Animal Welfare League of Arlington

Mother's Day Adoption Weekend
2019-05-11 12:00 - 2019-05-12 16:00 (America/New_York) | VA
To all you dog moms and cat moms (and wannabe dog moms and cat moms)…this is your weekend! We’re offering 50% off adoption fees for ALL pets (6 months +) from May 11-12. Check out all of the pets who are looking for homes at www.awla.org/adopt/adopt-a-dog. Regular adoption policies still apply.

Smarty Pets: Estate Planning for Pets
2019-05-08 18:30 - 19:30

Smarty Pets: Our Wild Neighbors
2019-04-30 18:30

AWLA Career Morning
2019-04-16 09:00 - 11:00
Is your teen (ages 13-18) interested in a career with animals? Participants in our AWLA Career Morning will meet shelter staff and hear about several different careers in animal welfare, learn about AWLA, tour our facility and have a chance to ask questions about their career interests.

This event is FREE but registration is REQUIRED as this event is space-limited and registration is ONLINE ONLY.
Register Here for AWLA’s Career Morning for Teens 13-18 years old.

Game of Homes Adoption Event
2019-04-12 12:00 - 2019-04-14 16:00
Prepare yourselves…friendship is coming!
This weekend, travel to Westeros (aka the Animal Welfare League of Arlington) and adopt your very own Arya Bark, Samwell Tabby, or Rabbit Baratheon with ‘Name Your Price’ adoption fees! A Lannister always pays his debts, you know…
Our Game of Homes adoption event is from Friday, April 12th until Sunday, April 14th (just in time for the Season 8 premiere!). You can view shelter hours here, and adoptable animals here. Standard adoption policies apply.
Everybody wins the Game of Homes!

Barks and Barrels
2019-03-16 18:00 - 21:00

Smarty Pets: Enriched and Engaged
2019-03-07 18:30 - 19:30

Kitten College Foster Training
2019-02-26 18:30 - 20:00, 2018-10-09 18:30 - 20:00
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington is one of the only shelters in the nation that takes in kittens from other jurisdictions. In fact, AWLA takes in just a very few kittens from Arlington County, thanks to our highly successful trap-neuter-return program that has greatly reduced the population of feral cats. Instead, the Kitten College answers the needs of shelters and groups in DC, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. We take in orphaned and sick kittens that require bottle-feeding and specialized care; some remain in the College for intensive care, while others go to our expansive network of foster caregivers.
During the session we will cover fostering basics, policies and procedures, and teach potential fosters how to bottle feed, about common neonatal kitten health issues, and more!
The Kitten College opened in late July 2017 and by year’s end had taken in 356 kittens ages newborn to eight weeks; during the entire previous year (2016) AWLA took in 92 kittens of the same age. In just five months the College tripled the number of kittens saved while also increasing their survival rate! In 2018 we saved 1,086 kittens and we hope you’ll help us save even more lives this year!

Galentine's Day Adoption Event
2019-02-13 12:00 - 19:00
Treat yo’ self to a new BFF this Galentine’s Day! On February 13th from 12-7PM, we’ll have ‘pick-a-price’ adoption fees for all pets older than 6 months!
What is Galentine’s Day, you ask? It’s only the best day of the year, February 13th, where you hang out with your gal pals, just ladies celebrating ladies!
Every Leslie needs an Ann, and every pet needs a person. We have so many gal pals (and ‘honorary’ gal pals) here at the shelter looking for a best friend, so come visit us on February 13th to find your new best friend!
**Standard adoption policies apply. Adopters should bring a valid I.D. and proof of address, and all pets must leave the shelter wearing a collar and identification.**

Baby-Ready Pets
2019-02-11 18:30 - 20:30, 2018-12-10 18:30 - 20:30, 2018-10-15 18:30 - 20:30
Every year, thousands of animals are turned into shelters by parents concerned about how their pet may affect the health and safety of their new baby. Any pet can have undesirable, although natural reactions to a new baby. New sounds, smells, and activities surrounding an infant may cause a pet to see the baby as competition, prey, or even a toy.
Baby-Ready Pets offers preparation and assistance to help expectant families prepare their home and their pets for the arrival of the new baby and to make sure that it is a safe and (relatively) stress-free experience for all. This seminar is based on a program created by the Providence Animal Rescue League and the Rhode Island SPCA, and has been endorsed by the ASPCA. The Animal Welfare League of Arlington’s staff will present Baby-Ready Pets for expectant parents in a two-hour workshop at the League.
After the program, participants may call or e-mail follow-up questions if they need additional support. Participants will also receive helpful handouts and a CD of baby sounds to help desensitize their pets to the sounds of the new arrival. This is a HUMAN-ONLY class, please leave your pets at home. Baby-Ready Pets sessions are from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, 2650 S. Arlington Mill Drive.
There is no fee for the class, but donations are welcome. Reservations are required and space is limited.
To see all available class dates and register for a class, please visit our Baby-Ready Pets Registration Page.

