|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arlington Animal Watch
Animal News in Arlington, Virginia
May 8, 2008
Southbound Route 110
Animal control received several phone calls from concerned citizens who saw a mother duck and her eight babies trapped against a concrete barrier in between northbound and southbound Rt. 110. Because the traffic was so heavy, Arlington County Police assisted with two police cruisers. The two police cruisers and the animal control vehicle stopped traffic. The animal control officer placed a dog carrier with the door open against the concrete barrier a distance away from the mother and ducklings. A police officer (with the guidance of the animal control officer) approached the mother and her ducklings very slowly with his rain coat opened up and walked behind the animals in the direction of the carrier. The duck and ducklings entered the carrier unharmed, and the animal control officer transported the mother and babies to the river nearby and released them.
April 24, 2008
4400 Block 36th Street South and Quaker Lane
Animal control received a phone call from a homeowner that there was a raccoon stuck in the window well outside of his house. There was a grate covering the window well and the well was a couple of feet deep so the animal could not climb out. The animal had tried to dig its way out and also chewed through some of the window screen but could not get out. Animal control arrived at the house and saw that it was actually an opossum in the window well. The officer removed the grate and reached down with a net and scooped the animal out. She then found a nearby bush and released the opossum unharmed.
April 13, 2008
4100 Block North 34th Street
Animal control received a call about a bird that was tangled up in string that was dangling from a branch. An animal control officer arrived and found a robin that had one leg tangled up in what appeared to be dental floss. The officer cut the dental floss and removed it from the bird and the tree. The bird was released uninjured.
March 29, 2008
6700 Block Cardinal Woods Court, Alexandria
A family found a raccoon nest with four babies in their attic. The family moved the babies outside hoping that the mother would relocate them. The mother came and removed one of the babies, but when several hours had passed and the mother had still not returned to reclaim the other babies, concerned neighbors wrapped them in a t-shirt and put them on a heating blanket. The next day, the neighbor came to the shelter to surrender the raccoon babies, who still had their eyes closed and had traces of their umbilical cords still attached. We estimated that they were less than one week old. A League volunteer transported them to a wildlife rehabilitator later that day to be cared for until they are old enough to be released.
March 27, 2008
1700 Block Columbia Pike
A woman saw a large dog running on Columbia Pike and was able to capture it but it was too big to fit in her car. She found a neighbor that could keep the dog confined until animal control arrived. When animal control reached the house with the dog, the officer saw that it was an Akita mix and that a leash was hanging off the collar. It looked like the dog had broken the leash and run away. The officer brought the dog to the shelter. The next day the dog's owners came to the shelter to file a lost report and reclaimed their dog.
March 24, 2008
North Venice Street
Animal Control received an emergency call from the Arlington County Fire Department to assist with a snake. A man who had visited South Carolina last week opened his suitcase on Monday morning and was bitten by a stowaway snake. After being bitten he had the presence of mind to close and zip up the suitcase. The fire department opened the suitcase and killed the snake. Animal Control officers identified the reptile as a rattlesnake and took the body to the county naturalist for study. The man received anti-venom at the hospital and is expected to recover fully. Watch the news report.
March 17, 2008
2600 Block South Arlington Mill Drive
A woman surrendered five three-week-old kittens after finding them orphaned at a construction site in Alexandria. Since the kittens were too young to eat on their own, they were sent to a local vet to be examined and kept overnight. They were returned to the shelter the next day. Shelter staff bottle-fed and cared for the young kittens and later that day they were placed with a volunteer foster family who will care for them until they are old enough and healthy enough to be adopted. The League trains foster volunteers to raise young kittens and provides all necessary supplies and veterinary care. To learn more about the League's fostering program, please call (703) 931-9241, ext. 245 or send an e-mail to foster@awla.org.
February 27, 2008
1200 Block South Scott Street
A car owner discovered that a squirrel had made a nest under the hood of his car. He first tried to clean out the debris before having his car towed (it would not run because of the chewed-up wires) but then realized the squirrel had three babies in the nest. He called animal control to pick-up the babies. An animal control officer removed the three two-week-old babies unharmed and transported them back to the shelter. A League volunteer transported the baby squirrels to a wildlife rehabilitator who will care for them until they are old enough to be released to the wild.
