There are many animal welfare organizations all over the world. And the numbers are – luckily – rising. And then there came this news: Two organizations in Washington, DC have decided to go the other way, they are merging into one. Thereby they will combine their strengths, their resources, their efforts, and together will be become stronger. A perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, because we all are stronger together.

“We have some very exciting news to share as we announce that the Washington Animal Rescue League and the Washington Humane Society are merging together to create one single, unified organization.

For over a hundred years, the Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) and the Washington Humane Society (WHS) have collaborated to benefit the animals and people in the District of Columbia. Each of these outstanding organizations has a set of excellent programs and services to help rescue and protect animals, and to enrich the lives of the people who love and care for them. As we have collaborated more over the past decade, we have become more alike with regard to our philosophies and practices.

Both organizations have been on the leading edge of what are now considered best practices in the field of animal welfare, with customer- and animal-centric adoption policies; a strong commitment to saving lives; care assistance for pet owners in need; and a collaborative and open approach with community partners.

As we continued to grow and evolve, it became very apparent that we could expand our impact and reach if we created one dynamic, industry-leading animal welfare organization in the Nation’s Capital. In doing so, we would create something truly unique: the nation’s first end-to-end animal welfare organization in any major city.

As we announce this merger, our shared vision is finally a reality.

• Together, we will run every major animal welfare program in the nation’s capital, from rescue and adoption to animal control to humane law enforcement, low-cost vet care, spay-neuter services, behavior and training, humane education, and more.
• Together, we will be able to profoundly strengthen the safety net for animals in our region, offer subsidized vet care to every family in need, provide citywide behavior training to keep pets and families together, expand our spay-neuter efforts to end pet overpopulation, and protect every animal in our area from cruelty and harm.
• Most importantly, we can now create a unified vision, backed by powerful and creative programs, to establish a model urban community for all animals – pets and wildlife alike – and the people who love them.

Please join us in celebrating this historic moment in animal welfare. We are excited for what the future holds and look forward to sharing many more years of success with you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of you, our devoted supporters and friends, for having done so much to make this day possible. We look forward to working with you in the months and years ahead to create a bright future for the people and animals of the national Capital region.”

You can read more here:

http://www.warl.org

http://support.washhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aboutus

Thank you for spreading the word on animal awareness!