Smarty Pets Series: Common Cat Behavior Problems (and how to fix them)
2019-01-30 18:30 - 19:30

Pet Loss Support Group
2019-01-09 19:00 - 20:30
Our pets are important members of the family. They are devoted companions who give us their unconditional love and acceptance. For a pet caregiver, the loss of a companion animal can be one of life’s most difficult experiences. When we lose a beloved friend, it often helps by sharing our feelings with others who have also experienced a similar loss.
For more than 25 years, Kathy Reiter has helped pet owners cope with their loss through Pet Loss Support Group meetings at local shelters.
Kathy is recognized as the area’s leading authority on pet loss. Kathy is a psychiatric social worker with a specialty in grief and bereavement. She has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS News with Dan Rather and PBS. Kathy has also been featured in The Washington Post, Better Homes and Gardens, Good Housekeeping and other widely-circulated magazines.
Kathy was instrumental in establishing the hospice movement in the United States and was directly responsible for the construction of the first hospice in Arlington, VA. While the Arlington hospice was being built, Kathy’s beloved cat, Prince, was diagnosed with a terminal illness. While being experienced in human loss, Kathy was now faced with impending pet loss of her animal friend. Kathy turned for help, for resources, and yet found none. Through her own personal experience, Kathy came to realize the need for pet loss support, and generously offers her gentle support to anyone who is grappling with such a loss.
The support group will meet quarterly at 7:00 pm on the second Wednesday of January, April, July, and October at the shelter. There is no charge to attend these meetings, and all are welcome. No reservations are required.

Gift-Wrapping for Good
2018-12-22 10:00 - 15:00
Join us for your last minute holiday gift wrapping at Animal Welfare League of Arlington. AWLA elves (aka volunteers) will wrap your gifts.
There is a suggested donation of $3 for one item or $10 for four items AWLA will receive 100% of the proceeds for this event.
If you need a gift for your pet, we have a fantastic retail section too!

Home for the Holidays
2018-12-20 12:00 - 18:00
Give the gift of family this holiday season:
foster a shelter pet through our Home for the Holidays program!

From December 20th to 27th, we are inviting local families to give shelter a break from their kennels and bring them home for the holidays. Our goal is to get as many animals as possible into foster homes for the holidays – dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs alike!
There is no fee to take part in this program. AWLA will provide all basic supplies for your foster pet, but of course fosters are welcomed (even encouraged) to provide them with extra toys, etc during their stay. If you choose to adopt your foster pet at the end of (or before!) the foster period, you will receive $25 off your adoption fee!
*PLEASE NOTE: we are running low on leashes and pet carriers, so please plan to bring one with you to pick up your foster pet!*

Here’s how it works:

Sign up using this form. This is not required, but will help AWLA gauge interest in the program, and will help us determine what foster pet might be a good fit for you!
Arrive at the shelter on Dec 20th anytime between 12PM – 6PM to pick up your foster pet (if you are not available Dec 20th, you may also pick up Dec 21st, 22nd, or 23rd). AWLA staff will work with you to assign an appropriate foster pet at the time of pick-up.
Bring home your foster pet! Fosters must be able to keep their foster pet from the time of pickup until Dec 27th at noon, barring serious unknown behavioral or medical issues with their foster pet. Fosters may opt to extend their foster period until January 2nd, 2019.

Please note:

Fosters need to be residents of VA, MD, or DC.
Signing up in advance does not guarantee participation/approval in the foster program. It does mean that you will receive program updates via email, and will make your foster contract process faster once a foster pet has been assigned to you.
We anticipate there may be wait times on Dec 20th to pick up foster pets. Please be prepared to wait, and understand that because of these we cannot guarantee you will be able to foster a pet of your choosing (although fosters can dictate what species of pet they foster) – foster pets will be sent home on a first-come, first-serve basis to appropriate foster homes.
Fosters need to be able to keep foster pets separated from owned pets in their home. Owned pets in the home also need to be current on their rabies vaccines. We ask that foster cats/rabbits/guinea pigs are kept strictly indoors, and foster dogs are not taken to dog parks.

Click here to sign up for the Home for the Holidays program!