February 27, 2008
South Arlington Mill Drive and South Randolph Street
A shelter employee found a stray dog with a huge bone in his mouth that he would not let go of. The dog did have on a collar with an ID tag. The employee looked around for the owner, called the number on the tag, and left a message for the owner stating that she was bringing the dog to the shelter. She was trying to lead the male beagle mix back to her car when another person saw her and offered to drive her back to the shelter. At the shelter, the dog still refused to give up the bone that appeared as if it might be stuck in his mouth. Shelter staff offered the dog another (much smaller) treat, and he loosened his grip on the bone and another staff member was able to take it away. About 20 minutes later the dog's owner came into the shelter saying that he had received a message that his dog had been brought in. The man was walking his dog when the dog discovered a very large bone. When the owner tried to wrestle the bone away from the him, the dog's leash and choke collar slipped off. The man was very happy to reclaim his dog.
February 20, 2008
North George Mason Drive & Little Falls Road
A young girl found a friendly golden retriever and took the stray home to her mother, who called animal control to report finding it. The dog had a red nylon collar but did not have an identification tag. The mother and young girl were on there way to the shelter with the dog when another woman called animal control to report her golden retriever missing. Her missing dog matched the description of the dog being brought in so shelter staff told her to come into the shelter. After being brought in, the golden retriever waited patiently at the front desk until the owner arrived. The owner arrived and was very happy to reclaim her dog. She was given a temporary ID tag for the dog's collar. A staff member talked to her about the dog's microchip and asked if all the information registered was up to date. The dog owner said that she had moved several times and did not know where to call to update her contact information. A staff member gave her the microchip information and the phone number to call to get everything up to date. Animal control advises all pet owners that when you move, it is necessary to contact the microchip company to provide current information. If you do not know your pet's microchip number, simply drop by the shelter to have your pet scanned or have a vet scan the pet for the number and place that you need to call.
January 24, 2008
3100 Block of Wilson Boulevard
A woman called Animal Control to report that there was a hawk stuck in the third level of a parking garage. Animal Control arrived and three maintenance workers said that the hawk had been there for a couple of days. The hawk did not seemto be able to find its way out of the garage. The hawk still had a lot of energy and had the officer and workers chasing it for almost an hour. One of the helpers had an idea to provide some raw meat for the hawk since it would be pretty hungry after being in the garage for a few days without food. The restaurant in the building provided a few pieces of raw meat for the bird of prey. The animal control officer threw a few pieces to the hawk which swooped down and picked it up. After flying around a few more minutes, with the help of the maintenance workers, the hawk was cornered and the animal control officer caught it in a net it as it flew past. The Cooper’s hawk was then released outside unharmed. It flew to a nearby tree and landed.
January 20, 2008
2000 Block North Kensington Street
Animal Control received a call from a man who had found a dog running around during the night. He brought the dog inside to keep it warm and then called animal control the next morning. An animal control officer picked the dog up and brought it back to the shelter. The dog was scanned and a microchip was found, but all of the information registered to the microchip number was out of date. Several hours later a man called to report his dog missing. His lost dog seemed to be a match with the stray dog that had been picked up by animal control. The owner identified the dog and reclaimed him.
Pet owners should keep all phone numbers, addresses, and alternate contacts up to date with their microchip company. If a pet owner does not know to which microchip company their information is registered, they can have a vet or a shelter scan their pet. Once the microchip type is determined, the pet owner can contact the company and update the information. Animal control advises that even if a pet has a microchip, a collar and tag on the pet are essential since most citizens do not have easy access to microchip scanners.
January 15, 2008
Route 66 and Glebe Road
Arlington Police called animal control about a stray dog running on Rt 66 near the Glebe Rd exit. When an animal control officer arrived at the scene, the dog, a Great Pyrenees, was on the running trail next to the exit ramp surrounded by some passerbys who were trying to prevent the dog from running back onto the busy road. The animal control officer coaxed the dog to her with treats and got a leash on him. The dog was taken to the shelter unharmed and was reunited with his owner who called in a lost report a couple of hours later.
