Dubbed “National Landing’s First Pet Costume Party,” the event will be held on The Grounds in Pentagon City (1102 S. Eads Street).
Pet registration begins at 1 p.m., and the contest will run from 2-3 p.m. with prizes awarded to the best costumes. In addition, there will be food trucks, an agility course, and a live DJ.
The event builds off of Puppy Luv’s recent partnership with property owner JBG Smith, which is developing the new Amazon headquarters nearby. Puppy Luv offers offer exclusive services, lobby treats, and “pet of the month slideshows” in nine JGB Smith buildings in Arlington, with plans to expand into all of its county properties by the end of 2020, according to a Puppy Luv spokesperson.
Another Halloween-themed pet event is happening tomorrow — Thursday, Oct. 10 — in Arlington.
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington is hosting “Pups, Purrs, and Pumpkins” at its Shirlington offices (2650 S. Arlington Mill Drive) from noon to 7 p.m. During that time, all animals six months or older have a “pick your own” adoption fee. Pumpkin treats will also be available, provided by Trader Joe’s.
Fox rescued by Animal Welfare League of Arlington animal control officer (photo courtesy AWLA)
Fox rescued by Animal Welfare League of Arlington animal control officer (photo courtesy AWLA)
Fox rescued by Animal Welfare League of Arlington animal control officer (photo courtesy AWLA)
Fish hook removed from fox’s leg (photo courtesy AWLA)
Animal control officers in Arlington don’t just deal with urban wildlife issues — like, say, trash pandas stuck in bathtubs.
With expanses of parkland in the county’s confines, sometimes animal control duties become more rugged. An incident involving a fox on Saturday, for instance, prompted an Animal Welfare League of Arlington officer to hike for 15 minutes on the Potomac Heritage Trail.
The officer responded to the hilly and rocky terrain between the GW Parkway and the Potomac River for a report of a fox stuck in a bush. There, they found the little fox tangled in the bush, with a fish hook stuck in it leg.
Once unstuck, the fox was brought to Wildlife Vet Care for surgery, and is now expected to be released back into the wild soon.
This weekend, drag meets kittens for a sold-out show of “extravagance and cuteness” at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse.
All of the tickets have sold out for the fundraiser this Sunday, October 6, at 7 p.m at the Arlington Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike). During the performance, drag queens will lead a bingo game with the audience to raise money for animal welfare causes — as well as bring some special furry guests.
“The ladies of the Imperial Court will be calling bingo with their signature flair and we will have kittens from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington’s renowned Kitten College available for adoption and adoration,” the event’s webpage reads.
Proceeds from this Sunday’s event will go to “critical needs” at AWLA, per an email from the organization which operates a shelter as well as the county’s busy animal control.
Animal Control Chief Jennifer Toussaint pops the hood of Alberta Davis’ car, which she hopes will spook a skittish kitten into coming out from underneath
One of three kittens rescued from an engine block who are now named after famous fictional car mechanics
Animal Control Chief Jennifer Toussaint searched around a shed and under several cars before a neighborhood resident pointed the way to the reclusive kittens
Animal Control Chief Jennifer Toussaint lured the kittens
After using all her tricks, Animal Control Chief Jennifer Toussaint said she’d have to come back for the fourth, and very skittish, kitten of the litter
After being rescued from the car, the three kittens were taken to the shelter for a check-up
The rescued kittens were each weighed and given medicine for parasites
The three kittens are set to be fostered until they’re old enough to adopt
Several rescued animals, like this bearded dragon Blink, have found semi-permanent homes in the animal control offices
Toussaint’s personal rescue dog, a Boston Terrier named Reagan
After searching around a shed and checking under all the cars in the apartment parking lot, Arlington Animal Control Chief Jennifer Toussaint had returned to her van to think. Then a woman walked up to the window, mouthing a question and pointing behind us: “Kittens?”
