Washington Humane Society/Washington Animal Rescue League: DC Walk for the Animals - September 18th - Fun, Food and Entertainment

Washington, DC - An annual tradition continues as the DC Walk for the Animals takes place on Sunday, September 18th at the Capitol Riverfront.  

The event includes a one mile walk around the Capitol Riverfront area, admission to Pet-a-palooza and, for the first time, admission to “Barktoberfest” – all to raise money to benefit the 60,000 animals cared for by the Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League.

WHAT: DC Walk for the Animals

WHEN: Sunday, September 18, 2016

TIME: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

WHERE: Capitol Riverfront
Corner of M St SE & First St SE
(across from the Navy Yard Metro Station and adjacent to Nats Park)

Look for our mobile adoption center - Adopt Force One

EVENT: This event includes admission to Pet-A-Palooza and Barktoberfest all for one ticket price!

PRICE: $35
  
The entry fee is $35 for walkers, $20 for those under 21, and includes a t-shirt and gift bag and admission to Pet-a-palooza and Barktoberfest.  Walkers are encouraged reach out to friends and family to raise at least $125 to help the animals cared for by WHS-WARL (this is a suggested goal; there is not a fundraising requirement for the event).

This year’s DC Walk for the Animals has something for everyone!  Come out and participate in the walk, enjoy vendor booths, contests for your dogs, win prizes, music, pet adoptions, kids’ entertainment, and much, much more at Pet-a-Palooza!  And, you don't want to miss the delicious food trucks and unlimited beer tastings (for those 21+) at Barktoberfest.

Visit our webpage to register to walk or purchase tickets and for more event information!

More about the event:

The DC Walk for the Animals is a one mile walk around the Capitol Riverfront area to raise money to benefit WHS-WARL and the 60,000 animals we serve each year. Registered walkers will also have access to Pet-A-Palooza and be able to participate in Barktoberfest. Entry fee is $35 for walkers, $20 for those under 21, and includes a t-shirt and gift bag.

Barktoberfest gives beer lovers a chance to bring their four legged friends out for an afternoon, sample craft beers and food trucks. Beer enthusiasts will enjoy sampling a wide variety of unique craft brewed beer and grabbing a bite to eat from local food vendors. Quench your thirst at Barktoberfest!  For those that do not participate in the Walk for the Animals, tickets are $35 and include a tasting glass (for those 21+). Tickets for designated drivers and those under 21 are $20.

Participants in both the DC Walk for the Animals and Barktoberfest will have access to Pet-A-Palooza, which includes vendor booths, pet entertainment, contests, pet adoptions, games, kid’s entertainment, live music provided by 94.7 Fresh FM, and much more!

The location for this one-of-a-kind event is the SE Capitol Riverfront at the corner of M St SE & First St SE in D.C. (across from the Navy Yard Metro Station and adjacent to Nats Park).  Get your tickets today at www.dclovesdcanimals.org.

For more information or to donate, visit the websites below:

Register here to walk: REGISTER

Barktoberfest

Donate

Event Info

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. 

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A Stray Pit Bull Stabbed While Saving a Woman from a Knife Attack: Looking for His Forever Home – Now ‘Hero’…Needs a Hero, Will It Be You?

Baldwin, Georgia - A stray pit bull came to the aid of a woman in Georgia last week and saved her from a knife attack, it's been revealed.

Known as 'Hero', the dog can now be yours.

He got the woman away from a man in the July 22nd incident, which took place in Baldwin, WATE reported.

Officer Timothy Clay told the local news station in an interview: “The dog then lunged toward the male and the male came out with the knife and stabbed the dog several times.”

Hero was stabbed five times and was brought by police to the vet, the station said.

Clay explained: “I don't think we could have let that dog suffer and die. We felt like we needed to get that dog some help after what it had been through.”

Carla Welch with Fighting for The Bullys Pit Bull Rescue in Knoxville, Tennessee, told WATE in an interview: “He has had a really rough life. He has had a bum back leg and a bum front leg, but he gets around fine and he's looking for a good friend.”

