Animal Welfare League of Alexandria
The dog catchers. The pound. Animal Control.
These are names that have been used in the past to describe the entities who rounded up loose or vicious animals on the streets. These functions are still important but, in the City of Alexandria, Animal Services does so much more.
The City of Alexandria contracts with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA), a nonprofit organization, to operate Animal Services. These officers are employees of the AWLA and have the powers of an animal control officer as outlined by the Code of Virginia, as well as the power to enforce the provisions of the articles under title 5, chapter 7 of the municipal code.
In May 2018, Tammy Doran was appointed by the City of Alexandria City Council as Chief Animal Services Officer. Before her appointment to Chief, she had 15 years of animal control experience, including serving for three years as Sergeant in AWLA’s Animal Services Department and a combined seven years at the City of Richmond Animal Control and Richland County Animal Care and Control in South Carolina.
Doran has handled multiple felony-level animal abuse and neglect cases, including several dog-fighting cases that led to convictions of the accused. Doran says she and her Animal Services Officers are not the “dog catchers.” Instead, they are investigators, educators, connectors, supporters and much more. They work closely with the residents of the City of Alexandria to improve the lives of animals and the people who live with and around them.
“A lot of the job is educating people about the best ways to help animals, like the wildlife that inhabits their backyards,” says Doran. “The residents of Alexandria are often very concerned about animals and want to ‘rescue’ them, but taking baby wildlife away from their area can often be the worst thing to do. We help residents learn that there are other actions they can take that are more effective.” For example, Animal Services Officers will show residents who find baby squirrels that their best chance of survival is to return them to where they were found, and will play a video of a baby squirrel crying from their phones. They can observe from a safe distance as the mother will come near to look for the baby, pick it up and carry it back to the nest. “It is always best for mom to take care of the baby. Rehabilitation by a human should be the last resort,” clarifies Doran.
Other times, the Animal Services Officers perform the role of counselor to help a person through a difficult time. People facing the most serious crises, such as becoming homeless or coping with a serious illness, will often name the care of their pets as their main concern. In the case of a pet owner who has to be hospitalized but does not have anyone who can care for their pet, Animal Services will work closely with the individual and/or their social worker to enroll them in the AWLA’s Crisis Pet Care Program.
The AWLA will care for their pet, at no charge, for a period of time in order to reunite the pet when the owner has returned from the hospital. “If we can help them feel less worried about their animals so they can focus on the other issues, then hopefully we can provide them some comfort, which is a wonderful feeling,” Doran says. She relays that many people automatically assume that Animal Services just wants to take their animals, but that’s not the case. Just as the baby squirrel does best when it is reunit-ed with his mother, pets often do the best when they can remain with their owners, and the AWLA and Animal Services are always looking for innovative ways to make that possible.
If a pet owner is struggling financially, Animal Services can offer extra bags of dog and cat food and other supplies and can connect residents with the free AniMeals program for more assistance. Animal Services Officers also help connect residents with AWLA’s spay/neuter voucher program for low-income citizens or the AWLA’s free behavior hotline.
A successful day for Animal Services is one in which they help a citizen to keep their pet at home. Some of the toughest calls the Animal Services team receives are those about the suspected abuse of animals. Statistics show that individuals capable of hurting animals are also at a higher risk of hurting humans. Animal Services coordinates closely with the Alexandria Police Department, the City Attorney’s Office and the Alexandria Commonwealth’s Attorney to investigate and address these cases. When evidence exists of abuse, seizure of all of the animals in the home can occur, along with criminal reports, evidence gathering and even criminal charges. Animal Services will also work with Child Protective Services if children live in the home.
That said, Doran is careful to stress that not all suspected cases are abuse or neglect: “It is a relief when we find that a barking dog is just howling because he is bored, not because he’s in pain.”
The officers can educate the owner on ways to keep their dog’s mind engaged to mitigate barking, like puzzle treat toys that can last all day. “We don’t want to seize pets when they are in safe and loving homes,” Doran says. “If there’s another way we can help, we certainly want to try.” Doran looks forward to seeing her team’s role continue to expand in the community, working not only to protect citizens but also to connect with citizens to support people and animals of Alexandria.
Who You Gonna Call?
Most animal emergencies, such as an injured animal or suspected animal abuse, should be reported to the Alexandria Police Dispatch line at 703-746-4444, which is answered 24 hours a day; Animal Services will then be contacted by the Police as appropriate. For queries about lost/found pets or pet licensing, please call the Animal Welfare League directly at 703-746-4774.
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, which operates the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter on contract with the City of Alexandria, is an independent, local, 501(c)(3) non-prof-it organization. The AWLA is committed to ending animal homelessness, promoting animal welfare, and serving as an educational resource for the City of Alexandria community. More information is at AlexandriaAnimals.org.
