The Washington Humane Society (WHS) Field Services Officers have seen it all, and still every day holds never-before-seen situations. Below are a few stories from the field, where our Officers, presented with unique and challenging episodes, had to think fast and creatively to save lives. May 3, 2013 – A Humane Law Enforcement Officer responded to a call regarding a family who had abandoned their cat outside. The family explained that the cat was urinating inappropriately in their apartment, so they have been putting him outside during the day. The Officer discovered that the cat is likely spraying, because he... Continue reading

Microchips and ID Tags Save Lives By Lauren Green, Communications and Digital Media Specialist It can happen in an instant – a door left open by accident, looking away for a mere second – and your dog or cat disappears. In the wake of the Oklahoma tornado tragedy, we hope that all animal owners will have their pets microchipped, a small step that could make the difference between a lost or stray animal and your pet coming home to their family. In 2012 alone, the Washington Humane Society (WHS) saw more than 500 animals returned to their loved ones, many... Continue reading

By Lauren Green, Communications and Digital Media Specialist Johanna and Courtney knew that adopting a dog was in the cards. A state between them, Johanna in DC and Courtney studying at Virginia Tech (VT), they just weren’t sure when it would happen, until Lila came along. In November 2009, little Lila was being fostered by Johanna’s mother Lisa LaFontaine, the Washington Humane Society (WHS) President and CEO. WHS Officer Ed Owens rescued Lila from being neglected in an undersized crate where she had been living in her own waste, suffering from urine burns. Despite being underfed, Lila happily jumped into... Continue reading

By Danielle Bays, Community Cats Program Manager On a sunny Sunday morning, cats Ale and Duchess packed their bags and prepared to move to their new home. Or rather, they had us do the packing and moving… and the construction of their temporary housing. A few months ago, these two cats found themselves at the Washington Humane Society (WHS), unable to return to their old homes, but also not well suited for traditional adoption. Our Relo-Cat program was established to find alternative homes for cats just like Ale and Duchess. Moving Day Both were matched up with The Church of... Continue reading

Every animal who finds their forever home deserves to be celebrated. During the NOVADog Cover Dog Contest (April 17-May 8), 122 dog lovers entered to win a chance for their four-legged family member to be on the cover of the Summer 2013 issue of NOVADog and score tickets to the WHS black tie gala, the 26th Annual Bark Ball, on June 8. The photo with the most likes wins. We were happily overwhelmed with all the wonderful adoption stories and tales of lives changed through opening a home to a dog in need. While there can only be one “Cover... Continue reading

By ChristieLyn Diller, Director of Marketing and Communications On March 29, the Washington Humane Society (WHS) got a special delivery. Cadbury, a loveable terrier cross breed, was found roaming DC with two curious little pups in tow. Curious not because of their inquisitive nature, but rather, because they were Boxer mix puppies – clearly not a litter of her own! Left to their own defenses, Cadbury and the adorable puppies – Bonnie and Clyde – had found each other and formed a family. But the even bigger surprise came the next day. Just hours after finding safe shelter at the... Continue reading

By Marika S. Bell, Director of Behavior and Rehoming Originally published in 1984, Karen Pryor’s Don’t Shoot the Dog! became an instant must-read for any dog trainer, educator or coach. It outlines, in plain, easy-to-understand language, how dogs learn. If you are interested in why some training methods do or don’t work for dogs, children or even adults, than you will find this book extremely interesting. I train using force-free methods, and this book will explain why with clear and understandable examples. Karen Pryor outlines the eight possible ways you can change ANY behavior in ANYONE: “Shoot the Dog” –... Continue reading

Blog Submitted by Benji’s Foster Mom Sheila Hello there! Benjamin Button here—though my WHS name is simply Benji. According to my foster mom, who’s got years of experience, I’m a docile, sweet, clownish, gentile, and good-natured kitty, bringing nonstop excitement to her household with my quirky antics and loving demeanor. No question about it, I’m a people cat. I love to spend time with my peeps and keep them company while they do their human stuff. I’ve been told I’m quite a handsome fellow, owing, I suspect, to the darling white skunk stripe down my right ear—a la Pepe Le... Continue reading

Suree came to the Washington Humane Society (WHS) when her family could no longer care for her, and during her stay at WHS, she melted hearts left and right. The WHS staff made Suree the Pet of the Week on March 4, 2013. That’s when Sylvia Carey was online… “I was reviewing the WHS website, and I saw Suree listed as Pet of the Week. We met with two other dogs at WHS, and once Suree walked into the room, my 17-year-old son Jeremy and I both knew she was the one for us. She was calm and gentle, and... Continue reading

