Anyone who has ever shared their home with kittens knows how unpredictable life can be. One or two kittens can turn your world upside down; so imagine juggling EIGHT of the little darlings
One of our intrepid fosters, Andi Apple-Robey, did just that. Eight little black kittens were rescued from a postal facility in Sterling in April. There were two litters, one about 7 weeks old and another 5 or 6 weeks old.
The “Clue” kittens are named after the characters from the board game, Clue. Andi used colored collars to tell the kittens apart and she started calling them by those colors. Clue is a murder mystery board game with suspects that have names like Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, etc., so it just seemed appropriate. Boddy is the name of the victim and Wadsworth is the butler.
Recently Andi had to handle some medical emergencies with kittens Mr. Peacock, Professor Plum, and Wadsworth.
The Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC) is dedicated to caring for all our animals as if they were our personal pets. This means providing the funds for whatever medical procedures are needed, sometimes causing budget overruns. But the safety and well-being of our animals are always our priority.
Here is how Andi explains what happened…
“About an hour after I brought the first of the kittens to be neutered (Messrs Peacock, Green and Boddy) home from Towne Animal Clinic, I was relaxing with some water and a snack of trail mix. Mr. Peacock stressed his incision, and was bleeding heavily (all over my kitchen!), so I immediately took him back to Towne. They fixed him right up, and when I got him home, I found Wadsworth and Plum with their faces in the now empty bowl that had held my trail mix! Since the trail mix had both raisins and chocolate in it, I had to immediately gather them up and go back to the vet with them! They tried to purge them, but the boys were stubborn and refused to vomit, and so they were transferred to The Life Center (TLC) ER for three days of IV fluids to try to flush their systems and prevent kidney damage (from the raisins, they weren’t as worried about the chocolate).
Since their blood work stayed stable during their time at TLC, Wadsworth and Plum were transferred BACK to Towne after just two days for Towne to perform their scheduled neuters and the third day of their IV fluid therapy. Once they were transferred and TLC was cleaning their cages, it was discovered Wadsworth likely had eaten part of his IV catheter. So not only did Towne have to finish his fluid therapy and perform his neuter, they had to X-ray him to see if he HAD eaten some of the hard plastic parts. Fortunately they didn’t find anything.”
We’re happy to report that the kittens are now healthy and happy. Only Mr Green is left waiting for his forever home.
Mr. Green is our adorable crossed eyed kitten. This challenges his eyesight but not his personality. He is a committed lap-cat and bed-time snuggler, with a little bit of a food thief thrown into the mix. He’ll sneak a piece of broccoli off your plate given half a chance! It’s a good thing he’s cute about it. Learn more on our adoption page.
With our coffers full of foster animals, the last few HSLC adoption events have been well attended by dozens of cats and kittens, all eagerly looking for their forever homes. But, our August 4th adoption event at Pet Valu in Ashburn was especially exciting.
Usually the adult cats get overlooked at adoption events when they are competing with so many kittens . 
But two adult cats, Rigley and Quill, were adopted together that day! They now live in a big house with kids to play with and two small dogs to “boss around”.
At the same event, three of our kittens found a home together (Turbo, Chopper, and Milo). We encourage adopters to consider adopting kittens in pairs so the animals have companionship and can play together instead of getting into mischief. Three together is even better!
“All three are doing well and playing nicely. They are all so loving and social, beyond our expectation”, reported adopter Margo. “To say these boys are being spoiled with love and attention is an understatement. After a long evening of play and exploration, the three climbed in human beds.”
Watch Turbo, Chopper, and Milo play at their new home:
Interested in adopting or know someone who is? Please visit our calendar for our next adoption event.
Thank you to everyone who completed our Pet Owner Survey earlier this summer. The results were doggone interesting!
Here are some fun findings:
• 69% of you have two or more pets and 71% of you have been pet owners for 16 years or more! Companionship is—by far—the number one reason you brought a pet into your home.
• Dog people (65%) outnumber cat people (63%) but only by a nose! And, let’s not forget about the folks with birds (2%), fish (4%), rabbits (4%) and other pets (10%).
• Only 29% of you leave the TV or other entertainment on for your pets, but a whopping 100% of you talk to them. Over two-thirds of you take photos or videos of your pets.
• Most pets sleep in or on a bed – either their own or a human bed. Only 8% of pets sleep outside.
• Two-thirds of you met your pet through an adoption event or at a rescue center. You considered a variety of factors when choosing a pet:
If you are thinking about adopting an animal, please visit our website to learn more about the many animals looking for their forever homes.
The Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Neal Donahue as Treasurer and Anne Senft to our Board of Directors. The two newest members of the board will support HSLC in its mission to partner with the Loudoun community to save as many animals as possible.
Neal Donahue, newly appointed Treasurer, obtained a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He previously was a member of the non-profit team of a large regional accounting firm and also spent 14 years as the CFO of a non-profit. He is currently the Partner in Charge of Business Clients for Crowe Donahue PLLC, a public accounting firm in Ashburn, Virginia.
