Come on down with family and friends to Crooked Run and Nectar Cocktail Bar in Sterling, VA, for a fun-filled evening of bingo, beer, cocktails, and good food! Each Tuesday in the month of June, HSLC will benefit 100% from all bingo cards purchased ($5 each). Win family-friendly prizes, including PAWSOME Blackout Bingo prizes! What a fun way to help animals in need!
How it works:
– Buy bingo cards from Crooked Run bartenders. Cards can be added to your tab.
– Cards are $5 each and can be used to play up to 4 games.
– All bingo proceeds go directly to the Humane Society of Loudoun County!
Because the Humane Society of Loudoun County is a foster-based rescue – WE NEED FOSTERS – especially dog fosters. Fostering saves lives. If you have ever thought about fostering, now is the time. We need your help to help them.
HSLC rescues both cats and dogs. The problem we have right now is our lack of foster homes for dogs. Over the last few years we have helped many dogs from some overcrowded shelters – all sweet, loving dogs that just needed an understanding foster to teach them what it means to be loved. Right now we can’t take in dogs because we don’t have fosters. The picture below is of some of the fabulous dogs we have helped.
How do you foster a dog or cat without getting attached? You don’t. You love them with all your heart. From the minute you bring him home, there’s no better feeling than getting him out of the shelter, giving him his first hug, cleaning him up, and watching what happens when he finally finds out what family is and starts to fall in love with the world.
Sometimes it just takes a few days, and sometimes it takes months. But when his fur shines and he’s smiling nonstop, that’s when you know your job’s almost done. You’ll want to keep him. You’ll cry. You’ll say no one is good enough for him. But when you see him with his new forever family, and see the love in their eyes, you’ll know that you gave him this life and he gave you the sweetest memories. You’d much rather cry over him going home than over him being stuck in a shelter.
The house might be empty without him but that just means one thing – there’s room for someone else who needs you, who will steal your heart all over again.
(adapted from “The Dodo”)
Contact us at foster@humaneloudoun.org for more information about fostering or visit https://humaneloudoun.org/adopt/fosters-needed/
For our quick Volunteer Spotlight, we sat down with Davy Fogler and asked him a few questions about his volunteer experience.
How long have you been a volunteer for the Humane Society of Loudoun County?
I’ve been volunteering since March 2020.
What made you decide to start volunteering?
I started volunteering, like many others, during the initial Covid shutdown – and chose HSLC because I love animals and enjoy working as part of passionate teams. I also really enjoy making processes more efficient, so helping the adoption and foster teams seemed right up my alley!
What is your role?
Well, I started on the Adoption Team, helping to streamline the adoption application tracking process and the foster tracking process.
Oh! What is your role now then?
After helping the adoption and foster teams, I really wanted to find a way to be more engaged on the volunteer side and applied for the role of Orientation lead. I felt that sharing my passion with potential volunteers and helping streamline the onboarding process was another positive way I could give back to the community. I became Volunteer Orientation Lead in May 2020, and managed the virtual onboarding of new volunteers.
Board Vice President, Christina Levendosky, asked if I would be willing to take on the role of Volunteer Coordinator after a few months of leading orientations, and I officially became the program lead in November. In my new role, I recruit, train, engage, and acknowledge all the HSLC volunteers. I also coordinate the bi-monthly volunteer newsletter to help get information out.
What’s your favorite part of your position?
My favorite part of being the VC is getting to interact with all the different pet lovers throughout Loudoun County, and being able to see firsthand the impact that HSLC makes.
What are your goals for the Volunteer Management Program this year?
I want to increase engagement with our current volunteers because it has been hard with the pandemic to connect with each other. I also want to increase the number of volunteers we have to allow us to save more animals.
Any advice for potential volunteers?
Don’t be afraid to try new things! HSLC is super accommodating and will let you try out different roles until you find your place.
To learn more about volunteering with HSLC, please visit our website.
by Heather Nokes
Have you ever been to a shelter or looked at adoptable pets online, and most of them seem older? Distinguished grey faces. Lovely cloudy eyes. Unfortunately designated retirement homes for these pets are rare, so these animals need a loving home to live out the rest of their golden years.
What do we mean by “senior?”
Dogs are considered senior between the ages of 7 and 11, depending on size; while cats are considered senior at the age of 10. It is often at this time that they begin showing age-related changes: loss of vision, loss of hearing, weight gain, loss of energy, and/or arthritis and other joint problems. These changes are common reasons for senior pets to be surrendered to rescues and shelters. While these ailments might seem daunting, most of them are easily treated with regular veterinary care and medications. Love and patience also help!
