You may or may not know, but I’m kind of an animal freak. One of my personal fav charities is the Washington Humane Society. They do some pretty fantastic work around here – their little self description says it quite well: The Washington Humane Society is the oldest animal protection agency in Washington, D.C. Since 1870, WHS has served homeless, lost, and abused animals in the District of Columbia; providing protection from cruelty, shelter from the elements, and a second chance at a loving home. No call for help goes unanswered, and no animal is ever turned away.
They have a special fund – Sophie’s Fund – that is for veterinary bills for animals that are brought in. They don’t just do the shots & a checkup, it includes surgeries and other procedures to make the animals happy & healthy again. It’s running a bit short right now, so if you’ve got a couple bucks looking for a good deed, maybe this is a good spot for them. They’re a group I give to regularly and feel like they do make a difference in the community.
April 11 , 2006
Dear friend of animals,
We have reached a critical juncture. As you know, the doors of our animal shelter are always open to any animal who needs our help. We take them all in. We don’t ask if they are old or young. We don’t ask if they are healthy or sick. With each and every animal, we simply ask how we can help.
Lately, some of our animals have needed quite a bit of help, especially veterinary care. Here are but a few examples:
A man who was squatting with some friends in an abandoned building near the shelter brought us Kendall, an 18-month black and white cat with an extraordinarily sweet disposition. The cat had suffered a deep laceration to his right front paw and was limping badly. The man who brought him in knew the cat needed to see a veterinarian, but he had no means to pay for one. He asked that we fix the leg and find Kendall a home. So we had Kendall’s leg treated, gave him his antibiotics and pain medication, and changed his bandage as the leg healed. He’s now completing his recovery – very successfully – in a foster home prior to adoption.
Toni, an 11-month female Miniature Pinscher puppy, came in with a broken leg. Her person said that the small dog had fallen down the stairs, but that he did not have the money to fix the leg. He surrendered Toni to us. The surgery and hospitalization cost our Sophie Fund $2,465, but the sweet and loving little dog gets stronger every day in her foster home.
Ziggy, a 10-year-old female pit bull, was the best friend of a young man with a severe learning disability. One day Ziggy went on a romp down her Southeast DC street with her friend right behind her, trying to catch his dog. Ziggy thought it was all great fun until she ran into a police barricade. The police grabbed her owner, and when Ziggy came over to see what was wrong, the officer shot her in the leg. Fortunately someone had the presence of mind to call the Washington Humane Society. We arranged to have Ziggy’s leg fixed at a discount, but even so, her person could only reimburse us for a fraction of what the surgery cost.
The Washington Humane Society takes in nearly all of the animals in the District of Columbia who need help of any sort. Among them are those with critical medical needs. We consider it our mission to do everything we can to help them recover and find a home. For them there is no one else.
The problem is that our Sophie Medical Fund has run dry (it’s $500 in the red) even as new injured animals arrive. Today, we are in urgent need of contributions so that we can continue to be there for them. Please help us save lives by making a donation of whatever you can afford to our Sophie Fund. It can be done online by clicking here.
And thank you from me, the staff of the Washington Humane Society, and the animals like Kendall, Toni, and Ziggy who owe their lives to your kindness.
Sincerely,
Howard Nelson
Executive Director
Washington Humane Society
7319 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20012
/Would die a happy woman if my obit included the words “philanthropist” :)
