Washington, DC — On Tuesday, August 23, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Chipotle Mexican Grill will host a Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League (WHS-WARL) fundraiser across all downtown D.C., Bethesda, Rockville and Silver Spring Chipotle locations. When customers dining at any of these locations mention the fundraiser at the register, Chipotle will donate 50 percent of the proceeds to the Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League. Chipotle Mexican Grill to donate 50% of proceeds tomorrow to Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League programs supporting homeless animals. Tuesday, Aug. 23rd, at Chipotle Mexican Grill Locations in D.C., Bethesda, Rockville and Silver Spring WHAT: Chipotle Mexican Grill Fundraiser for WHS-WARL 50% of all proceeds donated to rescue and care for 60,000 homeless animals annually CUSTOMERS MUST MENTION THE FUNDRAISER WHERE: Chipotle Mexican Grill locations in D.C., Bethesda, Rockville and Silver Spring
WHEN: Tuesday, August 23, 2016, from 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
About Washington Animal Rescue League/Washington Humane Society (WARL-WHS): The Washington Humane Society -Washington Animal Rescue League combined organization cares for more than 60,000 animals annually. The broad range of programs offered include: rescue and adoption, humane law enforcement, low-cost veterinary services, animal care & control, behavior and training, spay-neuter services, humane education, and many others. Operating four animal-care facilities in Washington, D.C., the organization occupies a significant footprint in the District, and serves as a resource to current pet guardians and prospective adopters across the region.
Can't do lunch? You can always do dinner...Don't forget to mention the Fundraiser! Please Share!
Your kitty may have a lovely tail, but it probably can’t compare to the tail of a Maine Coon kitten named Cygnus. According to his human, the tail measures about 18.4 inches, breaking the world record by about 2 inches. Though the measurement isn’t yet officially documented by Guinness World Records, the pictures speak for themselves. The current record is held by Stewie, another Maine Coon who also holds the record for World’s Longest Cat. His tail is 16.34 inches long. Cygnus’s incredible tail shatters that record if the measurements are accurate. Cygnus hasn’t let his enormous anatomy make him cocky. He’s happy to share the fluff while cuddling with his two cat brothers, Arcturus and Sirius. You can follow the cat sibling on Instagram if you just can’t get enough of that luxurious tail. Hopefully, you’ll be seeing it in the record books soon!
The black feline with a rarely seen genetic mutation was cared for by the Humane Society in Western Pennsylvania for a month before his new owner adopted him. The three-year-old cat with an extra set of ears is not the first of its kind. The genetic mutation has been documented as far back as 1938 in Ashtabula, Ohio, with a four-eared cat named Toots. “The mutation has been studied and is argued to be a recessive gene mutation needed from both parents in order to produce four ears,” the charity said. Batman was unavailable for adoption when he first came into the shelter because he was being treated for an upper respiratory infection. But on Tuesday, the shelter posted a video advert of him on Facebook. “Batman would do well in a house with or without animals as he came from a house with several animals. He is a very friendly and love cheek rubs,” Hala Nuemah, managing director of the Western PA Humane Society, wrote. Shelter veterinarian Dr Todd Blauvelt told CBS News: “He's a really cool cat. He's really nice. Really affectionate. He has a very rare congenital defect. It doesn't really affect his hearing. He can hear just fine,” he explained. Within a few hours he was snapped up by a young girl and her mother who gave him a permanent home. “It was perfect because the little girl liked superheroes,” Caitlin Lasky, marketing communications manager for the Humane Society, told ABC News.
Three-year-old cat Batman has an extra set of ears due to a rare genetic mutation. Shelter veterinarian, Dr. Todd Blauvelt commented “it doesn't really affect his hearing.”
Batman was adopted after he was brought into the Humane Society by an owner who had several cats. Dr Todd Blauvelt said the cat (pictured) has “two little ear tufts behind his ears.”
Washington, DC — The transport of 20 homeless dogs to the Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League (WHS-WARL) has been cancelled due to mechanical problems with the HSUS transport vehicle. The dogs that were scheduled to arrive at WHS-WARL will stay in Roanoke, Virginia at the Angels of Assisi Adoptions Center there. To read the initial story, click here:WHS-WARL to Receive 20 Dogs from Flood-Stricken Louisiana: Scheduled to Arrive in DC on Sunday Afternoon, August 21st About Washington Animal Rescue League/Washington Humane Society (WARL-WHS) The Washington Humane Society -Washington Animal Rescue League combined organization cares for more than 60,000 animals annually. The broad range of programs offered include: rescue and adoption, humane law enforcement, low-cost veterinary services, animal care & control, behavior and training, spay-neuter services, humane education, and many others. Operating four animal-care facilities in Washington, D.C., the organization occupies a significant footprint in the District, and serves as a resource to current pet guardians and prospective adopters across the region.
Washington, DC - Bei Bei, the National Zoo’s youngest giant panda cub, celebrated his first birthday on Saturday with a giant frozen cake—as all pandas do. The colorful cake—made of frozen apple, carrot and beet juice by the zoo’s nutrition department—took two weeks to create and weighs about 150 pounds. It was adorned with a giant number one. Bei Bei will officially turn 1 on Monday. Saturday’s birthday celebration also included Bei Bei’s older sister, Bao Bao, who turns 3 on Tuesday, and Tian Tian, the cubs’ father, who turns 19 on Aug. 27, the Washington Post reported. Early into the zoo’s Facebook Live broadcast on Saturday, Bei Bei had yet to approach his birthday cake, though his mother, Mei Xiang, was enjoying the frozen treat. To see what the rest of the pandas are up to, check out the giant panda cam livestream.
Washington, DC - The Washington Humane Society – Washington Animal Rescue League will receive 20 homeless dogs being transferred from flood-ravaged Louisiana. The Louisiana SPCA along with the Humane Society of the United States are transferring dogs from shelters at or near capacity in Louisiana to make room for dogs displaced during the flooding. Dogs Transported to D.C. from Louisiana Shelters to Make Room for Flood Victims
WHAT: Transfer of 20 dogs from Louisiana WHERE: The Washington Humane Society/Washington Animal Rescue League 71 Oglethorpe Street, NW Washington, DC
WHEN: Arrival of transport: Sunday, August 21 Exact time TBD. Arrival will be Sunday afternoon. We will update you on better ETA Sunday morning. Contact Matt Williams, WHS-WARL for detailed arrival information
WHO: Homeless dogs from Louisiana TBD: (To be determined) WHS-WARL: Intake Team
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The Louisiana SPCA in partnership with The Humane Society of the United States contacted WHS-WARL to assist in relieving crowded conditions at shelters in the flood-stricken areas of Louisiana. WHS-WARL will receive current shelter residents from the Louisiana shelters to make room for pets made homeless by the flooding situations in the area.
About Washington Animal Rescue League/Washington Humane Society (WARL-WHS) The Washington Humane Society -Washington Animal Rescue League combined organization cares for more than 60,000 animals annually. The broad range of programs offered include: rescue and adoption, humane law enforcement, low-cost veterinary services, animal care & control, behavior and training, spay-neuter services, humane education, and many others. Operating four animal-care facilities in Washington, D.C., the organization occupies a significant footprint in the District, and serves as a resource to current pet guardians and prospective adopters across the region.
Guardians of Rescue has a reputation for helping animals, as well as veterans. But they are about to become even more effective when it comes to bringing animal abusers to justice. The animal rescue organization announces that they brought on Joaquin “Jack” Garcia, a former FBI agent, to head up the unit that investigates reports of animal cruelty. “Bringing Jack Garcia on board is great news for us, and bad news for those who abuse animals,” says Robert Misseri, founder and president of Guardians of Rescue. “Jack is the best there is at investigating such things and will get to the bottom of complicated animal abuse cases. This is one more giant step in helping the animals.” Garcia spent 26 years as an FBI agent and was even dubbed by some as being the best undercover agent in the history of the FBI. He worked on over 100 undercover investigations, and his last case he went undercover as mobster “Jack Falcone” for many years, which helped get 39 convictions of Mafia figures. Today, he’s retired from the FBI, but ready to take on investigating those who abuse animals and help bring them to justice. With the Guardians of Rescue, Garcia will be acting on larger complaints of animal abuse, cruelty, and neglect. As a investigator, he will be working with a group of licensed private investigators who are retired law enforcement that will aid in the investigations and assist with gathering information that can be used in animal cruelty cases. These cases may involve a range of issues such as hoarding, dog fighting, illegal breeding, etc. He will be working with the local state and federal authorities to investigate and document his findings. “I’m happy to be able to put my skills and experience to use helping uncover animal cruelty,” says Jack Garcia. “Working with Guardians of Rescue I am confident we will be able to hold people accountable for the animal cruelty they are participating in. After years of investigating drug dealers, organized crime, murder for hire etc., the acts of violence on defenseless animals is as vicious as some of the crimes I’ve investigated.”