By Helene Jorgensen, WHS Behavior, Training and Socialization Volunteer Shane was old—really old—probably around 15 years. Three months before I met him, he had been picked up as a stray by the Washington Humane Society’s (WHS) Animal Care and Control team. At the Georgia Avenue Adoption Center, he patiently waited for a new forever family. He greeted everyone politely, but he was often passed over by potential adopters, including myself. The first time I saw Shane was in the visitor room at the WHS Georgia Avenue Adoption Center. My wonderful shepherd and pit bull type dog Rufus had recently died... Continue reading

MoJo (Molly and Jojo) In September 2012, I was going to work one morning, and when I walked through the doors of the warehouse, I heard a cat crying. I turned the lights on and looked for the cat, and after an hour or so, out came this tiny, filthy kitten who had been stuck in the warehouse all weekend. My wife Clores and I surrendered him to the Washington Humane Society (WHS) Georgia Avenue Adoption Center, but as we walked out, I came to tears, and said to Clores, “We gotta get that cat.” Molly wasn’t in the original... Continue reading

The Washington Humane Society (WHS) Field Services Officers have seen it all, and still every day holds never-before-seen situations. Below are a few stories from the field, where our Officers, presented with unique and challenging episodes, had to think fast and creatively to save lives. March 26, 2013 - Animal Care and Control Officers responded to a call about a cat stuck in a tall tree. Upon their arrival, they saw a female calico cat that was approximately 75 to 80 feet up in the tree. Animal Control Sergeant Deppner called the DC Metropolitan Fire Department (MFD) for assistance. The... Continue reading

By Marika Bell, Director of Behavior and Rehoming If you are thinking about adopting a dog or buying a new puppy from the pet store, might I suggest you volunteer at your local adoption center or shelter for a few weeks? If you haven’t had a dog before, or haven’t experienced the joys of adopting, than a few weeks (or months) as a volunteer will help prepare you for the kind of time and effort you will need to have for your new family member. If you are finding it difficult to set aside three hours once a week to... Continue reading

Blog Written and Contributed by Jake Pullin Last year, my girlfriend, Kristina Deignan, made a promise to her son Griffin as he prepared to embark on his first year of high school. If Griffin met this challenge – to make Honor Roll his first semester - she would allow him to have the one thing he had most wanted, his own dog. As Griffin prepared for his new school and the challenges ahead, Kristina received unfortunate news. She had been laid off from her job due to an economic downturn. This couldn’t have come at a worse time, and as... Continue reading

By Danielle Bays, WHS Community Cats Program Manager I’ve spent a lot of time in alleys across the District looking for community cats. Most of them keep their distance, but I can usually get a good enough look at them to see if they have been spayed or neutered. No, it is not that I have X-ray vision or some magical way to tell if they have reproductive organs or not. It is because the sterilized outdoor cats have been “ear-tipped.” An ear-tip is the universal sign of a spayed or neutered free-roaming cat. Since the Washington Humane Society (WHS)... Continue reading

Sergeant Kenrick Bartlette Jr. is a K9 Specialist and Site Supervisor for Alexander Security Consultants and works primarily in Northeast DC with his dog Kilo, a Washington Humane Society (WHS) alumnus. A one-year-old pit bull type dog, Kilo was adopted in November 2012 and is now an official narcotics detection dog. How did you get your start as a K9 Specialist? I’ve been in the security business for many years, with a specialty in explosive detective work. I trained my first dog Harley, a German Shepherd, to be a narcotics dual purpose dog, trained in both narcotics detection and criminal... Continue reading

Blog Written and Contributed by Finley’s Family Hello Friends of Washington Humane Society (WHS)! My name is Finley (formerly Sadie) and this month marks the third anniversary since my adoption from the WHS Georgia Avenue Adoption Center, so I thought I would send an email letting everyone know what I've been up to! Let's start from the very beginning... My parents adopted me in April 2010. They had recently bought a house with a beautiful yard that was perfect for a dog. When they came into the adoption center they saw me sitting in my cage, ears back, quietly wagging... Continue reading

The Washington Humane Society (WHS) Field Services Officers have seen it all. From rescuing a cat stuck-in-a-tree to emus running down a city street, everyday holds never-before-seen challenges and situations. The officers put themselves on the line for DC animals on a daily basis and have to think fast and creatively to save lives. WHS has two teams of officers – Animal Care and Control and Humane Law Enforcement. Animal Care and Control handles all calls related to animals and wildlife in danger or distress, while Humane Law Enforcement investigates cases involving animal cruelty and neglect at the hands of... Continue reading