Animal Welfare League of Arlington

MARK YOUR CALENDARS - AWLA is taking part in BISSELL Pet Foundation's Empty the Shelters adoption event from July 26 - 31! During the event, you can adopt an adult dog or cat (6 months +) for just $50 and spend all that money you saved spoiling your new BFF 😉. Learn more and meet our adoptable pets at https://lnkd.in/eu7u6Y2i

Over the past few months, our vet team here at AWLA has been working hard to treat senior kitty Boo's hyperthyroidism. Unfortunately, the traditional medication hurt her liver and with the severity of her condition, a specialized diet was unlikely to help much. The good news is that last week, thanks to your continued support, we were able to send Boo to receive Radioiodine Therapy (I-131) at RadioCat! The goal of this therapy is to eliminate the thyroid tumor and cure her hypothyroidism. Boo's treatment went very well and she is now back with her foster family, who are diligently caring for her post-therapy. We are so grateful for the amazing supporters that made Boo's treatment possible!

112 pets and their families visited AWLA yesterday for our July Low-Cost Vaccine & Microchip Clinic! During the clinic, pets received rabies vaccines, distemper vaccines and microchips, as well as information about our other services. We are very grateful to Dr Puentes and Dr Hergen for volunteering their time for this clinic, and to PetCoLove for donating vaccines and microchips. Last but not least, we are very grateful to YOU, our supporters, for making these clinics possible!

Don't miss out on AWLA's latest news, events, and heartwarming animal updates - sign up for AWLA's newsletter! Last month we featured an update on Rock, who was finally adopted after 307 days in our care. His new family let us know that Rock has settled in well, and is enjoying his big backyard and comfy couch to snuggle up on. You can get stories like this (and more) by signing up at https://lnkd.in/esu-A_97

We encourage our supporters to attend the Arlington County Parks & Recreation Deer Management Project Virtual Community Meeting TONIGHT at 7 PM. During the meeting you will hear an overview of the draft recommendations from the project team, be able to ask questions and share your feedback, and learn more about the next steps. Learn more and get the meeting link here: https://lnkd.in/edtMEutf

It's one of the best days of the year - National Kitten Day! Today we are celebrating and thanking everyone who is a part of our Kitten College program, from staff to fosters to transporters. These amazing people work hard, sometimes around the clock, to care for our tiniest and most fragile charges. In the past year, they have helped AWLA care for and adopt out thousands of adorable kittens, and we couldn't be more grateful!

On July 3rd, the Gazette Leader published an article about a recent Arlington County Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, during which the Deer Management Program was discussed. The article reported that a commission member stated AWLA was “raising money off of this,” regarding our concerns about culling deer in Arlington County. You can view the article here: https://lnkd.in/eRuAKdEw We want to reassure our supporters that AWLA has not and is not conducting any fundraising campaigns regarding the Deer Management Program. Our vocal stance on this issue stems not from a desire for financial gain, but from our deep commitment to protecting local wildlife, which we know is a shared concern among many of you. Our mission is to advocate for the well-being of animals and to promote humane solutions that ensure the safety and preservation of our natural environment. We believe in fostering a community where humans and wildlife can coexist harmoniously, and we remain dedicated to transparent, ethical practices in all our efforts. Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

Last month, Arlington County Parks and Recreation recommended establishing a sharpshooting program to reduce the deer population by culling. While the County’s deer project team has done a thorough job addressing this issue, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington disagrees with the project team’s recommendation to sharpshoot up to 125 deer in Arlington’s parks professionally. Our goal throughout this process has been to provide context and an additional perspective to an incredibly complex and controversial issue, knowing that reasonable minds can differ. To that end, AWLA firmly believes that sharpshooting 125 deer, which would account for over 40% of the latest deer population, is a disproportionate and excessive measure given the number of reported deer and the browsing levels in Arlington County. The County conducted a population survey of deer in 2021. In that original survey, 290 deer were counted in Arlington, at an average of 13 deer per square mile [Steward Green, 2021]. While some areas had higher concentrations of deer – near streams or forests, for example – the deer population levels in Arlington did not compare to other nearby jurisdictions that have instituted culls. Fairfax County, for instance, had an estimated 90-419 deer per square mile when they started their cull in 1998. The County’s report states that “moderate [deer browsing] impact was prevalent with fewer areas meeting the high and low impact criteria.” However, an overall “moderate” impact shouldn’t justify a 40% reduction in the deer population. Other factors from the most recent report suggest that deer levels are not substantially high. For example, deer-vehicle collisions and Lyme disease cases are both low. The County has also not provided any data indicating that deer in Arlington are currently unhealthy, which would suggest an out-of-balance population. It is important to note that there is already a natural population control on deer in Arlington County. Since the original survey, AWLA has picked up 122 deceased deer, and an additional 36 have been culled through hunting permits given by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Therefore, a minimum of 158 – 54.5% – deer have been statistically removed from Arlington County since 2021, indicating that deer populations do not remain unchecked. Taken together, the data presented does not suggest that the deer levels in the County are at such a point that an immediate 40% reduction of deer is necessary. The level of deer and their impact is not uniform across the county, and there are other options worth pursuing. For example, White Buffalo, Inc., the County’s contractor in this process, suggested that a sterilization approach is a viable alternative, yet this was not recommended despite having the support of over 60% of the community. For citations, please visit https://lnkd.in/esNCDWek

Do you have plans for the upcoming holiday? Remember these 4th of July Pet Safety Tips from our friends at PetCo LoveLost to prevent your pet from going missing during your celebrations!

As an animal welfare organization, we are excited that starting today, July 1, it is illegal to declaw cats in the state of Virginia. House Bill 1354 "makes unlawful the practice of declawing cats for any person engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine except as necessary for a therapeutic purpose, as defined in the bill". While most veterinarians in Arlington no longer perform this inhumane procedure, we recognize that this important bill will significantly decrease the amount of procedures being performed across the state.