PRESS RELEASE: AWLA Provides More than 40,000 Pounds of Pet Supplies in 2020
Media Contact: Regina Hardter
(703) 746-5662
communications@alexandriaanimals.org
AWLA Provides More Than 40,000 Pounds of Pet Supplies in 2020
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Jan. 26, 2021) — When people think of the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA), they may just think of a facility that helps people find pets — but what happens when pets (and their people) across the region need a helping hand? When 2020 saw record requests for assistance from the community, the AWLA and its supporters stepped up, meeting the need with more than 40,000 pounds of pet food and supplies, directly helping animals in our region — and the people who love them.
The mission to help animals stay with loving families is not new. For years, the AWLA has been offering several programs designed to assist pet owners by collaborating with organizations locally and across the region. Programs like AniMeals, offered in partnership with Senior Services of Alexandria, have provided pet food and supplies to recipients of Meals on Wheels, including senior citizens and housebound residents. Annual pet care fairs at Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) locations have brought vaccines and pet supplies directly to areas with limited access to pet resources. More recently, the AWLA began collaborating with ALIVE! to participate in their monthly food distribution events, once again offering pet supplies to pet owners with limited budgets.
“We’ve had programs for years to support our neighbors and their pets,” recalls Director of Community Programs Joanna Fortin, “but in April or May of last year, requests for help really increased.”
The AWLA’s Community Pet Pantry is another program that has existed for years. In 2019, when government workers across the area were furloughed, many reached out to the AWLA to access canned food, kitty litter, bags of dry food and more. But in spring 2020, demand increased more than 400% over previous months, mainly from pet owners who had lost jobs due to the pandemic or had to reduce their hours to provide childcare during the day.
By providing supplies through programs like the Community Pet Pantry, the AWLA helps pet owners who might otherwise be facing difficult decisions: Do I purchase food for my pet or myself? If I can’t afford pet supplies, do I need to surrender my beloved friend? Instead, staff at the AWLA work with pet owners to see what supplies and assistance they need and then go back to the community to see how that can be provided. With a large network of supporters — both individuals and businesses — eager to help pets, the AWLA is in a unique position to connect animal lovers.
“So much of the supplies we provide are actually donated by the community,” said Demetrius Jackson, Community Programs Coordinator. “We’re often just a conduit for one neighbor helping another.”
But the AWLA doesn’t just provide these supplies to local pet owners. Other shelters and rescues have been put in the same difficult financial position over the past year, limiting the support they are able to give to the animals in their care. The AWLA partners with many area nonprofits, most of which are from under-resourced communities in Virginia and West Virginia, to provide food and supplies as well as equipment, guidance and more. Oftentimes the AWLA will also help these overcrowded facilities by taking in animals to find homes in Alexandria. “By working together with these organizations, we are able to help even more animals,” said Executive Director Stella Hanly. “We can help animals in their care with more supplies and equipment, and we can help the animals who travel to Alexandria find amazing new homes.”
From shelters in rural Virginia to families in Alexandria, 2020 saw what might have been an insurmountable amount of need, but the AWLA and its community were ready to help. “40,000 pounds sounds like a lot,” said Fortin, “but each pound of it is just a meal for an animal in need. It’s peace of mind for a loving pet owner. It may be a little at a time, but with the support of our community, it adds up to make such a huge difference!”
Left: The AWLA’s Community Programs team prepares a shipment of supplies to a partner shelter. Right: Donations from the community are provided to pet owners in need through a variety of AWLA programs. Individual photos also available upon request. Photos courtesy of the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
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About the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria
Celebrating 75 years as a community resource, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is a local 501(c)(3) organization that operates the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter, Alexandria’s only open-access animal shelter. In response to the global pandemic, the AWLA has initiated a scheduled adoption process that has seen adoption of hundreds of pets and has expanded programs to offer more than 40,000 pounds of donated pet supplies across the region. They also have launched a virtual event series for children and adults and offer assistance to Alexandrians with questions about wildlife and animals in the community. More information can be found at AlexandriaAnimals.org.