She discovered what happened to the dog via social media and raised money for treatment, the station reported.

She said:  “I thought he was very courageous and very brave.”

Welch also said: “For those two officers to go to the extent they did to save him is very heroic and very awesome.”

If you're interested in giving Hero a home, visit the website for Fighting for The Bullys Pit Bull Rescue. 

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MPD Officer Douglas Berlin Presented ‘Humane Hero Award’ by Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League

Washington, DC - The Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League presented Metropolitan Police Officer Douglas Berlin for his dedicated and compassionate actions during a fire at an apartment building in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.   Berlin was presented the award at a ceremony at the 3rd District Police Station on Wednesday by WHS-WARL President and CEO Lisa LaFontaine.

On Tuesday during a fire in an apartment building at 11th and Rhode Island Avenue, Berlin went to great lengths to save a small dog fleeing the burning building.  The 11 year-old Rat Terrier named “Lucy” was suffering from serious burns when she was fleeing the scene through busy traffic.

“Officer Berlin’s dedication to the care and safety of this dog is a shining example of what we strive to do every day – make a difference in the lives of the animals and the people we serve,” said LaFontaine.  “Officer Berlin put himself in harm’s way for to save Lucy’s life and that exemplifies what this award is all about.  He is a hero to Lucy and her family, to our organization and to the people of the District of Columbia.”

Officer Berlin arrived at the scene of the burning apartment building at the same time Lucy was seen running from the burning building.  Berlin realized the dog was suffering serious burn wounds and chased the dog in and out of traffic for several blocks to safely secure her.  Once Lucy was secured, a paramedic on scene transported Berlin and Lucy to City Paws veterinary clinic for treatment.

Lucy has been reunited with her owner and is currently recovering from her burns.

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.

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A D.C. Police Officer Received an Award from the Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League for Helping a dog who Escaped From an Apartment Fire

Washington, DC - As an apartment building fire sent a cloud of black smoke over D.C. Tuesday afternoon, a small dog was able to make a fast escape.

Lucy, an 11-year-old rat terrier, was inside a home on the 1300 block of 12th Street NW when the building caught fire. A Metropolitan Police Department officer was able to save her after he spotted the dog running from the building with burns.

Officer Douglas Berlin was making sure residents got out of buildings safely when he saw Lucy, who's black-and-white with big black ears, tear down the block.

"As I was coming down the stairs from one of the adjoining units, I saw Lucy take off, running down the street, and it looked like she had burns on her hindquarters, and her paws looked to be pretty bloody, so I gave chase," Berlin said Wednesday afternoon at a news conference.

He and a man with a skateboard dodged in and out of traffic for blocks to try to catch Lucy, said Berlin, who described himself as a dog-lover.

"I thought at one point she was going to get hit because she ran underneath a car," he said. "Fortunately, she came out on the other side of the median and didn't skip a beat."

Finally, the officer was able to catch the 13-pound dog. Berlin and others used water and ice to try to cool her down and rushed her to a nearby veterinarian. There, vets disinfected her paws and gave her painkillers and an IV.

Lucy was discharged from the vet on Wednesday, according to Berlin, who said he had exchanged texts with her owner.

"She's a fighter. She runs like she's 2. She gave me a good run for my money last night," Berlin said, laughing.

Three firefighters were hurt battling the blaze and 12 residents were displaced, including the family that owns Lucy, the head of the Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League said. She thanked Berlin for his help and presented him with the Humane Hero Award.

“What Officer Berlin did yesterday was above and beyond the call of duty,” CEO Lisa LaFontaine said. "A family that lost everything yesterday will at least have their family complete today because Lucy survived and that would likely have been a different outcome without Officer Berlin."

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What To Do If You Suspect Your Dog Has Heat Stroke

If you suspect that your dog is suffering from heat stroke to the following:

1.  Get your dog out of direct heat

2.  Check for shock. Signs include: collapse, body temperature 104° F+, bloody diarrhea or vomit, depression stupor, seizures or coma, excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart rate, salivation.

