The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria wants to share a wide variety of viewpoints from all of our community through this blog, and today we are pleased to share a guest post written by our amazing Behavior and Training Coordinator Erin:
When residents stop by the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter for business, we’re always happy to help! But we often find ourselves engaged in the following exchange:
Our visitors ask, “Do you have many cute pets in the kennels today?”
“We do! Please feel free to head back and take a look!”
Then they’ll respond, “Oh, I couldn’t. It makes me too sad.”
We hear this sentiment expressed in various forms every day.
Alexandria is a city that loves its four-legged residents; the annual “Love Your Pet” day is testament to that. The AWLA is extremely fortunate to be part of a community that cares about the welfare of its animals as much as we do, but we often find that misconceptions about animal shelters can prevent some of our local animal-lovers from dropping by. So from your friends at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, here are five things your local animal shelter staffer wants you to know:
While they are with us, each and every animal who comes through our door becomes part of our family.
We know their names and their stories. We learn their likes and dislikes, as well as the little quirks in personality that make them who they are. We wax philosophical about their endearing qualities to friends and family, and we remember them long after they’ve gone. When adopters send us photo updates of an old friend who has been adopted, we share those pictures around the shelter like the proudest parents you’ll ever meet.
We have fun with our animals.
We really do! We spend our mornings putting our animals’ names into song lyrics and distributing frozen Kong toys like the animal shelter version of the Ice Cream Truck. We take the dogs out into the yard for a game of catch or a romp in the pool. We try (and fail) to teach our feathered friends to whistle the tune of Bohemian Rhapsody. We bring our cats to the outdoor “catio” and blow bubbles for them to chase after. While they’re not waiting to meet you, rest assured we keep our troops entertained!
We love the work we do.
…and we’re proud to do it! We love animals, and there’s nothing more rewarding than the feeling that the hours we’ve put in have improved the lives of our furry, feathered and even scaled friends. We’re lucky enough to see a LOT of happy endings when our pals leave the shelter with their new families, and every name we get to add to our monthly whiteboard of adopted animals feels like a personal victory.
We want to help YOU find the perfect new addition to your family.
We’ll never judge you for wanting to be sure your new pet is a good match for your household; every household is different, and so is every animal! Whether you’re hoping to find a high-energy running partner or a furry friend to curl up and watch movies with, you can bet we’ll have a pet in mind! We’ll fill you in on everything we know about our animals, from their medical histories to their compatibility with kids. And if you don’t find your perfect match the first time you stop by, we’d love to see you again – your new best friend might be waiting for you tomorrow!
If you’re not ready to adopt, there’s still a lot to do!
Sometimes the time just isn’t right to adopt a pet, and that’s no problem. We’d still love to see you! Apart from finding animals their new homes, we also offer educational clinics, spring and summer camp for kids, shelter tours, birthday parties and more! If you’d just like to hang out with our adorable animals, consider becoming a foster or volunteer – we’re always excited to add to our team, and we think you’ll come to understand why animal shelters are a great place to spend some time!
Still have questions? Let us know. Email us or give us a call at 703-746-4774 to ask about our adoptables, the shelter or how you can become a part of our team. And next time you stop by, please consider heading to our adoption areas to help enrich an animal’s day!