Guardians of Rescue provides assistance to animals out on the streets, helping to rescue them, provide medical care, food and shelter, and find foster-home placements. They are also instrumental in helping military members with their pets, and to provide service dogs to veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. To learn more, get involved, or to make a donation to support the Guardians of Rescue, log onto www.guardiansofrescue.org. About Guardians of Rescue Based in New York, Guardians of Rescue is an organization whose mission is to protect the well being of all animals. They provide aid to animals in distress, including facilitating foster programs, rehabilitation, assisting other rescue groups, and providing support to families, both military and not, who need assistance due to economic factors. To learn more about Guardians of Rescue, visit the site at www.guardiansofrescue.org.
To learn more about Guardians of Rescue, click HERE.
We will be at Fitzgerald Auto Mall on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for fun, food, prizes, and lots of giveaways! If those aren't your type of thing, why don't you take home a new best friend while you're there? Find all of our available animals on our website: www.washhumane.org/adopt
WHAT: Adoption Event WHEN: Saturday, August 20, 2016 TIME: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. LOCATION: Fitzgerald Auto Mall 114 Baughman’s Lane Frederick, Maryland 21702
The life of a shelter dog can be a lonely one. Waiting each day for someone to finally notice you and take you home is no doubt exhausting, and one shelter is trying to make the waiting game just a little bit easier. The Puppuccino Pals program was established in April at the Kitsap Humane Society in Washington. Every Tuesday, volunteer Molly Clark takes one of the shelter's dogs to the local Starbucks for a delicious Puppuccino. (It's on the chain's "secret menu" and is just a small cup filled with whipped cream.) Not only does the dog get to take a break from the shelter and enjoy a car ride and a treat, the Starbucks also posts signs telling customers about the dog of the week, in hopes that they might decide to adopt him. Even though the program was officially established in April, Clark has been taking dogs out for Puppuccinos to give them a break from shelter life for quite some time.
"The dogs LOVE the shelter breaks, and they adore the Puppuccinos," Kimberly Cizek Allen, events and outreach assistant coordinator at the Kitsap Humane Society, told The Dodo. "You can see it in their little eyes as they lick the whipped cream out of the cup." Even if a dog might not be a good fit for a Puppuccino outing, the shelter makes sure that they still get their treat — and the exposure. "Should a dog not be suited for an outing due to some type of limitation, Molly will take another dog on an outing, and bring a Puppuccino back," Allen said. "That way the Puppuccino Pals dog can enjoy play yard time, or quiet room time, or whatever is most appropriate and still be featured in our program!" The shelter also features each Puppuccino Pal dog on its Instagram account, to give them a little extra attention. The Puppuccino Pals program is a great way to get shelter dogs out in the community, and to remind people as they grab their daily coffee that hundreds of amazing dogs are still waiting, every day, for the right home. If you'd like to adopt a dog of your own, you can check out Adopt-a-Pet.com to get started.
Sharing from my friends at: Last Chance Animal Rescue. FOSTER for LCAR! We urgently need short-term (2-3 weeks) puppy foster homes for pups who have been rescued from the floods in Louisiana. Transport arrives in Waldorf, Maryland this weekend! Please email, foster@lastchanceanimalrescue.org or call (240) 412-5751 for more information. PLEASE SHARE! We have FAQs below, where most frequently asked questions are answered! We provide crates, food and medical care. You provide a warm home and extra love! A two to three week commitment is required and our foster coordinators will do their best to match you up with a litter of puppies that meet your breed and size preferences. FAQ's Q: How do I qualify? A: Our foster coordinators will fill you in and email or fax you a FOSTER application. Please contact our foster coordinators at the above email or phone number, we can not send an application via Facebook. If you are having trouble getting through and do not want to leave a message, please private message us your telephone number and email and address and we will contact you. Q: Is it possible to adopt a pup that I foster? A: Yes, it is. The steps to do so are provided in the foster packets that you will get when you pick up your pup/s. Q: Can I foster ONE of the pups? A: We do not separate litters, however, many puppies come in without litter mates. Q: I do not want to foster but I am interested in adopting, can I just adopt? A: Yes, when the pup is ready for adoption in about two weeks. When available, the pup/s photo and bio information are posted to our Facebook page, in our adoptable dog album: http://tinyurl.com/ku5dpur Stay tuned! Note that a foster parent interested in adopting a puppy that they foster will have priority. Every dog photo caption has information on how to adopt and a link to the adoption application which has adoption fee information. Please Share!