January 16, 2008
North George Mason Drive and 14th Street North
A distraught cat owner called the shelter to report that her cat had just gotten lost the day before. She described her cat as an orange tabby with a white chest and said he was predominantly an outdoor cat. Her cat was following her on a walk when he was distracted by a bird or other small animal at the intersection of N. 14th and George Mason. She also mentioned that he was microchipped and has a crooked tail. She sent in a digital photo that was attached to her lost report. Several hours later another woman called to report finding a male cat the previous day. It became apparent that several elements about the lost cat and the found cat were strikingly similar: the color, the location lost, and especially the crooked tail. The shelter put both parties in contact and the cat was re-united with its owner. The situation was resolved so quickly due to the very precise information gathered from the callers. The League advises that if you loose or find a pet to be as specific as possible about distinctive features. Animal control also advises keeping cats indoors and having collars and identification or your pet.
January 7, 2008
700 Block South Carlin Springs Road
An employee at Campbell Elementary School called animal control regarding an injured hawk on the school grounds. When the animal control officer arrived, she found a red-tailed hawk that looked as if it had flown into one of the windows. The officer noticed that its right eye was shut while the other was open. The hawk was alert and active but did not seem to be able to fly. The employees said that it had tried to fly off but could not get very far. While wearing thick gloves, the officer placed a net over the hawk and placed it inside the crate and immediately covered it with a towel to reduce stress. A hawk rehabilitator was contacted and the bird was transported to the rehabilitator later that day.
January 5, 2008
Clarendon Blvd and North Barton Street
The Arlington County Police Department reported a stray black and white dog running in and out of traffic and dragging a leash behind it. Animal control responded but when the officer arrived, the dog was nowhere to be found. After driving up and down some side roads, the animal control officer left the area. About 15 min after returning to the shelter, animal control received a lost report for a dog matching the description of the stray dog. Around 7:30 PM, animal control received a call from a woman that reported seeing a stray dog on Fairfax Dr. The caller stated that she thought it might be injured because there was something hanging from its leg. She gave the description of it being black and white, but did not see a leash. The caller said she would stay where she was and watch the dog (it seemed to be staying in one spot). The animal control officer went to the location and called the owner of the missing dog. When the animal control officer reached the location, both dog and owner had been reunited. The dog was not injured, but was found with the leash wrapped around its leg.
January 3, 2008
1200 Block North Lincoln Street
Animal Control received a call from homeowner regarding a hawk that flew into his window. The caller stated that it was lying on its back and hadn’t moved for a half hour. An animal control officer went to the house and determined it was a juvenile red-tailed hawk. The hawk was still on its back when she got there, its head and feet were twitching, but the rest of the body was not moving. The animal control officer took the hawk to the shelter to be evaluated. A licensed hawk rehabilitator was called and given the description of the hawk’s injuries and it was determined that the hawk would be unlikely to recover from its injuries. A decision was made to humanely euthanize the bird of prey. Animal control would like to remind citizens that hawks will often frequent bird feeders looking for an easy meal. Animal control advises that if you have a bird feeder at your house, keep curtains closed on windows so it looks like they look a solid object and not an area where a bird can fly.
January 3, 2008
1100 Block of North Danville Street
In a public park, animal control officer cited a dog owner for not having his dog on a leash. The dog owner argued that his dog did have a leash on. The officer informed the dog owner that a dog that is wearing a leash that is trailing behind it does not comply with Arlington law. The officer explained to the dog owner that according to the law, the leash must be attached to the collar and in the dog owner's hand.
January 2, 2008
Reagan National Airport
Animal Control received a call from a police officer at Reagan National Airport reporting an injured seagull near one of the parking lots. The police officer met with the animal control officer and led her to the location of the seagull. The animal control officer found the seagull lying on its stomach with both legs sticking straight out behind it. The officer picked up the injured bird and noticed a significant amount of blood on the right leg. The animal control officer took the seagull to the shelter. Upon examination the injuries were found to show exposed muscle and bone. Due to the extreme nature of the injuries, the seagull was humanely euthanized after authorization from a licensed rehabilitator.
December 28, 2007
600 Block of 20th Street
Animal control received a call from a homeowner who saw a bat fly through the first floor of his house. He then saw it fly up the stairs and then lost sight of it. He looked through all the rooms and was unable to find it. He was asked to turn off the lights and keep it as quiet as possible to see if the bat would come back out, if it did, call animal control right away while keeping an eye on it. An hour later, the homeowner called again stating he was able to confine the bat under a towel. He saw it flying around the first floor again and hit it out of the air with a broom. Animal Control arrived and transported the bat to the shelter. It was not known if the bat was in the house while people were sleeping and since bat bites can be small and go undetected, the bat was euthanized and sent to the Health Dept to be tested for rabies. Test results are pending.