Introduction to Nosework for Dogs
2018-12-16 10:30 - 23:30
Join us at AWLA for our first ‘Introduction to Nosework’ class! Click here to sign up.
This class will give dogs and their people a chance to learn more about this fun sport. Nosework has become increasingly popular in the past several years. It is a great activity you can enjoy with your dog that teaches them to use their super-sniffer nose!
Nosework focuses on your dog working independently. It’s a sport that you can take to a competitive level or just have fun with at home. Nosework will challenge you and your dog in a fun way, it will help you learn to problem solve together and build your relationship. This class is great for all sorts of dogs and can especially benefit shy dogs by increasing their confidence, active and/or anxious dogs by giving them a job to do. We hope you’ll join us!
Pricing:
Shelter/rescue alumni: $15
Non-shelter/rescue alumni: $20
** Please arrive fifteen minutes early to make your payment, submit your dog’s vaccine records, and sign a liability waiver. **
PLEASE NOTE: No human aggressive animals. Dogs must be wearing a properly fitted collar and/or harness with four to six foot leash. No prong or shock collars. No retractable leashes. Participants must sign a liability waiver and show proof that their pet has current rabies, distemper, and kennel cough (bordatella) vaccines.
Click here to sign up!

AWLA Kids' HOLIDAY Movie Night at AWLA
2018-12-14 17:30 - 20:30
Register now for AWLA’s Kids’ Movie night for children ages 6-10 years old. Movie night is from 5:30-8:30 PM. Registered participants are invited to attend in PJs and to bring a blanket/pillow for cozy movie viewing.
We will be playing a HOLIDAY movie, have a tour of the shelter, have an animal interaction and serve cheese pizza, popcorn, and lemonade to participants. Doors Open at 5:30 PM.
The registration fee is $30 for the each child. Registration is online only.
REGISTRATION HERE for 12/14/18 Kids’ Movie Night
Upon the submission of the registration form, a link to pay the required fee will appear. Registration form submissions without the appropriate fee payment will be considered to be invalid/incomplete and will not guarantee a reservation for your child.
Please note: There will be an animal interaction with movie night attendees but we are not able to advertise what type of animal the kids will interact with in advance as we do not know who we’ll have available that will be age-appropriate. If your child has severe allergies to cats, dogs, or small companion (bunnies,ferrets, guinea pigs, birds, etc.) animals this may not be an appropriate event for them to attend.

Gifts That Give Hope Alternative Gift-Giving Fair
2018-12-08 10:00 - 14:00
AWLA will be participating in the Gifts That Give Hope Fair again this year on Saturday, Dec 8th from 10 AM- 2 PM. This alternative gift-giving fair puts a new spin on gift-giving. The concept is simple: fair participants and online shoppers make a donation to one of our locally-based nonprofits, personalize a Gifts That Give Hope greeting card for a loved one, and give that act of kindness as a gift.
Thanks to our generous shoppers, children with learning challenges are getting new books, a homeless shelter is getting fresh blankets, orphans in Haiti are getting formula, and dozens of other acts of kindness are happening around the world.
Event: Gifts that Give Hope Fair on Saturday, December 8th from 10 AM- 2 PM
Location: Arlington Science Focus School located at 1501 N Lincoln St, Arlington VA 22201
Parking: FREE: School Parking lot or PAY: Street Parking
Additional Information:
If you would like additional information on the event, please visit: http://www.giftsthatgivehope.org/arlington
The is also a shopping list for fair attendees to choose from: http://www.giftsthatgivehope.org/node/376 or those who cannot attend in-person can shop online now at https://squareup.com/store/gifts-that-give-hope-nova

Low-Cost Rabies & Microchip Clinic
2018-12-06 18:30 - 20:30, 2018-10-25 18:30 - 20:30, 2018-09-27 18:30 - 20:30
Please bring proof of a prior rabies shot (a rabies certificate, not a tag) to get a three-year rabies shot. Without it, your pet will receive a one-year shot. Waiting is outdoors, so please dress for the weather. All dogs must be on leash and cats must be in carriers. Waiting is outside so dress appropriately for the weather.
Rabies shot: $10.00
24PetWatch MiniChip: $35.00

Holiday Pawtraits!
2018-12-01 11:00 - 16:00

Puppy Yoga - CANCELLED
2018-11-27 18:00 - 20:30
Unfortunately, our litter of puppies are a little under the weather, and out of an abundance of caution, we decided it was best that they do not attend puppy yoga so that they can rest and recuperate. We know that many of you may be disappointed (we are too), but the puppies’ health and well-being is our first priority. We do sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. We sincerely appreciate your support and understanding, and are sure that the puppies will be feeling better soon. Thank you!
Join yoga instructor Beth A Wolfe at AWLA on Tuesday, November 27th for our ever-popular Puppy Yoga class!
This class is an all-level, mellow, mostly seated yoga practice for people ages 10 and older. We will practice yoga at the shelter while the puppies roam and play around us. Please note: these puppies are not yet house-trained! Be aware that they may have accidents and like to play and chew on loose items. We cannot control this and cannot be held responsible for damage of property.
This event will sell out VERY quickly, so get your tickets here!