Mushroom poisoning occurs as a result of ingesting toxic mushrooms, which is a common hazard for dogs because of the amount of time they spend outdoors or in wooded areas, particularly in the summer and fall. Toxic mushrooms are classified into four categories (A, B, C, D), based on the clinical signs and their time of onset, and into seven groups (1-7) on the basis of the toxin they contain. However, because it is sometimes difficult to identify what type of mushroom your dog has consumed, you should always bring the suspected mushroom with you when you take your dog to the veterinarian. Symptoms and Types Symptoms vary greatly depending on the type of mushroom ingested. Category A mushrooms, for example, are the most toxic and cause the destruction of cells, especially liver and kidney cells. Category B and C mushrooms, meanwhile, affect nervous system, and category D mushrooms cause gastrointestinal irritation. The following are some of the more common symptoms associated with mushroom poisoning: Vomiting Diarrhea Abdominal pain Weakness Lethargy Yellowing of the skin (jaundice) Uncoordinated movements Excessive drooling (ptyalism) Seizures Coma Causes Ingestion of toxic mushroom(s). Diagnosis You will need to give a thorough history of your dog’s health to your veterinarian, including the onset and nature of the symptoms, and possible incidents that might have precipitated the complications. He or she will then perform a complete physical examination as well as a complete blood count, biochemistry profile, and urinalysis -- the results of which may reveal may reveal abnormally low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia) and abnormally high levels of liver enzymes due to liver damage. Your veterinarian will also typically take a sample from the stomach to identify the type of mushroom. Treatment Mushroom poisoning is an emergency that will require immediate hospitalization. Often, activated charcoal is given by mouth to bind the toxins present in the stomach and intestines. The dog also undergoes fluid therapy to stabilize fluid levels and enhance urination, which helps in the elimination of toxins. Depending on the type of mushroom and severity of the complications, a veterinarian may even choose to induce vomiting. Living and Management With treatment, overall prognosis is typically good, especially if stomach washing is initiated hours within ingestion. However, it ultimately depends on the amount of mushrooms ingested and the toxicity of the mushroom. For example, group I mushrooms are severely toxic. In addition, some symptoms associated with mushroom toxicity are only seen later when liver and kidney complications occur. Your veterinarian will typically evaluate the liver and kidney functions through laboratory testing every 24 or 48 hours. You should nevertheless inform him or her if you should observe any untoward symptoms in the dog.
A father and son fishing at a New Jersey lake may be lucky their bodies still have all their pieces after catching a fish called 'the Nutcracker' that is more commonly seen in the Amazon. Ron Rossi, from the Philadelphia suburb of Delran, was out with his son Frank at a man-made body of water when they hooked what they thought was a piranha. However, the rare species in Swedes Lake was actually a pacu, an omnivorous fish native to Brazil that has human-like teeth and has been reported to eat the testicles of swimmers and fishermen. The Rossis realized the bizarre find when they went home and researched the animal after being confused at its lack of sharp, piranha chompers, they told WPVI. Department of Environmental Protection officials said the South American fish are sometimes kept as pets, who may have dumped the pacu into the lake. The species can grow up to four feet long and uses its molar-like teeth to crush food that falls into the Amazon River. Many pet owners mistakenly think they are piranhas when they purchase the more famous species's cousin, which can grow up to 55lbs. Given the fish's worldwide popularity, it turns out that the Rossis did not make the surprise catch of the century, or even of the last couple years. A 10-inch pacu was caught in northern New Jersey in September 2013, followed by 17-incher in Washington state, a 20-inch specimen in southern Illinois two months later and a 14-inch pacu in Michigan's Lake St Clair last summer.