December 29, 2007
400 Block North Monroe Street
A woman called on December 27, 2007 to report her four-year-old pit bull was lost. Her dog was startled while on a walk and the dog escaped dragging her leash. She was very upset about her dog and she called all of the other are shelters to leave reports and then called each day to check in to see if a similar dog had been brought in. On December 29, 2007 animal control received a call from a man who had a stray dog in his yard. From the caller's description, the shelter thought that this dog could possibly be a match with the lost pit bull reported on the 27th. The staff member asked the caller to call out the name of the lost dog. The caller did so and the dog immediately responded by running up to the caller and wagging her tail. A League staff member called the lost dog's owner who was overjoyed that her dog was found. The dog owner was put in touch with the dog finder and she reclaimed her dog and took it to the vet to be looked at for any injuries. A League staff member called her later to check on her dog and was told that the dog is just fine.
December 17, 2007
Seminary Road and Beauregard Street, Alexandria
A man brought in a stray cat to the Arlington Animal Shelter that he had found in Alexandria but was actualy closer to the Arlington shelter than the Alexandria one. The cat was very friendly but had no collar or microchip.
As is our routine, we reported the found cat to the Alexandria shelter and the following day, they called from the Alexandria shelter saying that they thought they had found a match with someone who had reported a lost cat.
Unfortunately, the phone number they had was not in service, so they contacted the rental office of the building where the owner lived so that a notice would be posted on his door. When the owner called us on December 20th, he was so excited and stunned because he was convinced that his cat had died or been seriously injured because she fell off a ledge from the fifth floor. When he came to reclaim her, the owner said from now on he would notify all local shelters if his pet was ever lost again. He also is planning to come to the shelter’s low-cost microchip clinic on January 24th so that his cat has some identification that can be easily traced back to him.
December 18, 2007
400 Blk North Madison Street
Animal Control received a call from a concerned woman who saw a white dog running in the street. The caller was worried that it would be hit by a car and she stated that she would wait around and attempt to capture the dog until animal control officer could arrive. When the officer reached the area, there were a few people standing outside of a house. The owner of the dog and the woman who called animal control were standing outside and the dog had just gone inside the house. After the caller left, the officer spoke with the dog’s owner about the dog running at large. He said the dog had been in the backyard and the gate was closed. The officer and the dog owner took a look at the gate, and it was apparent that was how the dog got out. The gate door was very easy to open with a nudge of a nose. The man said he would take care of the gate so it wouldn’t happen again.
Animal control advises that homeowners check all doors and gates to make sure that they are secure and periodically check on dogs while they are outside to make sure they have not escaped.
December 13, 2007
Animal control responded to a call from a concerned citizen regarding a stray dog running around a neighborhood. The caller said they tried to catch the dog, but it kept running away. An animal control officer arrived and found a Burnese mountain dog sniffing through someone’s yard. When approached, the dog ran back into another yard but kept leaving the yard to go into the street. The officer rang the doorbell and found that nobody was home. Then the officer noticed that the garage door had been left open a crack. The officer looked inside the garage and found some dog food. She placed the dog back in the garage and securely closed the door and left a notice for the owner to call animal control. The owner called later in the day and thanked the officer for putting the dog back inside. The officer reminded the owner to double check that the door is secure before leaving the dog.
December 11, 2007
A man called animal control about a raccoon that was sitting on top of a trellis in his yard. The raccoon was not moving. The man was told to observe the raccoon and to call back if it did not move. The man called back several hours later to report that the raccoon was still there. An officer arrived on the scene and captured the raccoon, which appeared to be sick. The raccoon was transported to the shelter where it was humanely euthanized.
December 10, 2007
1900 Block South Ives Street
Animal Control received a call about two dogs out in a yard barking. The caller was concerned that there was no doghouse outside and that the dogs were outside often. Animal control went to the house and found the dogs outside. The officer noticed that the dogs barked whenever a person walked by. After speaking with the owner, and giving him suggestions to keep the dogs from barking, the officer also discussed providing housing whenever the dogs are outside. Animal Control has been in contact with the dog owner, and the barking has subsided. The owner has also supplied the dogs with an appropriate dog house.