Sure enough, after Toussaint followed her to the far side of the lot in Arlington’s Forest Glen neighborhood, she spotted one, tiny white paw disappearing up into the engine block of a dark green sedan. A tipster who called earlier that morning about kittens was right.
The head of the county’s animal control office used cans of tuna and YouTube videos of kittens crying to lure two little tabbies and one inky black feline out from under the car. While she did, the car’s owner came out of the building and sat on her walker next to us.
Angela Davis said her car had been damaged in a crash and hadn’t moved for weeks.
“The kittens were probably born there,” said Toussaint.
Davis nodded, saying she had spotted movement underneath it a week ago. “I said, ‘My goodness, there’s something moving!'”
But after an hour of all the tricks that Toussaint knew — like knocking her belt on the engine to scare them out and holding one of the siblings near the hiding space — one kitten stubbornly remained.
“I have to go, my cases are starting to back up,” she sighed, and noted in her case management system she’d be back.
It was one of about a dozen calls for service that Toussaint received during the several hours ARLnow spent shadowing Arlington Animal Control last week. During that time, the calls she received included a request to surrender a dog, remove a dead squirrel, investigate a dog-selling scam, and check on abandoned dogs in an apartment, among others.
Toussaint said animal control responded to about 3,500 cases last year, not including some of the smaller requests staff can solve over the phone.
The county’s animal control office is located in the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) building at 2650 S. Arlington Mill Drive. It employs six staffers compared to the shelter’s 40.
At the end of the shift, Toussaint returned to her blue and white office where her Boston Terrier rescue Reagan sleeps in the corner and Toussaint can be found dual-wielding the phone and keyboard to handle multiple requests for service. She said this represented a medium-busy day.
“You’ve never going to have a day when you’re out of calls to run,” she joked.
Arlington: Most Competitive Housing Market in U.S. — “The most competitive U.S. housing markets are the two that are closest to Crystal City, home of Amazon’s upcoming second headquarters (HQ2) in Virginia: Alexandria and Arlington. This is according to the latest ranking of cities by Redfin Compete Score.” [Redfin]
County Hits Record Low Tax Delinquency — “Treasurer Carla de la Pava announced that the delinquency rate for real estate and personal property had fallen to 0.177 percent, down from 0.21 percent a year before and the lowest not just in county history, but perhaps the lowest ever among any jurisdiction in Virginia history.” [InsideNova]
AWLA Hosts Successful Adoption Event — “40 cats and 14 dogs found their forever homes at [Saturday’s] Clear The Shelters event! Thank you to everyone who found space in their hearts and homes for our animals today.” [Facebook]
SB Route 1 Blocked by Crash — Updated at 8:35 a.m. — Southbound Route 1 was blocked by a crash involving an overturned vehicle at 23rd Street in the Crystal City area. All lanes reopened shortly after 8 a.m. [Twitter, Twitter]
Arlington Real Estate Still Hot — “In July, Arlington had the most brisk trip between listing and contract – just nine days – followed in the local region by Alexandria (10), Fairfax County (17), Falls Church (20), Loudoun County (23) and Prince William County (24).” [InsideNova]
AWLA Seeking Adoptions, Cheese — The Animal Welfare League of Arlington is holding its annual “Clear the Shelters Day” event this Saturday, with adoption fees waived for all animals. Also, the league is seeking donations of Easy Cheese spray, which is used as a treat for dogs. [Facebook, Facebook]
If you like kittens and yoga, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington has an event for you.
The shelter is hosting a yoga event this week for participants to get some exercise — and some feline playtime. Together with Arlington-based vinyasa yoga instructor Beth A. Wolfe, the shelter will host two yoga sessions this Thursday, August 15, where participants can do yoga while kittens romp around them.
“We will enjoy a casual yoga practice at the shelter while kittens roam among us,” organizers wrote on the event’s webpage. “There will be plenty of time allotted for kitten snuggling and photos.”