The fish's worldwide popularity has seen them spread far from their Brazilian homeland, with the fish being found in Paris, Scandinavia and Oceania. In Papua New Guinea, where the fish is known as the 'Ball Cutter', a member of the species is thought to have contributed to two men's death from blood loss after it castrated them. Scientists in Denmark said that reports of pacu eating genitalia were 'overblown' after they issued a joking warning to male swimmers to beware following a sighting of the fish, according to National Geographic. Some wildlife experts worry that the introduction of pacu into lakes such as the one in New Jersey may endanger local fauna. However, pacu cannot survive in colder water and the DEP urged owners of the fish to 'humanely destroy' it rather than throwing it into nearby waters.
A New Jersey man was surprised when he thought he caught a piranha, but the fish turned out to be a pacu, an Amazonian fish famous for eating men's private parts.
The Swedes Lake catch was the latest in an increasing number of pacu being found outside of their native habitat.
Fisherman Ron Rossi (pictured) researched the animal with his son, and environmental officials said that it most likely came from a pet owner who dumped it in the man-made lake
Pacu have spread around the world from their tropical home and been captured in places in northern Europe such as Scandinavia. Above left, a fish captured in Paris was about a foot long
One man describes the events that unfolded when his Roomba ran over dog poop, spreading a 25-foot trail of feces throughout his house. In a Facebook post, Jesse Newton said his dog, Evie, defecated in the living room at some point between midnight and when his vacuum cleaning robot was set to run at 1:30 a.m. When Newton‘s 4-year-old son awoke at 3 a.m. to crawl into bed with his parents, Newton smelled a strong odor. He got out of bed and walked into a “war zone of poop” in his living room. Newton documented the dramatic saga that unfolded as a cautionary tail to others. The post, complete with a hand drawn map of the poop trail, has since gone viral with more than 140,000 reactions and more than 200,000 shares. “Do not, under any circumstances, let your Roomba run over dog poop,” Newton said. “If the unthinkable does happen, and your Roomba runs over dog poop, stop it immediately and do not let it continue the cleaning cycle.” Newton was not so lucky. He recounts his attempts to clean the copious amounts of dried poop from his living room and a failed effort at using a rug shampooer to remove poop from the rug where it all started. “Some folks would shrug their shoulders and get back in bed to deal with it in the morning. But you're not one of those people,” Newton writes of himself. Instead, in the early hours of the morning, he attempted to clean the Roomba but forgot to take the batteries out before soaking it. As the waterlogged Roomba sputtered to its death, Newton had some harsh words. “You're not just using profanity - you're inventing new types of profanity,” Newton said of his reaction. “You're saying things that would make Satan shudder in revulsion. You hope your kid stayed in bed, because if he hears you talking like this, there's no way he's not ending up in prison.” But the tale has a happy ending. After a week of trying to fix the costly device, he called the store where he purchased the Roomba and told them the story. The purchase came with a lifetime warranty. "They are replacing the Roomba that ran over dog poop and then died a poopy, watery death in the bathtub - by no fault of their own, of course," Newton wrote on Facebook. This is one experience that won't soon be flushed away. See the full Facebook post below: Jesse Newton with Kelly McQueen Newton. August 9 at 7:23pm · Little Rock, AR · So, last week, something pretty tragic happened in our household. It's taken me until now to wrap my head around it and find the words to describe the horror. It started off simple enough - something that's probably happened to most of you. Sometime between midnight and 1:30am, our puppy Evie pooped on our rug in the living room. This is the only time she's done this, so it's probably just because we forgot to let her out before we went to bed that night. Now, if you have a detective's mind, you may be wondering how we know the poop occurred between midnight and 1:30am. We were asleep, so how do I know that time frame? Why, friends, that's because our Roomba runs at 1:30am every night, while we sleep. And it found the poop. And so begins the Pooptastrophe. The poohpocalypse. The pooppening. If you have a Roomba, please rid yourself of all distractions and absorb everything I'm about to tell you. Do not, under any circumstances, let your Roomba run over dog poop. If the unthinkable does happen, and your Roomba runs over dog poop, stop it immediately and do not let it continue the cleaning cycle. Because if that happens, it will spread the dog poop over every conceivable surface within its reach, resulting in a home that closely resembles a Jackson Pollock poop painting. It will be on your floorboards. It will be on your furniture legs. It will be on your carpets. It will be on your rugs. It will be on your kids' toy boxes. If it's