What you see is what you get!
When first adopting a pet, it is most likely that you will want to get to know them. With senior pets, they have an established personality and, as AdoptaSeniorPet.org says, what you see is what you get with a senior pet! In comparison to a puppy or kitten, you do not need to wait months for their personality to blossom. It is also more likely that senior pets have experience with people, just as a seasoned pet owner does with animals. They know what they like just as you do. Again, what you see is what you get!
Senior pets also tend to be more loyal. They are grateful to be around people, to have toys, and to be fed. It is not hard to please them. They tend to be more relaxed than a young pet; napping and eating all day is enough for them to be happy. Unlike puppies and kittens, senior pets do not demand constant attention. They don’t need to play as often, and they do not need as much training!
Save a life!
Possibly the best reason to adopt a senior pet is the fact that you are saving a life. Many senior pets in rescues and shelters don’t find a home due to the fact that they are not as outgoing and active as younger animals. They just don’t “stand out.” This also means that they tend to be euthanized if health issues arise or if space in the shelter is needed. By adopting a senior pet, you are quite literally saving a life while making your life more fulfilling in return. Be a hero and adopt a senior pet!
Despite a record number of adoptions this year, there are still many senior pets–like Lily pictured here–who find themselves without homes at rescues and in shelters across the U.S. Find our available animals here. Keep in mind that animals are added periodically so always check back!
That’s right, there’s a whole month dedicated to the love of our furry feline companions. It is widely believed that cats domesticated themselves by recognizing the abundance and ease of catching prey near human agricultural developments. They essentially chose us, and we are better for it.
Studies have shown that cat owners may experience better mental health than individuals without pets. Cats are great stress reducers. Just 15 to 30 minutes of quality time with a cat can calm your nerves and boost your mood. When you spend time with a cat, your production of serotonin (a chemical that boosts feelings of well-being) goes up, and your cortisol levels (a buildup from stress) go down. Adults and children alike report feeling happier and having more positive feelings if a cat is part of their family. How could you not feel better with a purring ball of fur curled up beside you? And, if you adopt from an animal rescue or shelter, you will feel extra warm and fuzzy that you just saved a precious little life.
If the prospect of warm fuzzies isn’t enough, the Humane Society of Loudoun County has laid out five more reasons cats make great pets.
-
They’re Fairly Self Sufficient
Remember, they chose us. Cats have remained fairly unchanged genetically, meaning they are still capable of living in the wild (but we do discourage allowing domestic cats to roam outside). Cats are still incredibly low maintenance, and very independent, and self-sufficient. Cats also groom themselves, so they don’t need frequent baths. We do, however, recommend they have their teeth and ears cleaned regularly.
-
Small Space, No Problem
Cats are also perfect for apartments or city living. They don’t need a huge backyard or tons of space to play and explore. They are content with nosing their way through the nooks and crannies of your home. As long as you give them plenty to do and have toys available to keep them entertained, cats are happy. A living space and a basic feather toy might be all you need to make playtime a breeze.
Cats can often adapt easily to smaller living environments if you give them a lot of vertical space to move around in, such as cat trees and cat “shelves” that are mounted on the wall.
-
Housebreaking Made Easy
Cats are really good at learning potty training on their own. They like to have their own space and privacy so provide one litter box per cat, plus an additional box, and kitty litter, and they will be happy.
-
Shhhh
Worried that bringing a pet into your home might disrupt things? No worries! Cats are relatively quiet animals; they are almost always in stealth mode. Yes, they’ll meow every now and then, but you don’t have to worry about them barking or even making much noise when they walk.
-
They Bring the Love
The main reason people become pet owners is because of an innate love or affinity for animals. Cats bring tons of love and joy into a household. They are wonderful pets and companions.
If you want to take part in National Cat Lovers Month, please consider adopting through the Humane Society of Loudoun County. There are plenty of cats available for adoption so make sure you take the time to read through all the available information on our website in order to make a fully informed decision. Your future cat companion may be just a click away!
Bonus Way to Celebrate National Cat Lovers Month:
FOSTER
While fostering is still a commitment, it is a more temporary way to help out an animal in need. Your individual attention will give a cat a boost of confidence until it finds its forever home. And if you are interested in fostering, consider fostering a senior cat, a special needs kitty, or an orphan kitten. Follow this link to learn more about fostering through the Humane Society of Loudoun County.