Arlington Animal Watch

Animal News in Arlington, Virginia

June 16, 2009
Southbound 395 near Columbia Pike

A woman was driving behind a truck on southbound 395 near Columbia Pike when she noticed a young bird on the back of a truck. She followed the truck and kept blowing her horn until the truck driver pulled over. She jumped out of her car and scooped up the young bird and brought it to the League where she surrendered it. The bird was a fledgling mockingbird. Fledgling birds are usually on the ground for several days while learning to fly while their parents feed them. Since the original location of the fledgling was unknown, the bird was transferred to a wildlife rehabilitator who will care for it until it is able to be released. In most situations, if fledgling birds are found hopping around on the ground, they should be placed low in a tree or in a shrub and left alone because the parents will continue to care for them for several days until they learn to forage for themselves.

June 1, 2009
Columbia Pike & Walter Reed Drive

A man surrendered a parrot to the shelter that he said flew down and landed on his arm. Examined by shelter staff, the sun conure was determined to be tired but unharmed. On June 3, the owner contacted the shelter and came to claim the bird. She said the parrot had escaped her home through a doggy door. Animal control advises against doggy doors because it allows pets to come and go without supervision and other wild animals to enter the home.

May 31, 2009
12th Street South & Army Navy Drive

Arlington county police removed a white Maltese from a parked car due to the heat and the dog appearing to be in distress. The owner had left the sun roof open and the windows cracked but the police officer removed the dog from the car because the dog appeared to be in distress and the temperature was rising quickly. The police officer brought the dog to the League and left a note for the owner stating that the dog was taken to the shelter. The woman reclaimed her dog later that day after speaking with a shelter staff member about the dangers of leaving a dog in a hot car. Animal control advises pet owners to leave their pets in the comfort of their own home while running errands or when visiting areas places that do not allow pets. A Stanford University test found that when it is 72 degrees outside, a car’s internal temperature can rocket to 116 degrees within an hour, even with windows cracked. When it is 85 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car can soar to 102 degrees in 10 minutes and 120 degrees in 30 minutes. A dog can only withstand a high body temperature for a short time before suffering nerve damage, heart problems, liver damage, brain damage or even death. To learn more about the dangers of leaving a pet in a hot car, please visit: http://www.mydogiscool.com/ May 10, 2009
1500 Block Jefferson Davis Highway

Two animal control officers responded to a call about ducklings in a pool. The officers found 13 ducklings in a pool with the mother duck nearby. The officers had to act quickly when two of the ducklings were swept into a pool filter. An officer rescued the two ducklings from the filter, but the mother duck flew away. Since the ducklings were too little to be on their own, the officers captured and transported the 13 ducklings back to the League. Since it was very late the officers were unable to find a wildlife rehabilitator who could take them that day. They took the ducklings to a local animal hospital to be cared to overnight. The next morning they were transferred to a wildlife rehabilitator who will care for them until they are old enough to be released.

May 9, 2009
800 Block North Frederick Street

A woman called about four baby bunnies that her dog had brought in from the back yard. An animal control officer found four cottontail bunnies that appeared to be in good condition, except for a small scratch on the head of one. The homeowner searched the yard and found a destroyed nest and fur all over the yard. It appeared a cat or possibly a fox may have gotten into nest. The bunnies were a few days old and were too small to be on their own. They were taken back to the League and later transferred to a wildlife rehabilitator who will care for them until they are old enough to be released.

April 26, 2009
4800 Block North 30th Street

A woman called animal control because she was concerned about a dog in a backyard that did not appear to have food, water, or shelter. She had first spotted the dog the day before and it appeared to be sick. She walked by the yard again the next day and was concerned that the dog still did not have food, water, or shelter. The caller described the dog as some type of hound. An animal control officer was dispatched to the address but upon arrival noticed that the dog the woman described was a statue of a beagle, not a live dog. To be sure that this was indeed the dog that the caller had described, the officer contacted the caller and described the statue, along with the location of the statue in the yard. Both the officer and the caller shared a laugh.

April 29, 2009
16th Street North and George Mason Drive

Animal control received a call regarding ducklings that were stuck in a sewer. Two animal control officers searched the storm drains near the intersection. While the officers were searching, a concerned person joined them in the search and found the ducklings trapped under a grate in the hospital parking lot. The mother duck was quacking and pacing the area nearby. Another person helped the officers lift the grate and one of the animal control officers went into the storm drain and captured the nine ducklings. Once the officer had the babies confined to a crate, the other officer (with the aid of a citizen) stopped traffic. The officer with the ducklings lured the mother duck across the street with the sound of her peeping ducklings. The duck and her babies were released streamside in a park nearby. Mother and ducklings waddled down to the stream and swam away.

