By Heather Nokes
What day is it? Those of us who have been at home for weeks on end are having trouble keeping track. But you know what we are doing? Spending more time with our pets! This means paying more attention to them, their behaviors, and their health. Luckily, veterinary clinics and hospitals are deemed essential businesses. As a seasoned veterinary assistant, this author (see photo) and her colleagues want pet owners to know a few things in this uncertain time.
Our hospitals are just as busy, if not more so, than usual: With people having more free time on their hands, they are able to bring their pet in for routine visits. This is fantastic! However, some veterinary clinics and hospitals are reducing their business hours to protect their staff from exposure. And those hospitals that are running at a normal capacity are filling appointments quickly. It is also important to keep in mind that most of us are doing telemedicine and curbside service which often take up more time than normal office procedures.
We WANT to see your pet… if they are sick: Because of the above listed adjustments, your veterinary hospital may be prioritizing sick visits. This means routine vaccinations and preventative care exams are being put off for weeks or even months.
We act different when you are not around: When we take your pet from you, we understand that it can be nerve-wracking for both you and your fur baby. We take this into account and tend to baby your pet more than you would expect behind closed doors. Not many jobs allow you to use baby talk and cuddles but your veterinary staff is well versed. We do this because we genuinely care for animals and always treat our patients like our very own pets.
At this point, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus that causes COVID-19: According to the CDC, the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be low. CDC is working with human and animal health partners to monitor this situation and will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
Of course, if you have concerns or questions about your pets in this uncertain time, your veterinary hospitals are more than happy to speak with you over the phone. And as always, in an emergency, take your pet to the nearest emergency clinic ASAP!
Do you want to get back out in the community after hunkering down at home for so long? Are you looking for a school, church or scout service project? Would you like to spend time with animals but can’t commit to a new pet right now? Volunteer at the Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC)! Here are the top ten reasons to volunteer with us.
Save Animal Lives: Each one of our volunteers contributes to saving animal lives.
Boost Your Health: Volunteering has both physical and mental benefits.
Meet New People: Spend time with people who have similar interests as you.
Learn New Skills: Ready for a new challenge? We have plenty of opportunities to learn new skills from animal care to project management to grant writing.
Relieve Stress: Spending time with animals relieves stress and curbs loneliness.
Have Fun: Whether you find fun in volunteering with other people or enjoy the company of animals, you can find your fun with HSLC.
Find Your Purpose: Volunteer with HSLC to see if saving animals is your purpose.
Strengthen Your Resume: Get hands-on experience to boost your resume.
Connect with the Community: Help improve the lives of animals and people in our community.
Truly Make a Difference: We need you!
Learn more at our website including available positions or send an email to our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@humaneloudoun.org.
All it takes for a pet to go hungry or be surrendered to a shelter is for their family to have an unexpected medical bill or a job loss. Therefore, in 2013, The Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC), Loudoun County Animal Services, and Loudoun Hunger Relief created the Loudoun Pet Pantry to help keep pets in their furever homes by providing food supplies to people in need.
And, the need is growing. Recently, HSLC doubled its food deliveries to better meet the increasing demand. So, we are in constant need of pet food donations.
As a result, we are hoping that compassionate folks across the community will help out by conducting their own pet food drives. You’ll find helpful ideas for getting started on our website.
No time for a food drive? Please consider dropping off a bag or two of dog or cat food at the many donation box locations across the county. Dry food must be unopened, unexpired, non-prescription adult food; we cannot use kitten, puppy, or senior food for the pet pantry. Because space is limited, we can only use bags of dry food between 4 and 8 pounds. However, we can use all sizes of canned food.
We also appreciate monetary donations as they allow us to fulfill any specific needs. And, if you donate through our website, please specify “Pet Pantry” in the dedication field.
Lastly, HSLC is looking for a new, donated or discounted, climate-controlled space for the growing Pet Pantry. Please contact helpanimals@humaneloudoun.org with any suggestions.
Christina and her husband picked Sophie up on a sunny day in June from Towne Animal Clinic in Leesburg. She was super excited to see them and couldn’t stop wagging her tail. Sophie crashed out on their couch for the first couple of days then started to play with their dog, Max, and chew bones. She was super happy to sleep in the bed, cuddle, and give kisses. 
A couple of days after Christina began fostering Sophie, we found out Sophie tested positive for Lyme, roundworms, and hookworms. She was immediately put on medications to help with these issues. But Sophie started to have a tough time getting around after about a week on the medications. One morning, she couldn’t even get out of her dog bed to go potty outside. They immediately took her to Towne Animal Clinic where her medications were changed and they decided to keep her for a couple days. Sophie improved slowly but was very tired. After a couple weeks, she bounced back and was back to her normal, loving self. She again enjoyed going on long walks, binge watching Netflix, helping with dinner prep (i.e., eating extra food), and exploring in the woods.
When Sophie met her first potential adoption family, she knew it was meant to be. The family had two dogs – Buddha and George. Buddha and Sophie got along swimmingly on their first walk and she was okay with George, too. Sophie immediately took to their backyard, sniffing everywhere and trying to mow the grass with her teeth. After the second and third visits, both Sophie and her new parents knew it was a match. Sophie absolutely loves her new home and her two new adopted brothers. As foster parents, Christina and her husband miss her dearly, but are so happy she has found her forever home! 