Wolfenoot Adoption Party
2018-11-23 12:00 - 17:00
Celebrate the Spirit of the Wolf with us on November 23rd!
Wolfenoot is a brand new holiday being celebrated across the world. It was recently invented by a seven-year-old boy in New Zealand, who wanted to create a holiday that celebrated dogs (and all animals) and those who love them. The original idea of the holiday is this; “Wolfenoot is when the Spirit of the Wolf brings and hides small gifts around the house for everyone. People who have, have had, or are kind to dogs get better gifts than anyone else…and you eat cake decorated like a full moon”. Sounds like a pretty good holiday to us!
So, on November 23rd, we will be celebrating Wolfenoot with:

‘Name Your Price’ adoption fees for ALL animals
Donation drive – bring gifts for our animals (view wishlist here)
Full moon cookies/cupcakes
Family friendly crafts and scavenger hunt in our Education Room. If you and your family would like to make gifts for the animals at the shelter in Wolfenoot, please check out our list of crafts and check out what supplies you’ll need to bring:

Tie blankets: two pieces of fleece (approx 1 yard each).
Bunny Snack Bombs: empty toilet paper tubes, timothy hay
Doggy Busy Boxes: small cardboard boxes (cereal/snack boxes are great), dog treats
Kitty Pipe Cleaner Toys: pipe cleaners (the shiny ones are best!), large craft pom-poms

We hope you will join us and celebrate Wolfenoot and our love for all animals!

Turkey Truths: A Talk with Gene Baur, founder of Farm Sanctuary
2018-11-13 19:00 - 20:00

Smarty Pets: Feeding the Finicky Cat
2018-10-29 18:30 - 19:30

Pet Loss Support
2018-10-10 19:00 - 20:00

Kitten Kindergarten (Session 2)
2018-09-22 10:00 - 2018-09-23 10:15
It’s Back to School and if you added a tiny new feline addition to your home this may be the class for you! To help your kitten start out with their best paw forward the Animal Welfare League of Arlington is offering a brand new program to help make life easier for both you and your kitten. How is this done? Through Kitten Kindergarten!
What is Kitten Kindergarten?
It is a two-time 75 minute class designed to help owners learn how to socialize their kittens. Early socialization means less stress during trips to the vet, less chance of litter box problems due to stress or minor upsets, and your cat will learn how to handle changes in their environment by growing up to become a confident, well socialized cat.
When does school start?
Classes begin at 10am. Class 1 part one is September 15th and September 16th for part two. Class 2 is September 22 for part one and September 23 for part two.
Where are classes held?
Kitten Kindergarten will be taught at AWLA, in our Education Room. Signs will be posted to help make locating the Education Room easier.
How do I sign up?
Classes will be held on a first come, first served basis, as limited space is available. Please email our Cat Behavior Counselor Teresa at tvillatoro@awla.org to sign up and include the name of participant(s) and kitten(s) that will attend. Children 8 and up are welcome, however, they MUST be attended by a parent or guardian, and we ask that there is one parent per child.
Do I have to pay for these classes?
No need to apply for a scholarship!! Kitten Kindergarten classes are free, however, donations are always welcome.
What do I need to bring?
Completed health certificate from your veterinarian. You must bring it filled out and signed by your veterinarian the day of class in order to participate. If it is not, you will not be able to attend class. Unfortunately any kitten who upon arrival displays any upper respiratory symptoms will not be able to attend class. Since most feline illnesses are contagious we do this help ensure the health of all the kittens participating. There will be the option to attend a different class set at a later date.
Completed Release of Liability form. If you forget your form, we will have copies available at the beginning of the class.
Kittens MUST arrive in a carrier. , There will be plenty of opportunities for your kitten to explore during class, however, for their safety; they need to be in their carriers unless otherwise instructed by a staff member.
Yoga mat or towel. Owners and cats alike will be spending a lot of time on the floor, so please bring a yoga mat or towel for your comfort.
We look forward to seeing you and your kitten there! Please be sure to sign up for classes in order to reserve your spot!
