around the corner, be sure to take all of your loved ones into account, including your furry family members! The best way to cope with an emergency is to be prepared in advance, and here are some steps you can take today to help you be ready …
Summer Campers Still Helping Animals During Pandemic
For over a decade, students in northern Virginia have been coming to the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria each summer to learn about animal welfare and how they can make a difference in the lives of animals in need. This year, campers as young as six and up through 13 years of age still spent a week making an impact …
It’s Raining Cats!
Kitten Season Is Here Sylvia Gethicker and her daughter, Sylvia Landis, thought they were all prepared for the skinny gray tabby cat they were fostering at their Alexandria home to deliver her litter of kittens in May. They had put together the “Cadillac” of beds for her, a comfy canvas castle tucked away in a small bedroom. The birth was …
Volunteering to Help Shelter Animals from Home
Volunteers are gradually returning to the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter. One at a time, they sign up to walk dogs, socialize with cats and assist with the steady stream of laundry and donations, all while maintaining a safe physical distance. But when the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria had to make the difficult decision to pause in-shelter volunteering in March …
Repost: Celebrate July 4th Safely with Your Pet
Whether your July 4th plans include hosting friends and family, watching fireworks or just enjoying the weekend, we want to help you make sure your pets stay safe during the celebrations and all summer long! Frightening Noises Your favorite part about July 4th might the the fireworks, but your pet might not say the same! Dogs and cats have sensitive ears, …