You too can help dogs like Sophie by becoming a HSLC foster or adopting. For fostering information and/or to apply, visit FOSTERS NEEDED or email helpanimals@humaneloudoun.org. To view our adoptable animals visit our ADOPT page.
Her foster came to know her as a goofy, loving dog. Just look at some of these pictures! We worked with Annie to help her with some of her issues but we can’t change her nature. It came down to finding a family that understands her personality and loves her because of it. After months and months of meet and greets, inquires going nowhere, and working with her to help her be more social with dogs, the perfect family finally came along.
Annie now has a great life in Leesburg with a family that loves her and understands her limitations. Isn’t that what we all need?
No need to be bored this summer – help animals!
Kids can make a big difference in the lives of animals in our communities. All it takes is deciding what you want to do, making a plan and then carrying it out. Talk to some friends and ask them to help. You’ll get more done and have a lot of fun at the same time!
Not sure what to do? Here are some suggestions.
Organize a pet food drive
The Loudoun Pet Pantry is always accepting dog and cat food to help families in need to keep their beloved pets. The summer is a very slow time for donations so this would be a really big help. We specifically need small bags of dog and cat food (3 to 8 lbs) and any size cans. CLICK HERE to visit our website for more information. Contact HSLC at petpantry@humaneloudoun.org and we can pick up the food you collect.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Get friends and family to help with the collection and in spreading the word about your food drive. Set a goal and let everyone know about it. Use social media to generate buzz around your effort.
- Decide on a theme and a time frame. Be creative in naming your event –
- Hunger Walk, Run, Bike; Dance-a-thon or Hoop-a-thon: Have sponsors pledge food donations for each mile completed, how many baskets made, etc.
- Celebration Presents Drive: Guests bring a food donation instead of bringing gifts to a birthday party, pool party, etc.
- Wash Away Hunger: Organize a car wash or dog wash and the payment is a food item donation.
- Fill it Up! Fill an inflatable pool, or other things with food.
Contact HSLC at petpantry@humaneloudoun.org and we can pick up the food you collect.
Raise money for animals
Animal rescue groups always need money. The money you raise could be used for food, medical care, and more for the animals we help. Be sure to let people know the money goes to help the animals.
Contact us at helpanimals@humaneloudoun.org to make your donation.
- Hold a garage or yard sale. To get items to sell, ask neighbors and friends to clean out their closets. Advertise your event, letting people know the time, place and date.
- Look for jobs you can do to raise money, such as raking leaves, washing windows, collecting cans or bottles for recycling, washing and/or walking dogs, or taking care of a neighbor’s pet.
- Sell something that you’ve made. You could create homemade cards from recycled paper, have a lemonade stand, or prepare goodies for a bake sale.
- Ask local businesses to donate prizes and then sell raffle tickets.
- Put on a special event – like an art show, a play or a dog walk – and sell tickets to people attending the event.
Help animals in your neighborhood
- To help wild animals, build bird or bat houses, or put out water and feeders for the birds.
- Organize a neighborhood cleanup to pick up trash, fishing line and other things that can hurt animals.
- Start a Neighborhood Animal Watch for animal emergencies. Make a list of numbers to call, including
— A Veterinarian (your family vet, if you have pets)
— An Emergency vet in your area: CLICK HERE for a list
— A Wildlife Rehabilitator: CLICK HERE for a list
— Loudoun County Animal Control
- If you know an elderly person or someone who’s sick who has a pet, volunteer to help feed, walk or bathe the person’s dog, or change the kitty litter.
- Take good care of your own pet. Walk your dog or clean the kitty litter.
Whatever you decide to do, remember to be polite and thank people for helping. Be sure to feel good about all you’ve done to help the animals. You can make a difference!
Let us know what you plan to do or what you have done and we can include your efforts in a future newsletter! Contact us at helpanimals@humaneloudoun.
Chewy is the retailer of pet food and other pet-related products owned by PetSmart. The company offers around 30,000 items for dogs and cats.
Each Humane Society is an independent organization; “Humane Society” is just a descriptive word — like the word ‘bank’ is in US Bank and Bank of America. They are not connected to each other. It can be confusing!
Many people even mistakenly think that the Humane Society of the United States runs all humane societies. They do not! They do help animals through legislation and in disasters, but do not have a shelter themselves.
Some Humane Societies, like the Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC), are “limited admission”. Limited admission organizations sometimes have their animals for many months, and use foster homes. That means they do not have to euthanize animals to make room for new pets they take on. And many, like HSLC, have other programs that help the local animal population, like a pet pantry (Loudoun Pet Pantry) so families in need don’t have to surrender their pets simply because they can’t afford to feed them, partial help when medical emergencies arise, and resources for behavioral issues. The Community cat program is major part of HSLC, helping to reduce the numbers of feral cats while improving their health and quality of life.
And some Humane Societies are “open door” with animal control contracts, just like a city shelter, so they do euthanize to make room. Many “open door” humane societies run programs that have helped reduce pet overpopulation in the cities they serve. They may have the pets for many weeks, and know more about their behavior and health than a city shelter.
So it’s important to understand the nature of your local animal rescues and support them for the benefit of your community. We all work together to help animals but we are separate, independent organizations.