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On any given day, often times within the same hour, the AWLA Animal Control Officer on duty is called to:
- Aid an Arlington resident bitten by a potentially rabid animal
- Rescue an animal locked in a hot car
- Rescue an animal victimized by abuse and neglect
- Provide lifesaving support to a pet hit by a car
- Investigate public health concerns, such as the recent Arlington dog poisoning that required 70 hours of an officer's time to contain and investigate.
AWLA has maintained a longstanding contract with Arlington County for animal control services and sheltering and has only received a one percent increase in the last five years. Although demands and service calls have continued to increase, resources to provide service have remained the same. We are at a crossroad and need your help to continue to provide the same level of service to the animals and residents in Arlington County.
Please contact the Arlington County Board by Tuesday, March 24th via email, Facebook or phone (sample language is below) and tell them that as voters and taxpayers, YOU WANT public health and animal welfare to be a budget priority and ASK the County to provide AWLA with an additional $365K to continue to keep pets and the community safe.
County Board Members:
mhynes@arlingtonva.us; Jfisette@arlingtonva.us; wtejada@arlingtonva.us;lgarvey@arlingtonva.us; jvihstadt@arlingtonva.us
County office phone: 703-228-3130
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SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear County Board,
As an Arlington County voter and taxpayer I am very concerned to learn that the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) will not be receiving enough funds to adequately support Animal Control Services.
Animal Control Officers (ACOs) are charged with the enforcement of all Virginia state and Arlington county laws pertaining to the welfare, care, and control of all domestic and wild animals. ACOs investigate all animal complaints including neglect and cruelty to animals, tethering and dogs left in hot cars. They investigate animal bites and implement and release domestic animal quarantines to protect residents from the possibility of rabies. In cases where dogs bite humans or inflict injuries on other companion animals, officers investigate, prepare and testify in dangerous dogs cases for the courts.
Clearly these activities are of paramount importance to the health and welfare of animals and residents in the Arlington community. I urge the County to show its commitment to animal welfare and public safety by providing AWLA with an additional $365K to continue to keep pets and the community safe.
Respectfully,
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