April 7, 2009
3900 Block Columbia Pike

A man surrendered two hamsters in a hamster ball that he found rolling down the street near the 3900 block of Columbia Pike. The two hamsters were determined to be male and since male hamsters usually fight, they were housed in separate cages at the shelter. The next day a woman called to report her hamsters missing. She said her children had been playing in the yard with the hamsters in their ball and they came inside and forgot about them. When they went outside to look for the hamsters later, they could not find them. The woman reclaimed the hamsters. Shelter staff gave her an aquarium so that the hamsters could be housed separately and advised her to take one of the hamsters to a veterinarian for treatment of an apparent health problem.

March 31, 2009
Fort Myer Park near 14th Street
A woman called to report that there were two ferrets abandoned in a cat carrier near a bus stop. She had waited two hours to see if anyone would return to reclaim them before calling animal control. An animal control officer arrived and transported the ferrets back to the League where they were held as strays.

No owner came forward to claim the abandoned ferrets, and they were adopted together on April 6.The adopter came to the shelter with the idea of adopting one ferret but fell in love with both of them and couldn't bear the thought of separating them.

March 24, 2009
2700 Block North Underwood Street

A woman came to the League and surrendered two baby bunnies that she found cold and alone. Shelter staff extimated the babies to be about nine days old, too young to be on their own. We contacted a wildlife rehabilitator who agreed to take the babies and care for them until they could survive on their own. A volunteered transported them to the wildlife rehabilitator a short time later. Animal control recommends that you call and speak with a staff member before picking up baby animals. Many baby animals are left alone by their parents during the day. Shelter staff can help callers determine if baby animals need help or if the parent is caring for them.

February 26, 2009
3700 27th Street North

Animal control responded to a call about a cat in a chimney. The officer arrived and heard the cat meowing but could not see it. With the homeowner's permission, she began taking apart pieces of the flue to get to the cat. The animal control officer could see the cat, an orange tabby, but could not get the cat out because she did not have the right tools to remove a piece of the flue that was in the way. The woman called a chimney company to remove the last piece of flue in the way of the cat's removal. The woman also called a neighbor who had been missing her orange tabby for several days. The chimney service arrived and removed the flue allowing the cat to come down into the fireplace. The cat's owner had arrived and she reclaimed her cat.

February 7, 2009
2600 Block Arlington Mill Drive

A person surrendered 17 cockatiels at the shelter after she realized that there were just too many birds to take care of. The birds were living a cage that was only large enough for one or two cockatiels. Due to this overcrowding many of the birds were stressed, losing feathers, and plucking other birds. A few of the birds were nearly bald. Several of the birds had beaks that had grown so long that it was difficult for them to eat. The person said that the birds just kept breeding and she had too many to take care of. League staff separated the birds into several much larger cages. The least stressed cockatiels were tranferred to another local shelter for adoption. While the others are not yet ready for adoption, they are being held in isolation with the hopes of placing them on view for adoption once they have recovered. The birds with the long beaks have had their beaks trimmed so that they can eat properly. Animal control is checking into the other animals in the person's home to make sure that they are being properly cared for. Unneutered pets of opposite sex should be kept separate from each other to prevent unwanted babies.

January 29, 2009
2600 Block South Arlington Mill Drive

A woman surrendered a parakeet to the League that was stuck on a glue trap. According to the woman, the bird was given to her by her neighbor. She tried unsuccessfully to free the bird and then brought it into the League. League staff carefully removed the bird from the glue trap using mineral oil. The oil was then removed very carefully with dishwashing liquid. The bird, approximately 3 years old, does not appear to be any worse for the wear, despite several missing feathers. Shelter staff will observe the bird for several days to make sure that it continues to do well in the hopes of eventually placing it on view for adoption. Animal control advises that glue traps are not a humane method for rodent control and they shouldn't be used. Also, the League has a Veterinary Assistance Fund for pet owners in emergency situations. The fund offers small, no-interest loans to pet owners in need of urgent veterinary care for their pets. Please call the League at (703) 931-9241 x246 for more information.