The event is for people ages 10 and up, and is designed to help find homes for the kittens, which will all be adoptable. Classes will be held at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. this Thursday at the shelter’s offices on 2650 S. Arlington Mill Drive.
Tickets sell for $35 each. Attendees are asked to bring their own yoga mat.
Wolfe is also leading the Arlington County Fair’s goat yoga sessions this week.
Storms Expected Today — “Strong to locally severe thunderstorms are in the forecast Tuesday afternoon and evening, and the potential exists for this to be a significant severe weather event.” [Capital Weather Gang]
ACPD: Expect Police at Fair — “As in years past, the [Arlington County Fair] will have dedicated police staffing and resources and fairgoers can expect to see a visible police presence… There are no known threats to Arlington County, however, the public is encouraged to remain aware of your surroundings at all times.” [Arlington County]
Local Volunteer Firefighting Legacy — “Tucked inside the Clarendon fire station on N. 10th St. is a special closed-off room. By long-standing arrangement with the county, it is dedicated to honoring the station’s decades of reliance on volunteer firefighters. Today’s professionally staffed Fire Station 4 deploys ‘no active volunteers, but retains a volunteer presence.'” [Falls Church News-Press]
Hotel Near HQ2 Sells For Big Bucks — “Host Hotels & Resorts sold the Residence Inn Arlington Pentagon City, a 299-room high-rise property at 550 Army Navy Drive, for $99.1M in a deal that closed July 1, according to Arlington County property records.” [Bisnow]
Deer Rescued from Fence — “Last week, Officer Solano and several neighbors were able to safely untangle this juvenile deer from a soccer net in a resident’s backyard. The deer immediately ran away, uninjured, back into the woods nearby.” [Twitter]
Man Brings Loaded Shotgun to Pentagon — “A Kentucky man taken into custody at the Pentagon last week had a shotgun, ammunition and a machete in his pickup truck, according to court documents… While speaking to the officers, [the man] made ‘incoherent statements about being in the area for ‘liberty business.”” [Fox 5]
Puppy greets ACFD firefighters during Operation FirePaws (Image via Arlington County)
Donations for Operation FirePaws (Image via Arlington County)
Bid dog greets ACFD firefighters during Operation FirePaws (Image via Arlington County)
The Arlington County Fire Department will be kicking off a donation drive for the Animal Welfare League of Arlington this week.
Called “Operation FirePaws,” the annual event aims to gather donated pet supplies at fire stations for use by AWLA. This year, both the fire department and the shelter will be sharing safety tips with donors who drop off goodies, per a county press release.
Those interested in participating will be able to drop off supplies in donation bins in the lobby or outside of the county’s 10 fire stations. The fire houses will accept donations every day from this Thursday, August 1 to August 31, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Since the first drive in 2015, the county says people have donated more than 1,600 pounds of pet supplies.
AWLA shared a wish list of everything from food dispenser toys for dogs, to microwave heating pads for kittens, to plastic tarps and zip ties. However, the group is reminding residents that it cannot accept used beds, homemade treats, or milk bones.
Donation bins can be found at any of the following fire stations:
Baby squirrels rescued during the floods (Image courtesy of Jennifer Toussaint)
Rescued juvenile Cooper’s hawk (Image courtesy of Jennifer Toussaint)
Flooding along 14th Street N. near Westover in 2019 (file photo)
Flooding along 14th Street N. near Westover (courtesy of Nicole Bender)
Flooding along Lubber Run (photo courtesy Brandon Jones)
During the floods that devastated Arlington two weeks ago, it wasn’t just people’spets that needed rescuing.
Wild animals — especially young ones — were at an especially high risk of being orphaned by the storm because of the time of the year, according to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, and staff say they rescued dozens of critters.
“After the flood water receded the wildlife calls started to come in,” said Animal Control Chief Jennifer Toussaint.
“From deer who were in odd areas appearing disoriented to dozens of orphaned baby bird and squirrel calls,” she said. “It look about 3 days for our calls for wildlife to go back to the standard volumes we see this time of year. Unfortunately given the time of year many small unweaned animals were thrown from their nests and orphaned.”
