DC Metro Animal Shelters & Rescues - Puppy Post

The weather hit 50 degrees today in the DC Metro, and it felt so much like spring that I could hardly believe my luck. I love spring, to me it means gardening, parks, walking my dog leisurely, happy birds, and adoption events!

Something that I've noticed in the DC area is the prominence of rescues at almost every pet store in the area, from the period of March through August. Sitting out front with their wide-eyed-dogs looking ardently for their forever homes. SO I know this isn't just limited to puppies, but actually all dogs out there in the DC Metro area that need a loving home.

I've taken the liberty of compiling an exhaustive list of all the rescues, shelters, & welfare leagues in the DC Metro area (if I've forgotten/missed one - let me know). So as you begin thinking about having a forever furry friend join you for the first (or maybe second time) this spring - consider giving the below a look, if you think dog adoption is the thing for you.

I have to admit though, some of the adoption application processes are quite vigorous - you can't walk into the majority of these places and expect to have a pet the same day. So do your research and choose wisely, because aside from the DC Shiba Inu Rescue, I know 0 things about any of the ones below, and I cannot vouch nor do I represent them.

So essentially - Looking for a Dog in the Northern Virginia, Southern Maryland, or Washington, DC Area? The below rescues/shelters/welfare leagues are within a relatively close driving distance, and are looking for high quality adopters!

Breed Specific Rescues

A lot of people say they don't want to rescue, because they want a specific breed - if that's the case for you here are some Breed Specific Rescues in the DC Metro Area. Some have breed mixes and dogs of other breeds, as well. (Listed Alphabetically by Breed)

• Akita Rescue, Mid-Atlantic Coast (Woodbridge, VA)
• Basset Hound Rescue League (Fort Washington, MD)
• Beagle Rescue, Education, & Welfare (Somewhere in the Metro Area)
• Beagle Rescue of Southern MD (Waldorf, MD)
• Blue Ridge Border Collie Rescue (McLean, VA)
• BoxAR Rescue (Arlington, VA)
• Boxer Rescue and Adoption (Reston, VA)
• Blue Ridge Bull Terrier Club (Somewhere in the Metro Area)
• Mid-Atlantic Chinese Shar-pei Rescue (Bethesda, MD)
• Oldies But Goodies Cocker Rescue (Newington, VA)
• Cocker Spaniel Adoption Center (Westminster, MD) 
• Cockers & Friends Rescue (Alexandria, VA) 
• Save Collies (Chantilly, VA)
• Coonhound Rescue, Education and Welfare for Walkers (Springfield, VA)
• Doberman Assistance Rescue & Education (Arlington, VA)
• Mid-Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue (Mt. Airy, MD)
• Virginia German Shepherd Rescue (Sterling, VA)
• Mid-Atlantic German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue (Somewhere in the Metro Area)
• Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League (Hanover, MD & Woodbridge, VA)
• Greyhound Pets of America - Northern Virginia Chapter (Centreville, VA)
• Mid-Atlantic Greyhound Welfare (Spencerville, MD)
• Golden Retriever Rescue, Education and Training (Merrifield, VA)
• Lab Rescue of the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac (Annandale, VA)
• Bully Paws Pit Bull Patriots (Fredericksburg, VA)
• Vindicated Pit Bull Rescue (Alexandria, VA)
• NoVa Rotweiller Rescue (Germantown, MD)
• Sheltie Haven Sheltie Rescue (Adamstown, MD)
• DC Shiba Inu Rescue (Manassas, VA)
• Sighthound Underground (McLean, VA)
• Westie Rescue of the Mid-Atlantic States

Rescues(Listed by State & then alphabetically by name)

Virginia

• AWOL Mutts (Falls Church, VA) - No Website that I found
• A Forever Home Rescue Foundation (Chantilly, VA)
• Dogs Deserve Better: No Chains (Somewhere in NOVA)
• Foster Parents for Pooches (Arlington, VA)
• Good Dog! Rescue (Arlington, VA)
• Good Dogz (Reston, VA)
• Homeless Animals Rescue Team (Fairfax Station, VA)
• Homeward Trails Animal Rescue (Arlington, VA)
• Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation (Headquarters in Arlington, VA; Ranch in Sumerduck, VA)
• Lucky Dog Animal Rescue (Arlington, VA)
• Mutt Love Rescue (Fairfax, VA)
• Operation Paws for Homes Rescue (Alexandria, VA)
• Pet Rescue Alliance (Somewhere in NOVA & TX... somehow)
• Second Chances Animal Rescue (Alexandria, VA)