3.  Take your dog’s temperature.

4.  Spray your dog with cool water then retake temperature.

5.  Place water-soaked towels on the dog’s head, neck feet, chest and abdomen, turn on a fan and point it in your dog’s direction, rub Isopropyl alcohol (70%) on the dog’s foot pads to help cool him but don’t use large quantities.

6.  Take your dog to the nearest veterinary hospital.

During a heat crisis, the goal is always to decrease the dog’s body temperature to 103° F in the first 10-15 minutes. Once 103° F is reached, you must stop the cooling process because the body temperature will continue to decrease and can plummet dangerously low if you continue to cool the dog for too long.

Even if you successfully cool your pet down to 103° F in the first 10-15 minutes, you must take the dog to a veterinarian as soon as possible because consequences of heat stroke will not show up for hours or even days. Potential problems include abnormal heart rhythms, kidney failure, neurological problems and respiratory arrest.

It is important to know if your pet is predisposed to dog heat stroke, which is true of dogs with short snouts such as bulldogs, pugs and many other breeds. Other common causes of heat stroke include: a previous episode of heat stroke, leaving a dog in a parked car, excessive exercise in hot, humid weather (this may be exercise that your dog can usually handle but not in warmer weather), lack of appropriate shelter outdoors, thicker-coated dogs in warm weather and underlying disease such as upper airway, heart of lung disease.


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Medal of Honor Recipient’s Needs Your Help: His Service Dog Has to Have Surgery

Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the 2009 battle at COP Keating in Afghanistan, the same battle described by fellow MoH recipient Clinton Romesha in his best-selling book Red Platoon.

Nala is Carter’s service dog and she’s essential to his efforts to deal with post-traumatic stress. The veterinarians tell Ty that Nala has a herniated disc that’s almost severing her spinal cord. If she doesn’t have surgery, she’ll lose her ability to walk.

The government doesn’t recognize service dogs as a treatment for PTSD, or at least not a form that it’s willing to pay for.

There’s a GoFundMe page to help pay for Nala’s surgery. That’s sure to be covered soon. Any of our readers with the influence to get service dogs covered by the government should get on that right away as well.

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170 Animals Adopted During Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League “Clear the Shelters’ Event Saturday, July 23rd

Washington, DC - The Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League’s adoption centers on New York Avenue and Oglethorpe Street are eerily quiet today thanks to a very successful Clear the Shelters adoption event on Saturday.  WHS-WARL processed 170 adoptions during the seven hour-long adoption event.

WHS-WARL teamed up with NBC4 to host NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ Clear the Shelters second annual nationwide pet adoption drive, which featured fee-waived adoptions to qualified families.

“We were absolutely thrilled with the turnout and success of Clear the Shelters 2016,” said Lisa LaFontaine, President and CEO for WHS-WARL.  “In just one day, we changed the lives of 170 families by finding homes for these wonderful animals that – in most cases – have simply been unlucky so far in their lives.  We want to thank NBC4 for their outstanding support for this event and we look forward to next year!”

Interest in the event was evident in the hours leading up to Saturday.  Potential adopters began lining up outside of the shelter at 11:00 p.m. Friday night, with customers patiently waiting for the doors to open the following morning in hopes of finding a new, furry family member.   Hundreds of potential adopters visited the organization’s two shelters throughout the day.   The final count for the day included 68 dogs, 97 cats, and five small animals adopted from WHS-WARL during Clear the Shelters.

While WHS-WARL is celebrating the success of Saturday’s event, the sobering reality remains that the population of pets needing homes at the organization’s two shelters will steadily rise again over the coming days.  WHS-WARL encourages those that did not adopt on Saturday to consider adopting a homeless pet in the near future.

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. 


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Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League: Clear the Shelter Event Was a Huge Success – Take a Look at the Video

Washington, DC – On Saturday, July 23rd, I had the pleasure of covering the Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League’s ‘Clear the Shelters’ event for my blog, The Pet Tree House.

When I arrived at the center on Olglethrope Street, NW, the event had already started. The first thing I noticed was a long line of people waiting patiently in 98% heat. As I entered the shelter, There were people everywhere. The atmosphere was really nice, children pointing out animals to their parents, staff showing animals, and adopters filling out paperwork.