“It resonated with my wife and I that the two dogs we adopted during our 33 years of marriage have been the most loving and thankful animals we’ve encountered,” Mr. Donahue says. “That alone made it important for me to be a part of the Humane Society of Loudoun County.” He and his wife Lynn have resided in Ashburn since 1995 where they raised their two sons and currently reside with their two Australian Cattle dogs, Riley and Gauge.
New Officer Anne Senft began volunteering with HSLC in 2017, helping with online and direct mail fundraising campaigns. She has worked for Avalon Consulting since 2015 and has 24 years of direct response industry experience. Prior to Avalon, she spent 12 years with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) in several capacities, including Vice President of Philanthropy.
Regarding her volunteer work with HSLC, Ms. Senft says, “The significant impact this all-volunteer organization has made in the Loudoun community reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Margaret Mead: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’ I want to be a part of this change.” Anne lives in Sterling, Virginia with her husband, Tom, who also volunteers for HSLC. They have two cats, Sweet Pea and Mr. Fat Cat.
“HSLC is thrilled to add two such impressive and dedicated people to our Board,” states HSLC President Juanita Easton. “We look forward to their contributions to our mission.” Terms of service for the new Board members will run for two years.
HSLC is currently seeking volunteers to fill other positions on the Board, including one for a veterinarian and one for an attorney. HSLC also welcomes volunteers seeking to make a difference for animals through the variety of programs offered. More information about opportunities to volunteer is available on the HSLC website.
Annie came to HSLC from a shelter in Russell County about a year ago. As a young dog we felt that she had a lot of potential even though she was surrendered because she “was chasing the chickens”. We came to learn that Annie has a very, very strong prey drive. Some dogs do. Annie does. If it runs, she will chase it. She does not like cats and some dogs, usually dogs bigger than her. But she LOVES people.
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?
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department at Blue Ridge Middle School in Purcellville held a pet food drive for us as part of their One to the World Project. They called it Bulldog’s BFF because their mascot is the Bulldog. All three CTE grades, 6-8, participated.
6th Grade Keyboarding students conducted background research, made promotional posters, and wrote to local merchants asking for gift cards to promote the food drive. The 7th and 8th grade Family and Consumer Sciences classes produced cat toys. The 7th grade TechEd classes created a logo for branding purposes and the 8th Grade Manufacturing students are made food and water bowl holders.
They collected 3 large bins of food plus toys and the pet food and water bowl holders.
Great job Bulldogs!
Penelope’s wonderful adoption story demonstrates how life for a homeless animal can turn from gloomy to bright when people care. This sweet and slightly shy bobtail kitty came to HSLC from an animal shelter around the beginning of 2014. Fosters were scarce at the time so she was placed in a kitty condo at one of our partner pet stores. Our volunteer caring for her at the store started calling her Doodle Bug because of her cute roly-poly shape and it stuck. But we had no idea what a gem we had taken in.
Doodle Bug never really seemed comfortable in the condo. Soon she began “acting out” at our adoption events, growling/hissing at the other cats and not letting people pet her. We were concerned that there was something wrong. When she developed a condition that required medication twice a day, the kitty condo volunteer decided to take her home to foster her until she was well.
Once in a home situation Doodle Bug seemed a little lost. We have no idea how long she was living in a cage before 
coming to us but it was obvious that she had forgotten how to be a cat. She had to be shown how to play with toys. Sitting on the floor, her foster had to pick her up and set her in her lap the first time to show her it was okay to ask for love. And then the drooling started. Doodle Bug was so happy being out of a cage and getting attention and love that she would start drooling when she purred. Drooling a lot – to the point a towel was needed.
After a couple of weeks in her foster home, Doodle Bug became the friendliest kitty ever at adoption events. She would reach out her paw at people passing by for them to show her some attention. The transformation was amazing. Then one day she caught the eye of Audrey Weinstein. We were using the pet store break room to let prospective adopters spend some time with the cats so Audrey, her friend, and our volunteer sat down at their table and Doodle Bug was set on the table for everyone to see and pet. Doodle Bug immediately walked over the Audrey and climbed into her lap. That sealed the deal.
Audrey and John Weinstein, residents of South Riding, have always named their cats after Greek mythological figures. After the untimely passing of Medusa, Audrey found Doodle Bug. What first drew them to this bobtail cat were her beautiful big eyes and her gentle disposition. She was promptly renamed Penelope, in honor of the beautiful and virtuous wife of Odysseus of Odyssey fame.
Penelope’s first night at home was eventful and set a pattern that continues to this day. As soon as the lights were turned off, Audrey and John heard commotion downstairs: running and loud meowing. Moments later, Penelope had come upstairs and started meowing at the door to the bedroom. Penelope had “killed” a toy mouse from her toy bin and brought this trophy upstairs. Every night, for the last four years, shortly after the lights are turned off, Penelope noisily kills the same toy mouse and carries it upstairs to Audrey and John. She has also “killed” toy birds and even a pair of earmuffs, but the little green and red mouse is her favorite victim. No sooner than she brings her trophy upstairs, she jumps on the bed to be rewarded with admiring words and petting. She loves to settle in to join Audrey and John when reading and sleeping.
Perhaps Penelope’s most endearing quality is her gentleness and love for children. She is often with Audrey and John’s 7 grandchildren, who range from ages 2-11. Penelope loves the additional attention and is always in the middle of the chaos.
Penelope is incredibly photogenic. John, a police lieutenant at Northern Virginia Community College’s police department, started to feature pictures of Penelope with monthly safety tips in the department’s monthly Public Safety Newsletter. Readership has increased by a factor of three. Her title on campus is “Penelope, the NOVA Police Cat” and she has become famous. People are constantly asking police dispatch which campus she’s at because they want to meet and pet her. The standard response, that she’s on patrol, is more engaging than she’s home, sound asleep and waiting for nightfall when she will kill again.
Penelope, the NOVA Police Cat, also has her own Instagram account, #penelopenovapolicecat, where she provides daily safety tips. Check her out.
Of course, Audrey and John consider Penelope to be unique, but in fact, she is just like so many other loving animals at the Humane Society of Loudoun County, just waiting to love and be loved.
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.
Since 1986, Old Mill Boarding Kennel has provided a safe, clean, and nurturing environment for guests to feel comfortable and welcome. Offering boarding for dogs and cats as well as day care and play time, there is also a pet spa and grooming facility on site, in addition to a full service veterinary hospital that opened in 1999. Old Mill has partnered with Humane Society of Loudoun County for over 20 years, giving our rescued cats a temporary place to stay while we locate foster homes and often providing the critical care that enables those with medical and behavioral issues to find homes.
The professionally trained staff at the kennel truly understand the anxiety people can feel when leaving their four-legged members in the care of someone else, and they make the extra effort to provide guests with a true home away from home. Although it is one of the largest pet boarding establishments in the Washington D.C. area, Old Mill has incorporated special features such as soft, residential-grade lighting, spacious sun-filled dog kennels, and sound-dampening acoustic wall panels to ensure maximum comfort.
Another unique factor that sets Old Mill apart from other boarding kennels is the presence of an on-site resident, long-time general manager Timmie Wiley, whose living space is attached to the kennel so he is close at hand when needed. He checks on guests when summer thunderstorms roll through or an alarm goes off, and he is on the scene to make sure that everything is as it should be.
Old Mill Cat Loft manager Shannon Judd has been with Old Mill for over 20 years. “We usually board the HSLC cats 
until they have fosters, feeding and caring for them, taking them to the vet if needed, and making sure they get as much human contact as possible.” She said they will take as many cats as HSLC brings, usually about 50 per year, and provide a reduced rate boarding fee.
The Cat Loft is a unique, state of the art facility featuring two level condos, with or without windows, in addition to skylights, large play rooms, and relaxing music. The Loft can house up to 85 cats at one time. “HSLC gets cats from a range of places—kill shelters, given up by people, feral, it’s a wide variety,” Shannon says. “We put them right in with our other cats (once they have the required vaccinations), and they are usually here a week or two.” In the past, the cats were with Old Mill for many months, and she attributes the shorter stays to more fosters and adoptions. “It was nice to see the same faces when we kept them longer, but this is not a place for them to live, and the quicker turnaround has been great.”
In addition to providing support with socialization, evaluation, space and care at reduced costs, Old Mill goes above 
and beyond to assist HSLC with cats who may have issues finding homes. One of the cats who benefited from Old Mill’s dedication is Tori, a kitten from the first mass spay/neuter clinic sponsored by HSLC who ended up with a chronic eye problem. For almost a year, they medicated her two to three times per day and saved her good eye. Once the condition was under control, a foster took her in and ended up adopting her—a happy ending for all.
Millie is another success story. After being diagnosed with cancer, she bonded with another HSLC cat at Old Mill and ended up living far beyond her prognosis. According to Shannon, “We do it because we have the space and it helps the community. We will always find a way to support the cats from HSLC, even if we’re booked.”
In 2017, HSLC found homes for a record number of cats and dogs. It is thanks to collaboration from partner agencies such as Old Mill that we are able to continue in this important mission, all for the love of animals.
A special kittie was adopted this week. Enos lived for years as an outside cat in a colony near Leesburg. But as we were relocating most of the cats to new homes due to threats, we realized that Enos had some vision problems due to an old wound or injury. He could still see but his vision is limited, which means he couldn’t be moved to a new outside home.
Enos showed signs of being social and friendly, so we took a chance and put him in one of our foster homes. Fortunately, Enos decided that he was ready for the comfortable life of an indoor kitty.
Enos took to indoor life like a fish to water. Turns out Enos is all about getting snuggles and ear rubs and back scratches.
And just like that, the perfect family found and adopted this 9 year old, vision impaired love bug. So now he’s getting to know his new cat brother and if all goes well, they will have many happy years of playtime together.