near the floor, it will have poop on it. Those awesome wheels, which have a checkered surface for better traction, left 25-foot poop trails all over the house. Our lovable Roomba, who gets a careful cleaning every night, looked like it had been mudding. Yes, mudding - like what you do with a Jeep on a pipeline road. But in poop. Then, when your four-year-old gets up at 3am to crawl into your bed, you'll wonder why he smells like dog poop. And you'll walk into the living room. And you'll wonder why the floor feels slightly gritty. And you'll see a brown-encrusted, vaguely Roomba-shaped thing sitting in the middle of the floor with a glowing green light, like everything's okay. Like it's proud of itself. You were still half-asleep until this point, but now you wake up pretty damn quickly. And then the horror. Oh the horror. So, first you clean the child. You scrub the poop off his feet and put him back in bed. But you don't bother cleaning your own feet, because you know what's coming. It's inevitable, and it's coming at you like a freight train. Some folks would shrug their shoulders and get back in bed to deal with it in the morning. But you're not one of those people - you can't go to sleep with that war zone of poop in the living room. So you clean the Roomba. You toss it in the bathtub to let it soak. You pull it apart, piece-by-piece, wondering at what point you became an adult and assumed responsibility for 3:30am-Roomba-disassembly-poop-cleanups. By this point, the poop isn't just on your hands - it's smeared up to your elbows. You already heard the Roomba make that "whirlllllllllllllllll-boop-hisssssssss" noise that sounds like electronics dying, and you realize you forgot to pull the battery before getting it wet. More on that later. Oh, and you're not just using profanity - you're inventing new types of profanity. You're saying things that would make Satan shudder in revulsion. You hope your kid stayed in bed, because if he hears you talking like this, there's no way he's not ending up in prison. Then you get out the carpet shampooer. When you push it up to the rug - the rug that started it all - the shampooer just laughs at you. Because that rug is going in the trash, folks. But you shampoo it anyway, because your wife loved that damn rug, and you know she'll ask if you tried to clean it first. Then you get out the paper towel rolls, idly wondering if you should invest in paper towel stock, and you blow through three or four rolls wiping up poop. Then you get the spray bottle with bleach water and hose down the floor boards to let them soak, because the poop has already dried. Then out comes the steam mop, and you take care of those 25-ft poop trails. And then, because it's 6am, you go to bed. Let's finish this tomorrow, right? The next day, you finish taking the Roomba apart, scraping out all the tiny flecks of poop, and after watching a few Youtube instructional videos, you remove the motherboard to wash it with a toothbrush. Then you bake it in the oven to dry. You put it all back together, and of course it doesn't work. Because you heard the "whirlllllllllllllll-boop-hissssssss" noise when it died its poopy death in the bathtub. But you hoped that maybe the Roomba gods would have mercy on you. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. After spending a week researching how to fix this damn $400 Roomba without spending $400 again - including refurb units, new motherboards, and new batteries - you finally decide to call the place where you bought it. That place called Hammacher Schlemmer. They have a funny name, but they have an awesome warranty. They claim it's for life, and it's for any reason. So I called them and told the truth. My Roomba found dog poop and almost precipitated World War III. And you know what they did? They offered to replace it. Yes, folks. They are replacing the Roomba that ran over dog poop and then died a poopy, watery death in the bathtub - by no fault of their own, of course. So, mad props to Hammacher Schlemmer. If you're buying anything expensive, and they sell it, I recommend buying it from them. And remember - don't let your Roomba run over dog poop.
The Washington Humane Society shelter, a District-owned building on New York Avenue, Northeast, looks every bit the old-school pound—concrete floors, chain-link cages, lots of barking dogs. Washington Animal Rescue League, near Manor Park in Northwest DC, feels like a pet spa—soothing music pipes in, a miniature waterfall gurgles, quiet dogs relax in frosted-glass enclosures. If that’s all you know of the two groups, the decision they made in February to merge—into an organization whose scope is unmatched by any other humane society in a major US city—might seem odd. But the outward differences don’t indicate philosophical ones. Both were longtime local institutions: The Washington Humane Society was founded in 1870, the Washington Animal Rescue League in 1914. Both boasted low euthanasia rates, with each saving roughly 90 percent of its animals. And they worked together for years, with WHS often sending dogs and cats to WARL when it was over capacity. To read more on this story, click here:Two Major DC Animal Shelters Merged to Create the Biggest Shelter in the Country
