WASHINGTON — D.C.'s Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) is asking for help after taking in 31 dogs that were rescued from a barricade situation in February.
The dogs were removed from a Southeast home where three officers were shot in the process of serving their owner with an arrest warrant for animal cruelty. The shooting led to an intense 13-hour standoff between the owner and police.
"Our team was finally able to enter the home to rescue what we believed would be 10 to 12 animals," said Lisa LaFontaine, President and CEO of the Humane Rescue Alliance. "Instead, we found 31 dogs—20 adults and 11 puppies—in need of urgent care."
LaFontaine says the dogs were living in filth and suffering from a variety of medical conditions. Due to the level of treatment the dogs required, HRA sent the animals off-site to a specialized veterinary boarding facility.
Determined to secure these dogs' opportunities at happy lives, vets and techs worked to ensure all 31 dogs received medical examinations, treatment for ear and skin conditions, wound care, and spay/neuter surgeries. The treatment came with a expensive price tag of $56,948.
LaFontaine says HRA was able to use its Ladybell Fund, a special fund set aside for emergency medical care, to pay for the treatments, but that fund is now depleted.
"We know it’s just a matter of time before the next animal, or animals, comes through the door in need of emergency care," LaFontaine explained.
Now, HRA is asking for donations to help replenish the Ladybell Fund. You can contribute to the fund on the HRA website.
"I hope you’ll make a generous gift now to support their ongoing care—and to power all of HRA’s programs and services to help animals and the people who love them," Lafontaine said. "Every time we ask our community to show up, you always do. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making our lifesaving work possible, and for giving what you can today."
Twenty-two of the rescued dogs are already in new homes. The remaining nine dogs are currently in an HRA shelter receiving individualized behavioral support but will eventually be available for adoption.
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