Why We Do It
In the simplest of terms, the needs of the animals -- both owned and in the community -- and the pet owners in DC outweigh the budget the city has available for animal welfare. Staffing and operating a shelter system, providing vet care, food and supplies, disease prevention, animal control, transportation, public education -- the list of requirements to operate animal control services seems never ending. That's where we come in.
The Friends of DC Animals understands the complexity of providing high-quality animal welfare services and we are dedicated to ensuring DC residents receive just that.
The Growing Need
Across the country and in our city, there is an overwhelming increase in the need for animal welfare services. Shelters are overcrowded, understaffed, and lack the resources to provide the care that is needed. Rescue groups are also overwhelmed, with many being forced to stop accepting intakes. Dogs, cats, and small animals are being surrendered — or abandoned outside — in record numbers due to a variety of issues, including:
Financial hardship (loss of jobs, medical bills, etc.)
Increase in the cost of pet food and supplies
Lack of affordable pet-friendly housing
Lack of affordable vet care, including spay and neuter services
Intake policies and long wait times can lead some to abandon animals on the street, which can compound overpopulation issues
Keeping Animals Out of the Shelter
We have an animal over-population problem in the United States. According to the ASPCA, over 7.6 million animals end up in shelters each year. This does not count those that are living on the streets.
This is an issue that we cannot adopt our way out of, but requires policies, practices, education, cooperation, and behavior change to address.
Strategies include:
Improving access to low cost spay/neuter services for DC pets
Improving access to pet-friendly rental units for DC residents to make pet ownership more affordable
Operating a comprehensive Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) program for the city’s feral cat population, including providing support and resources for community cat care takers
Improving access to low-cost veterinary care for DC pets, including vaccines, microchipping, and wellness checks
Offering public education and outreach on key topics, including: the importance of spaying/neutering pets, the benefits of adopting pets, why microchipping and tags matter, pet wellness, pet behavior and training, preventing obesity in pets, and more
Cracking down on backyard dog breeding
Operating a pet food pantry program
“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.”
