Smarty Pets: Adoptions 101
2021-08-19 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual

Hike with your Hound
2021-08-28 09:00 - 11:00 | Gulf Branch Nature Center, 3608 Military Rd, Arlington, VA, 22207, United States

Basic Manners Class
2021-08-29 10:00 - 11:00
Our Basic Manners Class is a four-week series that will cover the basic cues your dog needs to know: “sit”, “down”, “stay”, and more. We use positive reinforcement training methods to foster a stronger relationship with your dog as you learn together as a team. Whether you’ve had your dog for a week or a year, it’s never too late to work on your foundation skills in a small group setting!
Dogs are required to be up to date on Bordetella, Distemper, and Rabies vaccines to take part in this class. You will be asked to upload your dog’s vaccine records when you register.
Class dates: August 29, September 12, September 19, and September 26 at 10am. Classes take place in person at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

Walk for the Animals - Meet an ACO!
2021-09-09 17:00 - 18:00
Stop by James Hunter Dog Park with your pup on Thursday, September 9 at 5:00 p.m. to say hello to AWLA Sergeant of Animal Control Cliff Ballena. He’ll be bringing snacks to share with your dog (especially if you’ve been working on those Walk miles) and answer any questions you might have about our Animal Control team!

AWLA Hero From Ommm!
2021-09-11 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual

Walk for the Animals
2021-09-12

Kids Workshop: Careers with Animals
2021-09-17 17:00 - 18:00
Does your child want to work with animals when they grow up? Learn about the various jobs that work with animals and meet some cool people in these positions.
Sign Up Now

AWLA is now hosting monthly AWLA Workshops in which families can pick and choose what topics their kids can learn about. Join us for monthly virtual workshops, where your child can join us on Zoom and learn about a topic that truly interests them. Each lesson will have a chosen topic in which the children will learn about through fun and interactive presentations and games. The virtual lesson will conclude with a visit from a special furry friend. There will be a rolling registration throughout the year with the initial registration opening in mid-November. Workshops will run from January through October. Because we never want finances as a reason for your child to not participate in the fun, we also provide a small number of scholarships for this program.
If you have any questions about this program or about the scholarships, please email Karyn Orth, Humane Educator, at korth@awla.org.

Smarty Pets: Learning About Leashes
2021-09-23 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual

Community Care Clinic
2021-09-25 10:00 - 12:00 | Four Mile Run Park, 3831 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA, 22305, United States
Get FREE vaccinations for pets and services and supplies for people at our Community Care Clinic!

Free vaccinations for cats and dogs against rabies, distemper and parvovirus.
Supplies and services for humans including FREE bags of shelf stable groceries, access to health services and information and more.
Pet supplies including food, toys, preventative medications and more (while supplies last).

We will be observing national and local COVID safety practices. All attendees must wear masks.
Limited parking is available behind MOM’s Organic Market at 3831 Mt. Vernon Ave.
*Event will be held in the park behind MOM’s Organic Market, next to the tennis court.*

Learn To Make Dog Treats
2021-09-26 16:00 - 17:00
Join our friends at From Politics To Pastry for a homemade dog treats baking class! 50% of all class registration fees will be donated to the AWLA.
From Politics To Pastry and Teddy’s Turmeric Tamer will be holding this virtual class on Sunday, September 26th at 4:00 pm to learn to make homemade peanut butter pumpkin dog treats from the comfort of your own kitchen. This is a child-friendly class. Recipe, ingredient list, and streaming link will be provided upon receipt of payment and registration. Each participant is responsible for their own ingredients, kitchen appliances, kitchen tools, etc.
Click here to register!

Empty The Shelters
2021-10-04 12:00 - 2021-10-10 16:00
Adopt a new pet for just $25 at AWLA during Bissell Pet Foundation‘s Empty The Shelters adoption event*! We have so many wonderful animals waiting to become part of your family.

Meet Our Adoptable Pets

The Empty the Shelters event began in 2016 as an effort to encourage more families to adopt a pet into their home. Since its inception, Bissell Pet Foundation has expanded its Empty the Shelters reach to organizations in 45 states and Canada, partnering with a total of 414 shelters.

