Animal Watch

Thursday, April 6, 2006

These were among cases handled recently by the Washington Humane Society. The society operates its own shelter at 7319 Georgia Ave. NW and the District's shelter at 1201 New York Ave. NE. For more information or assistance, 24 hours a day, call 202-723-5730 or visithttp://www.washhumane.org.

Turtle Fed Too Many Franks

12TH ST. NE , 5000 block, March 22. A man asked animal control to remove a snapping turtle from his house because he was tired of caring for it. He had been keeping the reptile, which he had found during a fishing trip four years earlier, in a tub in the basement. An animal control officer who picked up the turtle was told by the man's wife that she had been feeding it mostly hot dogs during the last four years. The turtle was so obese that it could not retract its legs into its shell. It was transferred to a wildlife rehabilitator.

In the wild, snapping turtles eat mostly fish, according to the Humane Society. The society says hot dogs are not healthful for turtles.

Spouse Is No Fan of Stray Cat

OKLAHOMA AVE. NE , 500 block, March 20. A man asked animal control to remove a stray cat from his front porch. He said the animal had appeared on the porch a few days earlier and he had been feeding it. He wanted to keep the cat, he said, but his wife didn't. An officer took the 10-month-old female tortoiseshell to the shelter, where it was made available for adoption.

Collie Collared by Secret Service

17TH AND E STREETS NW , March 25. Secret Service agents caught a 9-year-old collie trying to enter the grounds of the White House. An animal control officer took the animal to the D.C. shelter, where a lost-pet report had recently been filed for the dog by a Michigan couple visiting Washington. They claimed the pet.

Injured Dog Surrendered

R ST. NW, 100 block, March 21.

A man surrendered a miniature pinscher to animal control. He said he had accidentally stepped on the dog's leg and broken it, and could not afford an estimated $2,000 needed to surgically repair the injury. Animal control took the dog and was arranging to have the surgery done using a Humane Society fund for pre-adoption medical treatments. The dog was to be made available for adoption after recovery.

Woman Surrenders Cat in Heat

BARNABY ST. SE, 800 block, March 22. A woman surrendered her female cat to animal control, saying that it was in heat and that its meowing was keeping her awake at night. The cat was spayed and adopted.

Baby Owls Rescued From Street

17TH ST. NE, 4500 block, March 23. Two baby owls were found in the middle of a street several hours apart. Their parents did not appear to be nearby. The birds were picked up by an animal control officer and transferred to a raptor rescue group.

Cat Impounded During Eviction

18TH ST. NW , 2100 block, March 21. A landlord asked animal control to remove an abandoned cat from an apartment whose tenants were being evicted. An animal control officer posted a notice on a door and took the cat to the D.C. shelter. The owner called six days later to say that the pet had not been abandoned and that he was in the process of moving to a relative's house in Waldorf, Md. The man claimed the animal from the shelter.

Cat's Survival Left to Chance

HARVARD ST. NW , 700 block, March 23. A man asked animal control to pick up a stray female cat he had found. Three days later, a woman called the D.C. shelter and identified herself as the owner. She said she was not allowed to keep the pet in her apartment so she was teaching the cat to survive on its own outdoors. The cat was not returned to the woman because she could not house it. The man who found the cat adopted it.

House Tempting, Risky for Cat

BUCHANAN ST. NW , 900 block, March 25. A woman asked animal control to remove a cat that had been in her yard for three days and had been trying to enter her house. The woman had three dogs inside and feared they would harm the stray. An officer took the animal to the D.C. shelter, where it was held pending contact by an owner or adoption.

Dog Struck by Vehicle, Survives

SOUTHERN AVE. SE , 4100 block, March 19. A motorist called animal control to report that her vehicle had hit a small white dog. The woman waited with the animal until an officer arrived. The officer took the dog to a veterinarian, who treated it for minor injuries. After it recovered, the animal was adopted.

Shivering Pit Bull Found in Car

CONGRESS ST. SE , 1300 block, March 27. Police called the Humane Society at 2:30 a.m. to report that they had found a shivering pit bull inside an unlocked car. Neighbors told the police the dog's owner had been arrested. The dog was impounded at the D.C. shelter pending contact by the owner.

Shelter Needs Used Blankets

The D.C. shelter, 1201 New York Ave. NE, needs used blankets and towels for animals. Donations can be dropped off at the shelter anytime. For more information, call 202-576-6664.

Pets Available for Adoption

The Humane Society will show dogs and cats available for adoption from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Petsmart, 7690 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria, and will show cats from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at Big Bad Woof pet supply store, 117 Carroll St. NW in the District. Adoption fees for dogs range from $100 to $120; for cats, from $35 to $70. For more information, call 202-723-5730, Ext. 208.

-- Compiled by RIA MANGLAPUS