We are so excited that you are interested in hosting an event with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria! Partnering on events is a leading way to reach new audiences and share the importance of our work.

HOsting Adoptable Animals

We receive dozens of event requests each month, so while we would love to participate in all of them, we are unable to accommodate every request. Priority will be given to events that are in line with our mission, have a fundraising component, or provide the greatest chance of matching our available animals with adoptive homes.

Yappy Hour

UP TO 1 HOUR AT YOUR EVENT WITH 2 ANIMALS

Examples of Yappy Hour events include open houses, promotional events, dog swims, etc.

Minimum Donation Amount $500

Doggone good time

1-2 HOURS AT YOUR EVENT WITH 3 ANIMALS

Examples of Doggone Good Time events include team-building lunches, adoptable animal yoga, etc.

Minimum Donation Amount $1,000

feline fine

2-3 HOURS AT YOUR EVENT WITH 3+ ANIMALS OR WAGGIN' WHEELS

Examples of Feline Fine events include festivals or fairs, large corporate team events, grand openings etc.

Minimum Donation Amount $2,500

Paw-ty partner

3+ HOURS AT YOUR EVENT WITH 3+ ANIMALS OR WAGGIN' WHEELS

Examples of Paw-ty Partner events include all-day corporate retreats, grand opening weekends, etc.

Minimum Donation Amount $5,500

The requested minimum donation can be made by the organizing agency, fundraised during the event or through advance ticket sales!

Depending on space, Doggone Good Time level can include an AWLA table and informational material, and Feline Fine and Paw-ty Partner levels can also include an AWLA branded tent, informational table, and at least 4 AWLA staff or volunteers on-site.

When requesting animals to participate in your event, please keep in mind:

We cannot guarantee a number or type of animal in advance. Animals who are appropriate for the audience and location will be selected 2 days in advance, with final decisions made on the day of the event.
- The nature of shelter work means that we cannot predict the age, temperament or quantity of cats, dogs, small mammals, birds or lizards in our care. This especially applies to puppies.
- We always want to make your event special, but animal safety and finding permanent homes take priority.
We prefer to take animals off-site before shelter adoption hours begin at noon. This excludes Wednesdays when we are closed for adoptions. Morning events are the easiest to say yes to, however, other times will be considered. Animals need to be back in the shelter by 6:45 p.m. on weekdays and 4:45 p.m. on weekends.
We need a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice to ensure we have enough staff and volunteers to make your event a success.
If you are a realtor, developer or other home/residential company, please share your pet policies with us at the initial stage of planning.
- AWLA is at the forefront of advocating to end breed-specific housing bans and weight restrictions, which all serve to keep healthy, loving dogs from being adopted.

TAbling at an event (no animals)

When scheduling allows, AWLA volunteers and staff members are available to attend festivals, markets, and other public events where we can promote the joys of animal adoption and our community programs that help keep pet families together. We can provide a table, tablecloth, informational brochures, and two AWLA representatives to visit with attendees.