Click here for more information on adopting or donating to Empty the Shelters.

*Includes adult dogs and cats. Kittens and puppies under 6 months old are not included in this event. Standard adoption policies and procedures apply.

Kids Workshops: Into the Night with Bats & Owls
2021-10-04 17:00 - 18:00
Learn all about these creatures of the night. This Halloween-themed lesson will introduce your kids to the wonders of bats and owls.
Sign Up Now

AWLA is now hosting monthly AWLA Workshops in which families can pick and choose what topics their kids can learn about. Join us for monthly virtual workshops, where your child can join us on Zoom and learn about a topic that truly interests them. Each lesson will have a chosen topic that the children will learn about through fun and interactive presentations and games. The virtual lesson will conclude with a visit from a special furry friend. There will be a rolling registration throughout the year, with the initial registration opening in mid-November. Workshops will run from January through October. Because we never want finances as a reason for your child to not participate in the fun, we also provide a small number of scholarships for this program.
If you have any questions about this program or the scholarships, please email Karyn Orth, Humane Educator, at korth@awla.org.

Pet Pantry Delivery Day
2021-10-08 09:00 - 12:00
Pet Pantry Delivery Day
AWLA’s goal is to keep pets with their families by providing pet care essentials including food, enrichment items, preventatives, and more. Residents of Arlington County and Falls Church City may pick up items from the shelter during our regular business hours. There are no income requirements or forms to fill out – if you need assistance, we are here to help!
For residents physically unable to pick up pet supplies at the shelter, AWLA offers a select number of delivery days where supplies can be dropped off at your home. Our October delivery day is Friday, October 8th from 9am-11am. The sign-up form below will open on Friday, October 1st, and will close when we reach capacity.
Our Pet Pantry is stocked and supported by generous donations. We cannot guarantee what particular items will be available for distribution on the day of the event. We will do our best to provide as many meals as possible on the day of the deliveries.
Requirements:

You must live in Arlington County or the City of Falls Church.
Delivery days are reserved for those who cannot physically get to the shelter, or do not have a friend/family member to do so for them. If you are physically able to pick up food from the shelter, please do so.
An adult (18 years old +) must be at your home and available between 9am and 11am on this date to receive supplies.
You must have a working phone number that our volunteers can call if they have trouble with the delivery.
At this time this event is only providing supplies for cats and dogs.

If you have further questions about this event, please email Ashley Hay at communitysupport@awla.org. Thank you!
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Smarty Pets: Dog Socialization
2021-10-13 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual

Community Care Fair
2021-10-14 16:00 - 18:00
Join us at the Serrano Apartments for a Community Care Fair for Pets and People!
On Thursday, October 14th from 4-6PM, bring your family and pets to the Serrano Apartments for:

Veterinary Exams, Vaccines, and Pet Supplies
COVID-19 Vaccines
SNAP/Food Stamps and Food Resource Info
Community Programs
Children’s Crafts and Activities

We will be observing national and local COVID safety practices. All attendees must wear masks.
Advanced registration for veterinary services and vaccines is encouraged!
Veterinary & Vaccine Registration
Thank you to our partners: Arlington County Govt, Petsmart Charities, DF Multifamily, Real Food For Kids, AHC Inc, and Eat Smart Move More.

Story Time Club
2021-10-19 17:00 - 18:00, 2021-11-16 17:00 - 18:00, 2022-01-11 17:00 - 18:00
Children aged 5-7 are invited to join us at the shelter for a very special storytime! During each storytime, we will have a special guest read a story and tell us about their role in animal welfare. We’ll wrap up each club session with a visit to our adoption areas so that each child can read to a pet for 15 minutes during a one-on-one session! Fees are $8 per child*.
Sign Up For Story Time!
In the event that AWLA cancels the event for any reason, we will do our best to reschedule it to a later date.

