Washington Humane Society, Washington DC

Washington Humane Society (WHS) is the largest animal protection agency in Washington, D.C. and rescues sick and injured
domestic and wild animals. WHS shelters stray animals that have been abandoned and mistreated, and as well as reunites people with their lost companions and places animals in responsible homes.

WHS proudly maintains the highest animal care standards for medical protocols, cleanliness and comfort of the animals in its care. This, in turn, helps placement efforts as a happy and healthy animal is a better candidate for adoption. At any given time, the society approximately has 60-70 animals available for adoption and 350 volunteers to promote and facilitate successful adoptions.

Shelter In-House Training (SIT) Program teaches dogs the necessary skills such as sit, stay, come that will help them succeed in their new “forever” homes. WHS takes in on average 30 animals a day, with the only open-admission shelters in Washington, DC. Each time an animal is taken out of our shelter and into a home to be fostered, it provides us the more space for another animal that needs our special care and attention.

CatNiPP (Cat Neighborhood Partnership Program) is designed to address the challenge faced by property owners surrounding the presence of stray and feral cats, all while treating the cats in a humane and ethical manner.

Stray and feral cats are the product of human mistreatment - owned cats are too often abandoned and those that are not neutered produce litters of untamable kittens. Unaddressed, the process continues and seems unstoppable.

‘Fashion for Paws’ is an annual fundraiser for WHS that replaces the red carpet with green Astroturf and red fire hydrants, making the ‘catwalk’ and ‘dogway’ a premiere platform that raised (in 2008) more than $250,000 for the Washington Humane Society - and event chairman matched $85,000 for donations raised by the fundraising models that participated in a friendly fundraising competition, earning more than $150,000 over a six-week period.

Approximately 40 celebrities and well-known personalities were escorted as models down the catwalk by ‘mans best friend’ for men’s fashion and ready-to-wear women’s apparel 2008 collection. This high caliber one of a kind event infuses the nation’s capital with cutting edge high fashion, drawing an extraordinary crowd of fashion and animals lovers alike.

WHS established a new unique program with N Street Village, a nonprofit social service agency that benefits both homeless women and homeless animals. Volunteers from N Street Village train and rehabilitate the animals, as well as socialize for support. This remarkable program was recognized by the Dalai Lama, during his October 2007 visit to the Washington to accept the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal.