Alexandria When the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria received a report that a lion was running loose in the community, its staff went to find it. But what they found wasn't a lion; it was a Husky with a shaved body.
"I could kind of see how it looked like a lion, from far away," said Megan Webb, executive director of AWLA. "It's funny that that's what people's minds jumped to, though."
If it had been a lion, though, AWLA would be the group to call. AWLA is responsible for animal services in the City of Alexandria, and also trains dogs, operates an animal shelter, and provides humane education classes for children.
"We want to be the place that people come to if they need care for animals," Webb said.
AWLA has 27 full- and part-time staffers and more than 150 volunteers. Volunteers are now able to be actively involved in the adoption process. Previously, potential adopters had to wait to meet with staff members to go through the adoption process. Webb is hoping to adopt more animals out more quickly by having the extra help. She said that in 2013, AWLA placed 1,041 animals in homes. As of last month, the group has adopted out 600 animals to families so far in 2014.
AWLA takes animals that have been rescued as well as animals that have to be given up due to their owners dying, moving to a nursing home, or being deployed. According to Webb, the group has also been working with Potomac Highlands Animal Rescue in Cabins, W. Va., for more than 17 years.
"They have a hard time finding adopters in West Virginia," said Webb. "Almost every Saturday they bring us animals for adoption."
AWLA deals with wild as well as domestic animals.
"We get a lot of service calls for wild animals, anything from deer that have been injured to raccoons in attics," Webb said. "We just got a group of baby possums. Sometimes, when a mother possum gets hit by a car and her babies are in her pouch, the mom dies and the babies get left behind. So our officers go and rescue them."
The AWLA works with local veterinary clinics that provide medical services at discounted rates to the animals who need care before they are ready for adoption. Webb said that while some animals need medical care before they can be placed with a family, some animals need a different kind of care.
"Our foster program is very important," Webb said. "We get a lot of animals that have special needs and are not quite ready for adoption: puppies and kittens who are not old enough to be adopted, senior animals who don't do well in the shelter, scared and frightened animals, they need one-on-one attention."