Among the orphans were baby squirrel siblings, and a juvenile Cooper’s hawk. AWLA was able to care for them overnight, staff told ARLnow, and transfer them to a wildlife rescue organization that will hopefully be able to rehabilitate them for the wild.
“When we get in wildlife it is either re-released back into other wild, or we do triage care until we get a wildlife rehabilitator,” said AWLA spokeswoman Chelsea Jones. Due to the call volume that Monday it was “all hands on deck” at AWLA, she said..
Toussaint was dispatched to help the Westover community, which was especially hithard by the flooding, checking homes with pets whose owners were away at work during the morning storm.
“I was present when the fire department aided a woman and her cat out of the flood waters in her basement and up to safety,” she said. “We brought that cat in here to AWLA for safekeeping, a free program we have for boarding animals in an emergency situation.”
She said residents were taking in each other’s pets to keep them safe, and directing first responders to check their elderly neighbors. Jones confirmed that the cat was able to return to its owner after five days of care at AWLA, and all wild animals rescued have been either re-released or transferred to a wildlife rehabilitation organization.
Toussaint said the kindness people showed each other “highlighted the true strength of community we have here in Arlington.”
“I stood in the home of a member of the public who had just lost everything — an inch of water on the floor of the first level, darkness filling the house as the power was cut for safety,” she said. “I listened to one of the captains from our fire department say, ‘I will not leave until I know you have a safe place to go and a plan.'”
Photos (1 and 2) courtesy Jennifer Toussaint, (3 and 4) courtesy Nicole Bender, (5 and 6) courtesy Brandon Jones
Heron in Arlington (Photo by Flickr Pool User Duluoz Me)
Arlington’s newest eagle family (Flickr pool photo by Michael Coffman)
Raccoon rescued from drain at Wakefield High School (photo via AWLA)
Photo courtesy Eliana Kee
A wildlife call that Animal Control has responded to (Image courtesy of Animal Welfare League of Arlington)
A wildlife call that Animal Control has responded to (Image courtesy of Animal Welfare League of Arlington)
With many animals preparing to rear their young, the season of wildlife encounters is upon us, says the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.
Animal Control Chief Jennifer Toussaint told ARLnow that service calls to her department typically increase this time of year. She shared some tips on making sure the encounters are safe for both humans and animals.
Overall, Toussaint said animal control officers receive about 3,500 calls for service annually, and about half those calls involve wild animals. “That tells me that that is a huge need the community has for my department,” she said.
One way she’s trying to meet that need is with public education events, like the one she held on Tuesday. It’s an opportunity to talk about animal-proofing one’s homes, and about dispelling old myths about normal animal behavior.
“I think most of the calls we get are genuine concern. They find a bird on the ground and it looks like a baby. They don’t know that most songbirds fledge from the nest and spend a few days on the ground building up the shoulder strength to fly,” she said, joking, “Cartoons lied to us as children!”
And the rule about not touching baby animals lest their scent changes and their parents abandon them? Also a myth, she says.
As for homeowners who prefer enjoying wildlife from a distance?
“A lot of it is pretty simple,” Toussaint says, “one of the main things is ensuring your home is impenetrable.”
Her tips include capping chimneys, and inspecting attics, eaves, roof siding, and trim regularly for any signs of wildlife.
Ensuring trash barrels stay closed with bungee cords, and clearing debris from yards also helps discourage animals from making homes or meals at people’s homes.
One thing she doesn’t recommend?
“We’re all kind of on top of each other here in Arlington, so I don’t promote people putting chemicals out,” said Toussaint. There are a number of safe, alternative remedies people can use for the problems they most often call about, she said.
For more questions, Toussaint recommends Arlingtonians check out the Humane Society’s species-specific website, or call animal control any time at 703-931-9241. Some animal-specific advice is below, after the jump.
