Animal Watch

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.

Fences Foil Wandering Fawn

TENNYSON ST. NW , 3000 block, June 4. A fawn wandered into an area between two fences, could not find its way out and injured itself during several attempts to jump free. An animal control officer caught the young deer and took it to a wildlife rehabilitation facility.

Dog Sheltered After Owner Dies

RIVER RD. NW , 4300 block, June 8. Police who were asked to check on a man who had not been seen recently discovered that the man had died in his home. The man's dog, a 5-year-old mixed breed, would not allow the body to be removed, so an animal control officer was called in. The frightened pet was taken to the D.C. shelter, where it proved to be very friendly. It was made available for adoption.

Kitten Gets Help for Broken Leg

MORTON ST. NW , 600 block, June 13. A woman called the Washington Humane Society to ask for help with her kitten, which she said had broken a leg by crashing into a chair. An officer took the animal to a veterinarian, who said the fracture appeared to be several weeks old and had begun to heal on its own. The cat was kept in the care of the veterinarian and was expected to be reclaimed by the owner after payment of fees.

Report Leads to Inspection

FARRAGUT PL. NW , 1-99 block, June 11, 10:30 p.m. Investigating a report of a dogfight in progress, a Washington Humane Society officer and a police officer found five dogs in an outdoor wooden pen; four were in stacked crates and one was tied with a chain. A sixth dog was chained in the yard outside the pen. When a man emerged from the house, he was told that chaining a dog is illegal in the District and that the crated dogs required better shelter and more space. There was no sign of a fight having occurred, and none of the dogs showed any wounds. The officer was to return in several days to see whether the conditions had been improved.

Officer Seizes Rat Snake by Tail

EATON RD. SE , 1200 block, June 7. Called in to retrieve a snake that had entered a house, an animal control officer grabbed the tail of what turned out to be a four-foot-long black rat snake that had crawled into a second-floor ventilation opening. The owner was advised to cover the vent, and the snake was released in a wooded area.

Owner Gets Free Help With Cat

B ST. SE , 5000 block, June 7. A woman called the D.C. shelter to ask that her pet cat be removed from her home. She said that she could not afford to have the cat vaccinated and neutered, and that although she had given the cat to a friend who lived about 30 blocks away the day before, it had made its way back to her apartment. After an animal control officer offered an arrangement under which the cat could be vaccinated and neutered at no charge, she released it to the shelter for shots, surgery and treatment for fleas. The cat was returned to its owner after the procedure, along with a free bag of cat food.

Barking Leads to Pet Rescues

FARRAGUT ST. NW , 600 block, June 6. A woman called the D.C. shelter to report that her neighbor's dog was stuck in an outside stairwell leading to a basement and was barking in distress. Humane Society officers found an old, blind and arthritic dog that apparently had gotten outside through a dog door, had fallen down the steps and could not climb out. They removed the dog from the stairwell and called the phone number on its ID tag. Its owner arrived a short time later and took the pet to a veterinarian to check for injuries. The owner agreed to keep the dog door

locked.

OAKWOOD ST. SE , 200 block, June 12. Investigating a report about a dog on a back porch barking incessantly, a Humane Society officer found a Jack Russell terrier tethered by a short leash on the top step of a porch. The dog had no water and no access to shade and was underweight. When no one answered the door, the officer impounded the dog, which was taken to a veterinarian for examination. A woman called the next day and said she had intended to leave the dog tied for only a short while. She was told that before she could have her pet back, its living quarters would have to be inspected. Meanwhile, the dog remained in the custody of the society.

Neglected Pit Bull Impounded

K ST. SE, 100 block, June 12. Investigating a report that a pit bull had been in a dog crate in a back yard for three days, a Humane Society officer met a man who said that the dog's owner was on vacation and that a neighbor who was supposed to care for the dog had failed to do so. The officer had to use a ladder to see the dog, which was behind an eight-foot-high wooden fence, housed in a crate without a roof and with no food or water. The officer impounded the dog, which was being held by the society pending contact by an owner.

Dog Being Walked Is Stabbed

SEVENTH AND D STREETS SW , June 11. A police officer called the Washington Humane Society for help with a dog that had been stabbed by a passerby while it was being walked on a leash by its owners. At the scene, a society officer found police officers with a male in their custody and was told that the dog had been taken to a veterinarian. Police recounted that a Secret Service agent had been following a man who had started a fight earlier and had seen him stab the 14-year-old dog. The agent held the man at gunpoint until police arrived. The man admitted to stabbing the dog and told the society officer that he had done so because he was afraid the dog could have gotten his clothes dirty. After seeing the suspect arrested, the society officer went to the veterinary office and was told that the dog was not gravely injured. An investigation was continuing.

Pets Available for Adoption

The Humane Society will show cats and dogs available for adoption from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at the society's mobile adoption center, which will be near the Borders bookstore at 8518 Fenton St., Silver Spring. Adoption fees for cats range from $35 to $70; for dogs, from $35 to $120. For more information, call 202-723-5730, Ext. 208.

-- Compiled by RIA MANGLAPUS