January 7, 2009
6200 Block 23rd Street North

A woman called animal control to report an injured bird with a long beak in her yard. An animal control officer arrived to find a great blue heron with a badly broken leg. The bird appeared to have injured its leg on a fence next to the coy pond in the yard. After getting the appropriate supplies needed to protect herself while capturing the large bird, the animal control officer returned with a face mask, a large blanket, a large net, a cage large enough to house the bird safely and another animal control officer to assist her. The two officers worked together to capture the bird safely. The officers could see that the bird had a very bad break in its right leg. Once the officers captured the bird, they placed it in a large dog crate and transported to the shelter. A shelter staff member contacted a wildlife rehabilitator who advised that the bird be humanely euthanized due to the location and the severity of the fracture. The bird was humanely euthanized.

December 18, 2008
2650 South Arlington Mill Drive

Upon arriving to open the shelter staff found an adult chocolate lab tied to the front door. A note came with the dog saying,"Please find a good home for our dog. His family can no longer take care of him." Dropping off an animal anonymously is not in the animal's best interest. The dog might become tangled in her leash, hurt herself trying to break free, or be exposed to bad weather. It is also very helpful to have medical and personality information on the animal for new adopters. There is no fee for surrendering an animal, and staff is available 365 days a year between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. Simply ring the doorbell if the front door is locked. The dog is currently available for adoption.

November 20, 2008
2100 Block North Thomas Street

Animal control received an emergency call late at night from a person whose cat had been badly burned in a clothes dryer. The family had found the cat only the day before. They couldn't find the cat in the house and then noticed a burning smell. They believed that the cat had climbed inside the clothes dryer and they had turned it on not realizing that the four-month-old kitten was inside. They called Animal Control because they did not have the money to take the cat for emergency care. The Animal Control officer immediately transported the kitten to an emergency animal hospital. The cat was treated for 3rd degree burns to its face, ears, and back. After staying in the hospital overnight, the kitten was brought back to the shelter to be held as a stray. The kitten was put on antibiotics and pain medication and monitored constantly for fever and signs of infection. Several days later, the kitten had a fever and was taken to another local veterinary clinic where it is still being held for close monitoring. The Animal Control officer has visited the kitten several times and reports that the burns have started to heal and it appears to be recovering well. Animal control cautions all pet owners to know where their pets are before closing refrigerators, washers, dryers, and dishwashers.

November 22, 2008
900 Block South Taylor Street

Animal control received a call from the Arlington county police department regarding a German Shepherd running at large near Glebe Road and South Highland Street. The animal control officer arrived on the scene to find two dogs that were actually Akitas. She attempted to catch the dogs by luring them with treats, toys, and play but the dogs proved to be to fast for her. While the officer was attempting to catch the Akitas, they were distracted by another dog and its owner walking nearby. The officer caught the dogs but could not get them into the animal control truck. The police on the scene offered to drive the dogs to the shelter in the police cruiser which was easier for the dogs to jump in. The dogs were only at the shelter a few minutes when a man called to report that his two male Akitas were missing from his back yard. The owner reclaimed them about an hour later.

October 20, 2008
2800 Block South Grant Street

A man called animal control for help with his outdoor cat that he could hear crying inside a street drain. An officer advised him to call the county public works department to remove the drain covers. The man called back after public works had removed several drain covers. The cat still did not come out of the drainage system. An animal control officer arrived. The public works officials used a cleaning tool to make noise behind the cat's location, and the officer netted the cat when it came out. The cat was uninjured and was returned to its owner. The League advises all cat owners to keep cats indoors for their own safety.

September 7, 2008
28th Street South and Army Navy Drive

A woman called animal control to report that a large turtle was trying to cross Army Navy Drive. The animal control officer responded to find a 14-inch snapping turtle trying to cross the street. The turtle was examined for injuries and none were found. The officer put the turtle in a dog carrier and transported it to Gravelly Point Park. The officer had planned on releasing the turtle at Gravelly Point Park but the park was too crowed so she contacted the National Airport Police who escorted her to the water's edge at the National Airport where it was released. About seven hours later, animal control received a call from the Arlington County Police regarding a turtle that had crossed Army Navy Dr. The officer responded to find a larger, 16-inch snapping turtle within 10 feet of where the other turtle had been found. The officer examined the turtle for injuries and when none were found, she put the turtle in a carrier and transported the animal to Gravelly Point Park (which was a lot less crowded) and released the animal.