“Yes! Good job! That’s it!” It’s not always the animals who get to enjoy a training class at the AWLA. Our amazing volunteers are in on the fun too! Volunteers at the AWLA help with everything from caring for animals to doing laundry and now helping pups put their most polite paw forward. While our amazing volunteers spend so much …
A Message from Alexandria’s 2019 Animal of the Year: Crandon
Is your pet vying to be Alexandria’s Animal Idol? Before our 2020 photo calendar contest kicks off THIS SATURDAY at 8 a.m., we checked in with Alexandria’s Animal of 2019, calendar winner Crandon (and his mom Kay), on what is has been like to be the Animal of the Year: Below: Crandon’s winning 2019 Calendar Contest photo Q: How did …
Volunteer Photographers Put Shelter Animals in Best Light
The challenge: Capture the stories of each dog, cat, rabbit and any other animal at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA). The solution: A corps of professionally trained photographers volunteering their time to take individualized portraits of each animal in need. Suggested strategy: Bring treats, props…and lots of patience. Above: Sean shows off his personality for the camera. (Photo …
In A Word: Joy – A Volunteer Perspective
Volunteer Karin is one of our many amazing volunteers. She spends most of her time at the AWLA with our dogs, taking them on walks, playing with them in the yard and giving them cuddles and back scratches at every opportunity in between. But some of her volunteer time is spent outside the AWLA grounds, still with our adoptable pups …
Some Shelter Pets Clock In As ‘Office Animals’ on Road to Adoption
Walking through the halls of the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA), a visitor might notice something a bit unexpected: Many of the offices are guarded by baby gates. No, toddlers aren’t afoot. The gates are keeping the shelter’s “office animals” safe and secure. At any given time, as many as 10 cats, dogs and other animals are receiving special …
You Can Still Spring2Action!
Over the past two weeks our volunteers have been busy, like always, helping Alexandria’s Animals during Spring2Action…
Kitten Season 101
What is Kitten Season? Kitten Season is the time of year when, as weather gets warmer, animal welfare providers see a flood of kittens, with and without mom, in need of care. This is part of the larger springtime season of babies that takes place with our wild neighbors as well. Each year the AWLA has nearly 100 kittens and …
Click – Treat – Adopt
Stop by the shelter on any given day, and you might hear a distinct clicking noise, followed by the sounds of happy pups, kitties and even rabbits and rats enjoying a quick treat before their next click. Clicker training is part of the AWLA’s positive reinforcement training for shelter animals, but it’s more than just rewarding Buddy for his excellent …
Fun Dogs for a Fun Day!
Festive pups, St. Paddy’s Day Spirit, galactic Chihuahuas and more! On March 2, the AWLA’s annual Fun Dog Show was leaps and bounds of fun, and that excitement continued through the Ballyshaners‘ St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Pups and their people filled Old Town’s Market Square to compete in the show or root and woof for contestants on stage. Creativity was …
‘Foster Parents’ Make All the Difference for Some Shelter Animals
Unable to adopt? Fostering offers a variety of ways to get some ‘quality pet time’ Tyler the bulldog mix was going downtown. Down to Old Town, to be specific. He had donned an “Adopt Me” vest, was fitted for a harness and leash and was setting off with an Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) volunteer for a “foster field …