dogs

Two dogs were hospitalized last month after eating sausages left on the ground on N. Columbus Street near Lee Highway. The Animal League of Arlington now knows what made them sick: caffeine pills inserted into the sausages.

AWLA spokeswoman Kerry McKeel said in an email this afternoon that the two dogs displayed “restlessness, accelerated heart rate and distended abdomens” when brought to local veterinary hospitals, but were released the next day without lingering side effects.

After conducting a toxicology report on the raw sausage AWLA recovered on the sidewalk of the 2200 block of N. Columbus Street, the organization determined caffeine pills caused the dogs’ health issues.

It remains unclear whether the dogs were intentionally or accidentally poisoned, but if it’s found that the person who left the sausages did so intentionally, he or she could face up to a year of jail time for animal cruelty, McKeel said.

McKeel said last month dog owners should “be cautious when walking their dog and to be cognizant of anything they’re eating.”

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call AWLA at 703-931-9241.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

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At least three dogs rescued from a South Korean meat farm will soon be available for adoption at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

The AWLA is partnering with five other local rescue organizations in the D.C. area to find new lives for 23 dogs rescued earlier this month by Humane Society International. It’s the first time the organization has negotiated the rescue of dogs raised for slaughter. The farmer who owned the dogs was compensated with $2,500 and will use that money to start growing blueberries.

Three dogs were taken from the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria — where all 23 have been housed since arriving at Dulles International Airport earlier this week — to AWLA’s headquarters at 2650 S. Arlington Mill Drive: A shih tzu named Billy, a corgi mix named Abi and a mother dog whose puppies were taken to other shelters. AWLA Executive Director Neil Trent says he expects Billy and Abi to be available for adoption in about two weeks.

“Some of the animals are going to have behavioral issues for a while, they’re not used to a kind hand,” he told ARLnow.com as his staff helped load Billy and Abi into their van. “They’re nervous, they’re stressed in a new environment, so it’s going to take some time.”

The mother might “have some health issues,” Trent said, and he’s still not sure when or how many puppies AWLA will receive. The dogs will be available for adoption on a first-come, first-served basis.

The AWLA has worked with the Humane Society of the United States before, but this was their first interaction with HSI, Trent said. Trent, who is British, is a former executive director of HSI and said it’s been a recent initiative of the organization to curb the Asian dog meat trade. Trent was notified last month that dogs may be coming to the D.C. area from South Korea.

“We’ve taken dogs from HSUS before, so we said ‘absolutely, we’ll be on alert,'” he said.

HSI’s hope is the 23 dogs rescued will be a symbol in fighting the dog meat market. HSI director Kelly O’Meara told the Washington Post that between 1.2 million and 2 million dogs are eaten in South Korea every year.