Since its creation in 1914, The Washington Animal Rescue League has been a leader in the field of animal welfare, caring for homeless and abused animals in our nation’s capital and placing them in loving adoptive homes. A private, not-for-profit organization, the League relies solely on private donations and volunteer efforts to support its rescue work. Through the generosity of the public, the League has consistently been able to create and maintain the highest standards in all it does. In 2005 through 2006, the League underwent a revolutionary transformation, making it one of the world’s most progressive animal rehabilitation centers. The renovated shelter is designed entirely from the animals’ point of view to promote the physical, mental, and social healing of animals recovering from a previous life of trauma. Steel-bar cages have been replaced with glass enclosed doggie dens, cat condos, and puppy pads—a more humane, efficient, and responsible way to shelter homeless animals. Each of the animals enjoys the best care possible, daily training and socialization support from staff and volunteers, and state-of-the-art veterinary care at the on-site medical center. Because it is bright, attractive, and filled with healthy and social animals living in comfortable living rooms, potential adopters find the League to be a welcoming place to visit and choose a companion animal. “The renovated Washington Animal Rescue League is one of the best case examples of the innovations in the animal sheltering field,” said Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO, The Humane Society of the United States. Adoption and foster programs allow responsible persons to find loving companions, and the full-service, newly rennovated and enlarged Medical Center provides full-service, low-cost care to the animals of low-income guardians as well as affordable veterinary care for its shelter animals. Additional programs extend the mission of the League beyond the doors of the shelter and into to the community.
Please visit our website at www.warl.org
If you are interested in adopting an animal you see on here on Petfinder, please come to the League to meet with the animal and fill out an application.
The Washington Animal Rescue League is located at 71 Oglethorpe St., NW Washington, D.C. 20011
Animals at the League come from many different places; some are given up when their guardians can't or don't want to keep them, some are lost and brought to the shelter and many come to the League through the ShARE Program and the League's partnership with Petsmart's "Rescue Waggin'". The Shelter Animal Relief Effort brings animals from shelters and rescue groups to the League that would otherwise be euthanized due to lack of resources (or space). These animals are abandoned, stray, or the result of abuse and neglect cases, and oftentimes little or nothing is known about their history. While history can be interesting and exciting to know about a particular animal, it is important to be familiar with how the animal is kept, and what temperament he or she currently displays. All animals at the League are temperament evaluated and during their stay here we work to enhance their environment as well as preparing them for home life. We use the ASPCA's "Meet Your Match" system to evaluate each dog and cat and give them a corresponding card describing their personality, such as "Go-Getter", "Sidekick", "Private Investigator", "Goofball", and "Life of the Party", to name a few. Shelter animals are loyal, loving and thankful members of the companion animal community and adopting one of them can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. Adoption is saving a life; here at the League, the animal you adopt has already been saved, but your adoption makes more space available for the next animals that need to be rescued. No space is ever left vacant, and an animal will never be euthanized for space/time constraints at the League.
First come to the League to visit the animals! You might want to fill out a Meet your Match survey to help you make a decision on what would be the right animal for your lifestyle.If the animal is available, fill out an adoption application, and coordinators will help determine if the pet is right for you!
When an animal arrives at the League the animal is updated on vaccines, evaluated, and treated for any health problems by our Medical Center. Also, the animal undergoes temperament evaluations during the initial time here to determine what family environment would be best suited for this animal. We cannot guarantee that animals not available will become available for the public to adopt. In some situations we may utilize special foster homes or rescue groups to rehabilitate unadoptable animals. Some animals may have a health problem that needs to be addressed by our Medical Center. If you are interested in an unavailable animal, please feel free to check back on the animal's status.
You will be interviewed on the spot by one of our adoption coordinators. It can take a week or two to process an application. You will be notified by telephone whether or not you have been chosen as the best match for that particular animal.
All members of the household must visit with the animal as the first step toward adoption. If you rent, you must provide a copy of your lease stating that you are permitted to have the specific type of animal that you would like to adopt. If you have other animals, we will set up an appointment for you to bring them in to meet with the potential pet to make sure they will get along.
*The adoption fee for cats is $65.00 (if you adopt two cats, the second is only $35.00!) and $195.00 for dogs (adoption fees may be paid by cash, check or credit card). This fee includes an examination by our veterinarian, spaying/neutering prior to adoption, microchipping and Rabies vaccine for those old enough (dogs and cats must be over 4 months). Dogs receive the Bordetella shot and the DHLP and Parvo vaccine, in addition to being heartworm tested and maintained on heartworm prevention. Cats are FIV and feline leukemia tested and given an FRCP shot. You will be given a complete medical record at the time of adoption, and the information for microchip registration.You will also recieve a 5-pound bay of Hill's Science Diet food, the preffered brand of animal food at the League.
Directions from Connecticut Avenue: (10 minutes to the League) Turn east onto Military Road. Follow Military about four miles, passing Rock Creek Park and "zig zagging" across Georgia Avenue. Military becomes Missouri Avenue. Follow Missouri to Kansas Avenue. Turn left on Kansas Avenue. Take Kansas Avenue to Blair Road. Turn right on Blair Road. Go one block and turn left onto Oglethorpe Street. We're the first building on the left.
Directions from Silver Spring: (10 minutes to the League) Take Georgia Avenue south towards D.C. At D.C. line take left onto Blair Road. Follow Blair Road about two miles, across Kansas Avenue. After crossing Kansas, take the first left onto Oglethorpe Street. We are the first building on the left.