1100 Block Arlington Blvd
Animal control was called regarding an injured hawk that had flown into a building in Rosslyn. The hawk had been there for almost an hour and was still unable to fly. An officer transported the hawk back to the shelter where it was examined by a staff member who also happened to be a wildlife rehabilitator. The staff member examined the bird, which she determined to be a juvenile red-tailed hawk with wounds consistent with flying into a window. She transported the bird to the Raptor Conservancy of Northern Virginia to be cared for until it is healthy enough to be released into the wild.
November 30, 2007
2700 Block S Grove Street
Animal Control received a call about a bird in a fireplace. When the animal control officer arrived, there was a mockingbird hopping around in the fireplace. The officer reached inside the fireplace with a net and gloved hand, but the bird ended up escaping the fireplace and flying around for a minute before landing on the windowsill in the living room. The officer was able to easily net the bird and let it go unharmed outside.
Animal Control reminds residents that when a bird is trapped in a fireplace or in a room in a house, the easiest method to get the bird out is to open any windows and doors and turn out all the lights. The bird will normally fly to nearest opening to get outside.
November 25, 2007
4800 Block Old Dominion Drive
A woman called animal control after her two dogs attacked a raccoon in her back yard. The raccoon had climbed the tree after the attack and according to the caller, appeared to be injured and was howling. An animal control officer netted the raccoon and transported it back to the shelter. Because of the raccoon’s injuries and the fact that it had contact with the woman’s dogs, it was humanely euthanized and sent to be tested for rabies. The raccoon tested positive for rabies. Animal control followed up with the woman to make sure that her dogs were current on their rabies vaccinations. Both dogs were up to date on their rabies vaccinations but Virginia Animal code requires that any pet exposed to a rabid animal be quarantined for a minimum of 45 days (if it is current on its rabies vaccination). The woman will quarantine the dogs at her home. The dogs will be allowed outside in a confined area for bathroom breaks but will not be allowed contact with other animals or people outside the immediate family. Virginia Animal code mandates that pets exposed to a rabid animal that are not current on their rabies vaccination are required to be humanely euthanized or quarantined for a period of no less than six months in a double-sided enclosure with no exposure to humans or other animals. Quarantines are mandated in both cases because vaccines offer some protection but are not guaranteed to be 100% effective.
November 13, 2007
2300 Blk N George Mason Drive
A citizen called to report a hawk injured on the side of the road on George Mason Drive after it had been hit by a cab. She stated that the cabdriver got out of the car and took a picture of the injured hawk and then drove away. The caller and a couple of others stopped to make sure the hawk stayed on the sidewalk and wouldn’t flounder into the road and get hit again. An officer netted the hawk and placed it into a covered carrier with the help of the caller. The hawk was sent to a wildlife rehabilitator.
November 8, 2007
Key Boulevard and Troy Street
A man called the shelter to report that he found a very friendly cat in the Rosslyn neighborhood. He described the cat as a young, neutered gray tabby with white. A League staff member searched the database to see if there were any possible matches and found one possible match. There was a lost report filed four days before for a neutered gray tabby with white, however, the distance between them seemed too far. The lost cat came from N. 18th Road and Patrick Henry Drive. The owner of the lost cat had provided very distinctive coloring details so a League staff member asked the finder to describe the cat he found. All seemed to match perfectly down to the all white four paws, the white neck and the white "splash" on one side. The League put the two parties in touch, and indeed it was a match. The cat was re-united with its owner.
The Animal Welfare League recommends that all cat owners put collars with tags on their cats to facilitate their return to their owners in case they get lost. We also recommend that all cats be kept as strictly indoor pets.
November 8, 2007
2600 Block Arlington Mill Drive
An Arlington County trash truck pulled into the shelter parking lot and the driver knocked on the door of the shelter. He explained that he was just about to push the compact button on the garbage truck when an opossum popped its head up. The truck driver explained that he loves animals and he did not want to see it get hurt. The League's kennel manager went outside and climbed into the truck and retrieved the juvenile male opossum. The opossum was not injured and it was old enough to be on its own so it was released in a wooded area nearby.
