A Reason to be Thankful

Top: Madge with her adopter. Bottom: Madge when she arrived at the shelter.


Whenever an adopter comes in to visit at the shelter, we are thrilled to see one of our "graduates." Today the visiting graduate made us especially excited. Madge came to us last May from an owner who could not care for her. She had bald patches due to mange and an ulcer on one eye. After extensive medical treatment paid for by our Woody and Mickey Health Pet Fund, Madge found a new home in August. She is in great health and as happy and wiggly as can be. Her adopter is crazy about her and very proud to show her off.

We are so thankful to the donors that make the Healthy Pet Fund possible and to adopters who open their hearts and homes to animals that need them.

Pet-Friendly Sheltering Exercise

Today we had the honor to participate in a pet-friendly sheltering exercise sponsored by Fairfax County and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. The exercise was a drill designed to test the pet-friendly sheltering model first established in this area by the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

The exercise took place at the Prince William County Fairgrounds and involved participants from Prince William County, the City of Manassas, the City of Falls Church, Fairfax County, and the City of Alexandria. Animal Welfare League of Arlington staff served as evaluators. We also brought along our disaster trailer so that our supplies could be used in the exercise.

The exercise went very smoothly. All the participating (stuffed) dogs, cats, and other animals were successfully registered and housed. Each jurisdiction that participated took home valuable lessons. The best part of the experience was the cooperation among so many different sheltering groups. It definitely bodes well for Northern Virginia pets if there should be a real disaster.

Adopt a Senior Pet Month

If it's November, it must be Adopt a Senior Pet Month. This program, recognized by animal shelters across the country, tries to bring attention to the thousands of older pets that find themselves homeless every year. We've reduced adoption fees to encourage potential adopters to consider an older pet.

My dog is 12 years old, and I'm enjoying the benefits of having an older pet. She still enjoys her walks, but they don't need to be nearly as long as they were in her younger days. She is quiet and calm in the house and is content to sleep on the sofa while we're at work. She doesn't jump all over people who come to visit, but approaches them calmly for a head scratch. She occasionally enjoys a chew toy, but doesn't bother other household things.

I'm sure people with older cats have the same feelings about the pleasures of sharing a home with a mature pet. For people who have busy lives (everyone in this area!), older pets are perfect. Come meet a perfect companion at the League!