If you’re alarmed by what you’ve read on this site, you can help by telling the Arlington County Board that you’re not satisfied with AWLA’s treatment of homeless animals. Send an e-mail message similar to the one below:
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To: countyboard@arlingtonva.us
Subject: Fix AWLA!
Dear Arlington County Board,
As a citizen concerned with animal welfare in Virginia, I urge you to hold the Animal Welfare League of Arlington accountable for its performance in executing its animal sheltering contract with Arlington County.
Arlington taxpayers fund AWLA’s contract at generous levels and are entitled to the same level of commitment and effort that other leading animal shelters deliver. Yet AWLA adopts out a much lower percentage of homeless cats and dogs — and euthanizes a much higher percentage — than do peer organizations with similar responsibilities, like Charlottesville-Albermarle SPCA, Tompkins County SPCA, and Nevada Humane Society — despite the fact that AWLA has a significant funding advantage over these organizations.
AWLA’s underachievement in animal outcomes is entirely due to its failure to invest sufficient effort in programs that have been proven to work, like collaboration with animal-rescue organizations, dog-fostering and training, promotion of its low-cost spay/neuter program, adoption events, marketing of adoptable animals through online advertising and neighborhood flyers, etc.
AWLA management needs to change its focus from raising money to saving homeless animals. It should start by using the industry-standard form produced by Maddies Fund to track animal outcomes and then publishing the completed form on its website.
If AWLA proves unwilling or unable to keep pace with other leading shelters, Arlington County should make the renewal of its contract with AWLA contingent on the replacement of AWLA’s Executive Director with someone committed to that goal.
Sincerely,
[ your name ]
