Community Services & Education

The League runs various programs that provide assistance to the community. Call 931-9241 x200 for more information.

Humane Education

We can visit your school, scout troop, church, nursing home or community organization. Topics include preventing pet overpopulation, responsible pet ownership, animal welfare and the League's role in the community. Presentations are available in English and Spanish!

Please contact our Manager of Education & Community Services, Jennifer Newman, to schedule a presentation or shelter tour or to inquire about other humane education opportunities. You may reach her by calling (703) 931-9241, ext. 213 or by sending an e-mail to: jnewman@awla.org.

In addition to presentations and tours, we also offer a Kids' Camp each summer in July. This year's camps are filled, but check this space next January to learn about Kids' Camps 2010.

Rabies & Microchipping Clinics

The League holds regular low-cost rabies vaccination and microchipping clinics. Clinics begin at 6:30 PM and are open until 8:30 PM. Avoid the crowd by coming the last hour. Cats, dogs and ferrets can be vaccinated for $10.00 per pet and microchipped for $25.00 per pet. All pets must be on leashes or in carriers. Please note, all cats and dogs over the age of six months are required by law to have a current rabies vaccination. For more information about our Rabies & Microchipping Clinics call (703) 931-9241 ext 200. See calendar, at right, for clinic schedule. Find out more about rabies.

About Microchipping

Microchip implantation is a safe and permanent form of identification designed to help reunite lost pets with their owners. About the size of a grain of rice, the microchip is a sterile transponder that contains a unique identification code that can be read by any standard scanner available at most animal shelters and many veterinary clinics. Microchipping is relatively painless, and no anesthesia is necessary for implantation. After a veterinarian implants the chip, the League records the owner information in our own database as well as with the AVID nationwide recovery database. The $25.00 fee includes chip implantation and registration. The AVID database is available 24 hours a day to help reunite lost pets and owners. Animal shelters and clinics scan lost animals and call AVID (1-800-336-2843) to report the pet. Then the AVID staff notifies the registered owner that their pet has been found. It is imperative that pet owners update their registration with AVID anytime their contact information changes.

Veterinary Assistance Program

The League makes small, no-interest loans to low-income pet owners who need emergency vet care for their pets but cannot afford the costs up-front. We don't cover expenses for basic pet care (shots, check-ups, teeth-cleaning) or chronic, life-long conditions (i.e. diabetes, heart condition, allergies). The owner agrees to pay back the loan in monthly installments and to have their pet spayed or neutered.

Safekeeping (Companions in Crisis)

If you are an Arlington County or Falls Church City resident and you are experiencing a health or housing crisis (i.e. unexpected hospitalization, house fire), the League can shelter your pet on a short-term basis, giving you time to make other arrangements.

Animal Rescue & Surrender

We know that sometimes it's just not possible to keep a pet. Allergies, financial problems, moving to a "no pets allowed" residence, new babies or lack of time to give proper attention, can cause an owner to give up a companion animal. The Animal Welfare League of Arlington takes in pets from all jurisdictions and works hard to place them in new homes.

Senior Adoptions

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington and the Purina Corporation's Pets for People Program subsidize adoptions of cats and dogs for people age 60 and over.

Low-cost Spay/Neuter Programs

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington offers a low-cost program for people with a household income below $40,000. We work with a local veterinarian who has generously agreed to accept greatly reduced fees for spaying and neutering in order to combat pet overpopulation.

The prices range from $75-$122 for cats, $120-155 for dogs (depending on weight and sex). If you can't afford the reduced fees, the League has another program for which you may qualify. Call 703-931-9241 x200 for details.

The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria also has a discounted program which is open to anyone regardless of income. 703-838-4775

Spay, Incorporated, offers a low-cost spay/neuter program with participating veterinarians throughout the Northern Virginia area. There are no income restrictions. 703-522-7920

The The Washington Animal Rescue League has a free spay/neuter clinic for low-income clients. Call 202/726-2273.

National Capital Area Spay/Neuter Center offers affordable sterilizations in the DC Metropolitan area.