Tails in the News
New low-cost spay/neuter clinic opens
Washington Humane Society (WHS) and Alley Cat Allies (ACA) have joined forces to open the D.C. area’s first ever low-cost spay/neuter clinic. A ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony is set for Oct. 4 at 11 a.m., where members of the new National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center will address the desperate need for low-cost spay/neuter of domestic animals in the D.C. area. Animals that arrive at the center will come from the Washington Humane Society Animal Shelter, the D.C. Animal Shelter, and many other participating shelters, rescue groups, and animal control agencies from around the region. The center’s goal is to provide sterilization surgery for up to 75 animals a day, five days a week.
“Alley Cat Allies grew up in the District with a strong commitment to saving animals’ lives and we are proud to be founding members of this new center. The National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center will give the D.C. area high-quality spay/neuter services at a price residents can afford and that will bring down the numbers of animals who end up in shelters,” says Becky Robinson, Alley Cat Allies president.
Washington Humane Society President and CEO Lisa LaFontain echoes these sentiments. “We are confident that by increasing the number of surgeries that our new National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center can provide, we will prevent thousands of cats and dogs from being surrendered to our shelters,” she says. “With the help of our cooperative partners we are creating an aggressive, proactive service that is directly saving the lives of animals.”
The new center is located at 1001 L Street on Capitol Hill in Southeast
Washington, D.C.
Alley Cat Allies hosts advocacy seminar
Activists passionate about improving the lives of outdoor and feral cats are invited to attend the 2007 National Cat Advocacy Seminar in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 12 and 13. The seminars will focus on how to understand ordinances, effectively communicate with animal control agencies and elected officials, and develop a Trap-Neuter-Return program that serves both cats and people. A special workshop on Friday will be conducted on humane feral cat colony management. ACA invites all feral cat advocates, shelter employees and volunteers, rescuers, and any activists who want to change the animal control system in the U.S. and improve the lives of domestic cats to attend.
Just a few days later is National Feral Cat day, on Oct. 16. The ACA-sponsored day is the start of a year-round campaign to raise awareness about TNR. ACA believes TNR is the only humane way to constructively and humanely deal with feral cat populations. Organizations interested in hosting National Feral Cat Day events can contact ACA to request information and tool kits. Each kit includes promotional posters, sample print advertisements in English and Spanish, brochures, a template for a TNR website and e-mail campaign, and media outreach materials. More information can be found at AlleyCat.org.
Spotlight on: Dogtopia’s K9 Support
Every day, Dogtopia dog spa pampers all kinds of pooches in its six capital area locations. In 2005, Dogtopia Founder and CEO Amy Nichols decided it wasn’t just dogs in the D.C. region that were in need of a little extra love and care. She started a campaign to create awareness and generate support for military dogs and their handlers stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere overseas. The first fundraiser was such a success that Nichols created a nonprofit organization, K9 Support, that works on behalf of military and working dogs. She chatted with Tails about her work.
How did you get the idea to start K-9 Support?
In the spring of 2005, I read an article about [canines] working in Iraq. I began a discussion with my team at Dogtopia about how summer was coming up and we’d love to be able to do something patriotic. Eventually we came around to sending care packages to the dogs themselves. Initially we wanted to collect goods and then send them to an established organization but had trouble finding one, so we started our own! We started by sending emails to journalists who had done stories on units and after being passed through various channels we were put in contact with some troops.
What types of programs and fundraisers do you do?
Our biggest fundraiser of the year is our annual dog wash. We just had our third at our White Flint, Maryland location. Much like a car wash, people bring their dogs for a bath and give a donation to K9 Support in exchange. It’s become quite the community event as we invite other local businesses to participate in the fundraising effort. We’ve also had doggie happy hours and donated the proceeds to K9 Support. Earlier this year we hosted an event named, Spring Fling: A Benefit for K9 Support … it was a singles social hour with wine and appetizers. It was a great time!
How much money have you raised to date?
K9 Support has raised just over $25,000 total.
Are there other programs like yours in the D.C. area?
I have no doubt there are other programs that send packages to troops, but we’re the only one I know of that supports working canines.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a program like your or get involved?
The best advice I can give is to begin by finding contacts. There’s a terrific website, AnySoldier.com that troops use to communicate their needs. They upload their info and what they need and anyone can check it out and send them packages. The direct way is the best way. If you’d like to make a donation directly to K9 Support, you can do so by visiting K9Support.org.