I decided to first get pictures of some of the animals in their cages before they were adopted.  I noticed that there was not a lot of barking. I can’t help but wonder if they knew what was going on and were on good behavior. Most of the cats\kittens were laid back sleeping, except for these two adorable kittens who put on a show for me. They were eventually adopted.

Take a look at the video below:

I noticed the NBC4 Washington table/tent and went over and spoke to them. They were busy taking videos, pictures and interviewing people. They were really nice people, and very professional.

I met some wonderful people:

As I walked around taking pictures and talking with people, I walked towards a family in the hallway and noticed that the dog was propped up on the cage, nothing unusual about that, they all do it. As I started to pass them, I looked down and saw a little girl rubbing, patting and talking to the dog. I usually ask if I can take a picture but decided not too for fear that it would draw her attention away from what she was doing…and besides the dog loved it!  I felt there was a connection there. Later I was outside taking pictures of people leaving with their new pets. I looked up from taking this one picture and realized that it was the little girl’s family, and yes, they adopted the dog.

I continue to walk around the shelter taking pictures. Again, I was passing someone in the hallway that got my attention. There was an older woman talking to a dog. She too was rubbing and patting the dog. I didn’t get much of her conversation, but did hear her ask the dog if she wanted to go home with her. I asked if I could take her picture and she replied nicely, “no, I don’t like my picture taken.” She began telling me how sweet the dog was and that she was thinking about getting her. She said that she lived alone and decided that she wanted a dog. The dog looked to be about 50 pounds, so I asked if anyone was there with her. She told me no, she had come alone. As I walked away, I told her, “you’ll probably get her.” 

It was hot outside, and I had just entered the building when this same lady came up to me with the dog on a leash and paperwork in her hand. She had the biggest smile and said, “I got her.” I congratulated her, and then she asked if there was a back door for her to go out of. I asked her why and she told me again, that she did not want the news people to take her picture or put her on television. I had her wait inside and I went outside and expressed her wishes to the news media, and of course, they complied. I watched her as she walked away with her new pet. It looked like they had been together for years. The dog was not pulling or jumping, and walked right beside her. 

I later noticed a couple with a big dog sitting on the floor. The dog was so happy, he was jumping all over the place. He was definitely excited about going to his new home. I stopped to speak with them and found out that they had arrived at the shelter around 11:00 p.m. the night before. They wanted to be first in line. Unfortunately, I did not get names of the adopters or the animals as they left. They were coming out of the building so fast.

                                   He even said goodbye to one of NBC4's crew members!


Take a look at the video below:

I also met two people who adopted senior cats. I love it when senior animals are given a second chance to live out the rest of their lives in a loving home.

I left around 2:30 p.m., and headed down to the other center located on New York Avenue. I entered the shelter to find out that most of the animals had been adopted earlier in the day. I did however, get to see two dogs and a cat leaving for their forever homes.

At the end of the event, the shelter was cleared and a total of 170 animals were adopted including 68 dogs, 97 cats and 5 small animals.

While this years ‘Clear the Shelters” event is over, please don’t let that stop you from adopting. Yes, the shelters are clear for now, but they will fill up again. If you are looking to add a new furry family member, please don’t buy one. Consider visiting your local animal shelter and save two lives. When you adopt and animal, you leave a space for another animal to enter the shelter.

WARL/WHS Merger

On Wednesday, February 10, 2016, the Washington Humane Society (WHS) and the Signing of agreement Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) announced a definitive agreement to merge the two organizations to create the first end-to-end animal care organization in a major U.S. city. To read more on the merger, click HERE.


Website: Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League

If you would like to make a donation, click here DONATE

Website: Washington Animal Rescue League

If you would like to make a donation, click here DONATE


I had an enjoyable day and got home only to find out that my little rescue, Jonas, wanted nothing to do with me…for a while.

I’ll end with my favorite quotes: “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.” ― Anatole France

Please take a look at the video below:



Thank you Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League for inviting The Pet Tree House.

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