On July 18, 2011, my husband and I were guest at the Washington Animal Rescue League, in Washington, DC.
We were invited to attend their “First-Ever Speaker Series” event. This special evening featured Wayne Pacelle, CEO and President of the Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest animal protection organization.
We also planned to get a tour of the facility. Most people who adopt from an animal shelter never really get to see the full aspect of what really goes on behind the scenes in an animal shelter. Some shelters, however, do offer tours of their facilities to the public.
My husband and I arrive early for our tour of the facility. When I walked into the lobby, I was totally surprised at the beauty of the lobby. I guess I was surprised because I did not expect an animal shelter to look like this! The lobby was adorned with brick and beautiful oak wood, including a wood staircase leading to the upper floor. There were large paintings of cats and dogs on the walls, and as I looked up at the upper level, I noticed a lot of natural sunlight shinning through. If it wasn’t for all of the “happy barking” that I heard, I would not have known that I was in an animal shelter.
We were greeted by, Robert Blizard, Chief Development Officer, who works on all fundraising programs of the League with three additional members of the Development Office staff.
Mr. Blizard started our tour showing us their Medical Center. The Center was very clean, and setup just like a hospital unit. The staff wore gowns and mask. We entered a room where a feral cat was being either spayed or neutered (I don’t know if it was male or female) because the only thing visible was a small opening where the doctors were operating. I was warned by Mr. Blizard of what I would see, in case I was squeamish. Normally, I am, but realizing that they were helping animals, gave me no problems. This cat was one of the many feral cats that the League are spaying and neutering to help with the feral cat population in the communities.
Our next stop was outside to take a look at the League’s customized van for transporting animals to and from adoption events, and to bring animals to the shelter from puppy mill busts, and natural disaster sites. The van is also used for accepting dogs and cats from other shelters so they can be adopted at the League.
The van was purchased with donations given by several individuals and organizations. They include a $60,000 donation from Dr. Shari Barton, in honor of her beloved canine companion, Cassie, who’s cute picture can be seen on the van! Contributions also came from other League friends, including: Ms. Marie Burkart, Philip L. Graham Fund, Leonisis Foundation, Life 4 Animals Thrift Shop, Miller & Chevalier, Dr. & Mrs. Matthew A. Parker and Mr. Richard J. Perry, Jr.
After viewing the rescue van, Mr. Blizard suggested that we walk around the facility and take a look at the different areas. I immediately went to the big dog area, and from there to the little dog area, and the cat area appropriately called “Kitty City!” I was so excited, I think I spoke to every animal in the League!
Most of the animals had separate rooms…yes, I called them rooms because I did not see any cages. Some small dogs and cats had 2-3 to a room with plenty of room to run around. All of the rooms were equipped with nice flooring, dogie beds, blankets and toys! I was told that the floors are heated for the winter. They have water bowls that actually refill themselves! While standing in the dog area, I heard what sounded like soft water flowing. I stopped one of the staff and asked what it was. She told me that it was the waterfall that flows over the top of the ceilings of the rooms.
All of the animals looked well groomed to me. Some of the dogs would come to the door and jump up to see me, as I talked to them. Some were taking naps. I was so excited to see all of the animals, but sadden that they haven’t found forever homes yet. The one thing that I did notice was that there was no animal smell. I wondered how it was possible to have so many dogs in an area, and no smell. I did noticed staff wiping the glass doors and cleaning.
We ventured into “Kitty City”, where I saw some of the most beautiful cats and kittens. They too where in rooms…not cages. The area is so big that some were in rooms and others were allowed to walk freely around the big outside area. One cat saw me and jumped into a box, peeking out to see if I was looking! They had beds, scratching trees, high shelves, food/water bowls and toys. I saw a staff member sitting in one of the rooms cuddling a kitten, while two others chased each other around the room. She told me that all of the animals receive human touching to help get them ready for adoption.
It was getting close to 6:00 p.m., so we headed upstairs to the reception area. The first thing I noticed was the waterfall on either side of this wide long hallway. It was beautiful. I stood there for a few moments watching the water flowing and thought how soothing this must be to the animals. The reception tables were set with vegan cuisine. This was the first time that I had tasted vegan…and I like it! The reception was really nice, my husband and I met several guest, and we talked about animals of course, each showing pictures of our pets!
As it got closer to 7:00 p.m., we all went downstairs to take our seats for the featured guest speaker, Wayne Pacelle. He was here for a book signing for his new book, The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them. His book examines our contradictory attitudes towards animals and points to a better way forward. Mr. Pacelle has helped to bring animal protection from the margins to the mainstream during his quarter century of work in the field, which includes 17 years at the Humane Society for the United States (HSUS).
"The Bond" has appeared on many best-seller lists, including The Washington Post, The New York Times and Los Angeles Times.
Mr. Pacelle, an excellent speaker, talked about the state of the Humane Society of the United States and took questions from the audience.
We were then led into the signing area for the book signing. Standing in line, I watched as he greeted each person with a smile and signed their book. Since I had my camera with me, I asked if I could take a picture with him, he smiled and said, yes. I handed my camera to someone in the line, who took our picture.
It was a pleasure meeting Wayne Pacelle, CEO and President of the Humane Society of the United States, at his book signing.
We really enjoyed our evening at the Washington Animal Rescue League. You can contact the League to schedule a tour of the facility, and see all the animals available for adoption. The League always has adoption events going on, and I will keep you posted. While the animals are being treated very well here…they still long for a forever home. If you have room in your heart and in your home, please come to these events, and consider adoption! Who knows…you may find your next best friend!
I met some new friends. Please look at their videos. They are all available for adoption!
Please take time to view the League's video below:
I would like to thank the Washington Animal Rescue League for a wonderful evening. May God bless you all, for what you do for these homeless animals.
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