Washington, DC

• Capitol Canines (Washington, DC)
• City Dog Rescue (Washington, DC)
• Dog World Rescue (Washington, DC)
• Homeless Pets Lifeline (Washington, DC)
• Rural Dog Rescue (Washington, DC - I think)

Maryland

• Last Chance Animal Rescue (White Plains, MD)
• Best DAWG Rescue (Bethesda, MD)
• Dogs XL Rescue (DC/Baltimore, MD Area) 
• All Breed Rescue & Referral (Laytonsville, MD) 
• Rude Ranch Animal Rescue (Harwood, MD) 

Shelters
(Listed by State & then alphabetically by name)

Virginia

• City of Fairfax Animal Shelter (Fairfax, VA)
• City of Manassas Animal Control and Adoption Shelter (Manassas, VA)
• Fairfax County Animal Shelter (Fairfax, VA)
• Friends of Homeless Animals (Location in NoVa - Unknown)
• Humane Society of Fairfax County (Fairfax, VA)
• Humane Society of Loudon County (Leesburg, VA)
• Loundon County Animal Services (Waterford, VA)
• Prince William County Animal Control (Manassas, VA)
• SPCA of Northern Virginia (Arlington, VA)

Washington, DC

• Washington Humane Society (Washington, DC)

Maryland

• Frederick County Humane Society (Frederick, MD) 
• Humane Society of Charles County (Waldorf, MD)
• Maryland SPCA (Baltimore, MD) 
• Montgomery County SPCA (Washington Grove, MD)
• SPCA of Anne Arundel County (Annapolis, MD) 
• SPCA of Prince Georges County (Bowie, MD)

Welfare Leagues(Listed alphabetically by name)

• Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (Alexandria, VA)
• Animal Welfare League of Arlington (Arlington, VA)
• Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County (Gaithersburg, MD) 
• Washington Animal Rescue League (Washington, DC)

If you know that one of these rescues or shelters not on this list or that are on this list and no longer operating - let me know!


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Planning Spring's Plantings - Garden Post

Nymeria's First Snow

With the frost in the air getting more and more bitter, I can't help but dream of warmer days. The smell of marigolds, while I flip through a Southern Living Magazine with a sweet tea in hand - sunning on the porch.

It's enough to make me start thinking about my plants and my garden and my seedlings.

Last year, I purchased a grow light, which was just the bees absolute knees in terms of prepping seedlings for spring planting, but after a particularly viscous set of aphids, all my seedlings were destroyed and with it my hopes of a magnificent harvest. So I recouped what I could and struggled along the rest of the summer with an eggplant (destroyed by a hornworm), 2 pepper plants (produced until the first frost), and a pineberry plant (my pride and joy).

When the chills of fall set in I pulled my pineberry plant and the runners I had cultivated indoors with me, but a long thanksgiving break killed one of the runners, and little Nymeria did in the rest. So I'm back to my sole pineberry plant hoping fervently for some warmer weather.

But what to grow with my pineberry plant - what to grow... what to grow...

I've decided that I'm going to stick with what I know and what I can eat. I want to limit myself to the bare necessities, because we might be moving places in the middle of the summer and it would be a beast to have to move 20 containers.

SO.

What to grow.

I want my garden to have some focus, and I want my garden to not die, like it did this past summer (which might have been my fault - planning a wedding and all that jazz). So I'm going to limit my plants. 

I'm thinking that I should pick up some pineberry seeds and start from seeds, to see how that goes, and add to my one prize, lonely plant. I always love a challenge.

I'm also thinking about branching out into another kind of strawberry - I think the alpines all have a nice small size to them, and one I found doesn't have runners - so that would keep it all in it's container.

I also like having scallions and chives about - they have such a distinctive smell, and my chives grow quite prolifically.

I think I'll bring back some basil. It's always so expensive to get fresh basil at the store, and I do so long for some fresh pesto.

Aside from that... I still have some garlic in the ground, trying to get it to winter properly so that it grows me some big, honking bulbs, but if that fails - I think I'll wait till next summer (2016) to try again.

SO that's it:
Strawberries, Scallions, Chives, Basil.

It's going to be small, but I hope it's at least fruitful.

Best Gardening,

Laura