Tarot Teachings
2021-10-23 13:00 - 17:00

Howl-O-Ween at Lost Boy Cider
2021-10-26 18:30 - 21:00

Smarty Pets: Common Cat Conundrums
2021-11-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual

Bunny Bonanza Adoption Event
2021-11-12 12:00 - 2021-11-21 16:00
We are full to the brim with rabbits, guinea pigs, parakeets, hamsters, and more!
From Friday, November 12 until Sunday, November 21, get half off adoption fees for ALL small companion animals. Standard adoption policies and procedures apply.
Click here to meet your new BFF!

Porch Portraits (SOLD OUT)
2021-11-20 08:00 - 2021-11-21 17:00

Giving Tuesday 2021
2021-11-30

Smarty Pets: A Guide To Pet-Friendly Housing
2021-12-09 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual

Stuff the Sleigh
2021-12-11 10:00 - 16:00

Home for the Holidays
2021-12-19 12:00 - 2021-12-23 17:00
Back again in 2021 by popular demand, you can take a shelter pet Home for the Holidays!
If you’re staying in town for the holiday season and have extra room at your table, you can foster a dog, cat, or small companion animal and give them a much-deserved break from their kennels over the holidays!

All basic supplies will be provided by the shelter, although foster families are welcome to purchase extra toys and supplies if they would like to!
Foster families must be able to pick up a pet at the shelter from Dec 19-23, and be able to keep them in their home until at least Jan 3.
Foster families must live in Virginia, Maryland, or D.C., and cannot travel out of the area with their foster pets.
Foster families must follow all rules and guidelines of our foster program.
Foster families will be matched up with a pet on a first-come, first-match basis, and we cannot guarantee every family interested in taking part will be able to foster a pet.

If you are interested in fostering a pet during our Home for the Holidays event, please fill out the form below!

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Holiday Pet Pantry Delivery
2021-12-24 09:00 - 12:00
On Friday, December 24, 2021 AWLA staff and volunteers will be delivering parcels of pet food (wet and dry), treats, litter, and other supplies for cats and dogs to the homes of Arlington Co. pet families who need a little extra support during the holiday season.
Registration for deliveries will open on Friday, December 3rd. You must register to receive a delivery for this event. If you have questions or need help registering, please call AWLA at 703-931-9241 for assistance.

This event is made possible by our wonderful volunteers and donors. If you would like to support the AWLA Pet Pantry by donating money or supplies for this event, please email communitysupport@awla.org for more information.

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Gutsy Mutts Confidence Building Class
2022-01-08 10:00 - 17:00
Our Gutsy Mutts class will help you:

Coax your dog out of their shell – at their own pace.
Read your dog’s body language, recognize signs of stress and/or fear, and help them cope with that fear.
Use simple games to help your dog use their “think brain” rather than their “fight/flight/freeze brain”.
Teach your dog to calm themselves.
Make sure your dog gets enough mental stimulation – especially by using their nose!

Over this four week course, we’ll cover basic concepts like arousal, thresholds, trigger stacking, getting ‘consent’ or letting a dog ‘opt out’ (of meeting people and other dogs), the importance of mental stimulation, the value of structure and predictability, desensitization and counter-conditioning, being your dog’s advocate, and more. We’ll even practice saying no to people who want to pet your dog!
Dogs must be human and dog friendly. If your dog is reactive, email us at training@awla.org to schedule private sessions.
January/February Session
Jan 8 – Jan 15 – Jan 22 – Feb 5

Click here to register!

Basic Manners Class
2022-01-08 11:00 - 17:00
Our Basic Manners Class is a four-week series that will cover the basic cues your dog needs to know: “sit”, “down”, “stay”, and more. We use positive reinforcement training methods to foster a stronger relationship with your dog as you learn together as a team. Whether you’ve had your dog for a week or a year, it’s never too late to work on your foundation skills in a small group setting!

Dogs are required to be up to date on Bordetella, Distemper, and Rabies vaccines to take part in this class. You will be asked to upload your dog’s vaccine records when you register.

Dogs must be human and dog friendly. If your dog is anxious, barks, and/or lunges around people or dogs, a group class will likely be overwhelming for them. We are still happy to work with you and your dog in a private setting to meet their individual needs and set them up for success.

Sign Up Now
