Unlike most other animal shelters, the League receives no taxpayer funds as we do not request or accept municipal contracts.  We must, therefore, continually seek private support to help approximately 7,000 animals annually.  Your thoughtfulness makes our sheltering, rescue, and clinical programs possible.

In that spirit, we present some opportunities for funding specific projects at the League.  We hope you will consider helping us finance all or part of one of these critical initiatives.  Please help us help more animals this year—and forever!

SHELTERING AND ADOPTIONS

$90,000 – The sheltering staff seeks this very large donation to pay for a customized van for transporting animals to and from adoption events and bringing animals to the shelter from puppy mill busts and natural disaster sites.  We also would use the van for accepting dogs and cats from other shelters so they can be adopted here at the League.

$40,000 – Although Hill’s generously provides the League and many other shelters nationwide with its Science Diet pet food for use with shelter animals, we must purchase additional food.  A gift of $3,333 would buy pet food for all shelter animals for one month.

$15,000 – The League must annually purchase a number of supplies for the shelter, such as cleaning materials, to care for our 2,000 shelter animals each year.  A gift of this amount would underwrite an entire year of supplies and a contribution of $1,250 would cover these expenses for one month.

$5,000-$25,000 – Five new computers at $5,000 each are needed by adoptions staff for running sheltering software, adding animals’ stories to Petfinder.com and our website, as well as communicating with potential adopters.

$4,000 – The annual cost of transporting animals to the League from other shelters, puppy mill rescues, and natural disasters includes vehicle usage, gasoline, cages, etc.

$3,300 – Ten hands-free telephone headsets at $330 each are needed by the adoptions team.

$2,500 – This donation will cover adoption fees for veterans adopting through the Pets2Vets program for one year.  The League partners with Pets2Vets to place homeless animals with Iraq War veterans who are recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder at nearby Walter Reed Medical Center.  FUNDED BY SYLVIA SLOAN & BLAKE NICHOLS!  DECEMBER 2009.

$2,000 – With this contribution, fees for positive-reinforcement training classes will be waived for one year to veterans adopting dogs through the Pets2Vets program.  The League partners with Pets2Vets to place homeless animals with Iraq War veterans who are recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder at nearby Walter Reed Medical Center. 

$1,500 – The shelter would like to install security cameras at a number of locations on the property.

$900 – The shelter, adoptions and training staffs all need walkie-talkies.  Right now, we are seeking 30 units at $30 each.

$500 – Adoptions staff needs new digital cameras for taking photos of animals and adding them to our website.

$500 – A video camera can assist us with canine training and animal behavior evaluations.  FUNDED BY FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF GIGI CASTLEMAN IN MEMORY OF HER DOG KAYNE!  DECEMBER 2009.

 MEDICAL CENTER

$45,000 – The League must purchase a number of veterinary pharmaceuticals to care for the 7,000 animals we see each year.  A gift of this magnitude would underwrite an entire year of medicines and other necessary pharmacy items, whereas a donation of $3,750 would cover these expenses for one month.

$35,000 – Thousands of animals are assisted by our shelter, Medical Center and vaccination clinics when they receive vaccines and other preventatives.  This amount would pay for these essentials and a contribution of $2,917 would pay for them for one month.

$34,000 – A new ultrasound machine would allow us to diagnose many types of cancer, as well as many diseases such as liver, kidney, heart, intestinal and bladder disease.  Discounted by General Electric down from $49,000.  FUNDED BY DR. PHYLLIS HUENE AND OTHER DONORS!  NOVEMBER 2009.

$32,000 – Treating more than 7,000 animals a year in our shelter and Medical Center means an array of tests necessary for our cats and dogs.  This amount would cover one year of medical laboratory fees, while a gift of $2,667 would pay for laboratory fees for one month.
 
$20,000 – A new X-ray machine will vastly improve the quality of our X-ray images, especially for larger dogs.  X-rays are one of our most frequently used diagnostic tools.  Combined with our current digital X-ray processor, this machine would allow us to make much more accurate diagnoses of respiratory, heart, lung, urinary tract, gastro-intestinal, orthopedic, and other diseases.  FUNDED BY FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF GIGI CASTLEMAN IN MEMORY OF HER DOG KAYNE!  DECEMBER 2009.

$8,000 – A digital dental X-ray machine is vital for doing proper dental extractions (pulling teeth).  It would also allow us to better evaluate teeth in borderline condition and would result in fewer extractions.

$2,500 – A new capnograph would help us better monitor patients under anesthesia.  This equipment is vital in making sure no organ damage occurs while animals are under anesthesia. 

$1,815-$7,260 – Many of the League’s veterinary technicians are studying online to gain their Licensed Veterinary Technician credential via Penn Foster, a regionally and nationally accredited program that offers Associate’s Degrees in four full-time semesters.  However, this can take much longer for technicians already working full-time.  The tuition is $1,815 per semester or $7,260 for the entire program. 

$1,800 – Two syringe pumps would enable us to control pain more precisely, especially for cats and post-op patients.  They are $900 each.          

$1,800 – A new surgery light is needed.

$1,250 – An annual fund for new veterinary texts would help the medical staff stay more current on veterinary care issues.  Approximately 10 books for $125 each.

$1,100 – One hundred battery-operated thermometers at $11 each are needed for our thousands of animal patients.  FUNDED BY DR. LORI PASERCHIA!  DECEMBER 2009

$750 – A double fluid pump allows us to control the rate at which intravenous fluids are given.  FUNDED BY THE MENNA FAMILY IN MEMORY OF SPARKY!  JANUARY 2010

HUMANE EDUCATION

$4,000-$6,000 – Ten to fifteen bus rentals per year at $400 each will permit us to transport children from their schools to the League and back. 

$4,000 – Ten “Humane Classroom Library in a Box” kits will consist of 15 to 25 titles that highlight positive relationships between people and animals.  Each box of 25 books costs roughly $400 and would have a name plate that acknowledges the donor.  Titles would be appropriate for grades four and five. 

$1,700 – One-hundred hardback copies of Dog Lost by Ingrid Lee, which costs $16.99 retail, would be given to school libraries and individual children along with a discussion guide.

$1,000 - Photo development for approximately 1,000 prints per academic year—as well as photo albums, matting, frames and enlargements—are needed so that photos of schoolchildren visiting with dogs in their classrooms and images of children and animals taken at the League will be displayed at the schools and given to the students.

GENERAL EXPENSES

The League also seeks support for many other expenses including vehicle repair and maintenance, landscaping, uniforms, laundry, computer hardware and software, staff training, advertising, and more.  We can provide you with details on these amounts if you would like to know about helping us pay for our expenses in different areas.

Please let us know if you would like to support the League through a restricted donation for one of these needed items.  Of course, we also always welcome unrestricted support as well as donations for our endowment.

Our List of Donor Opportunities changes on a regular basis.  The latest updated version will soon appear online at warl.org/opportunities and is available through our Development office. 
Gifts to the League can be funded with gifts of cash, stock, or other assets.  Please contact us anytime.  We can help you determine which project is right for you and show you tax-wise methods of making a significant gift to help the 7,000 animals we help every year.

Your thoughtful gift of $10,000 or more in 2009 entitles you to become a 2010 member of the League Leaders, our new annual-fund donor group.  The League Leaders offers its members limited benefits—including special recognition at League events as well as in our publications. 

Names will also appear for one year on a special plaque in our lobby, where tens of thousands of visitors pass through our doors every year.

For more information, please contact Rob Blizard, Chief Development Officer, at 202-375-7754 or rblizard@warl.org.

Updated February 2010