[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19351]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE WASHINGTON ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 28, 2005

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Washington 
Animal Rescue League's, WARL, efforts to provide care and compassion 
for homeless and abused animals in our Nation's Capital and beyond, and 
to bring to the U.S. Congress's attention that Saturday, August 20th is 
National Homeless Animals' Day.
  For over 90 years, WARL has worked tirelessly to promote humane 
treatment and eliminate the plight of homeless animals. Founded in 
1914, WARL was the District's first animal shelter. Since its creation, 
this private, not-far-profit organization has expanded its mission from 
housing dogs, cats and horses to being a leader in implementing 
programs that promote animal welfare. WARL's policies and procedures 
were progressive from the organization's inception. From mandating home 
visits for potential adopters to providing low-cost or free veterinary 
care for animals in need, WARL is in a league all its own.
  WARL's doors are always open to welcome an adoptable animal in need 
of care and compassion. Dedicated staff and volunteers work in many 
ways to promote animal welfare and find loving homes for these wayward 
animals. Throughout the week, WARL counsels potential adopters to match 
their cats and dogs in appropriate, loving, caring homes. WARL's 
medical clinic provides the highest quality care to the dogs and cats 
in residence and to companion animals of the District's low-income 
families. On weekends, while the shelter operates business as usual, 
WARL staff and volunteers hold off-site adoption events at animal-
friendly businesses throughout the D.C. area.
  Overpopulated animal shelters are a problem for too many communities. 
To help elevate the stress of overcrowding in shelters as far as 
Florida and Arkansas, WARL created the Shelter Animal Relief Effort, 
ShARE, program. Shelters participating in ShARE use WARL as their 
resource when in crisis, eliminating the need to euthanize adoptable 
animals.
  Additionally, WARL provides humane education to District school 
children using a curriculum. that includes in-class lectures, 
activities, and trips to visit the shelter and medical center. This 
program strives to ensure the future of animal welfare in our society 
by teaching children to treat animals responsibly and with care and 
compassion.
  Through these many efforts, WARL hopes to achieve its goal to 
eliminate the need to observe future National Homeless Animals' Day. 
But for now, WARL will join others across the country to raise 
awareness of the world's companion animal overpopulation crisis by 
participating in National Homeless Animals' Day on August 20th and 
spearheading the first event of its kind in our Nation's Capital.
  Every day, WARL works to end the plight of homeless dogs and cats. We 
can all make a difference by promoting responsible guardianship and by 
adopting our pets from a local animal shelter, instead of a breeder or 
pet store, and by preventing the exponential increase of homeless 
animals by spaying and neutering our pets.

                          ____________________