Join us for a family friendly night of fun at our annual Chili Bingo fundraiser! Ticket prices include all you can eat vegetarian chili with all the fixin’s, salad, bread, dessert and soft drinks and 6 bingo cards. Additional bingo cards, raffle tickets, and beer and wine will be available for purchase and there will be many great items on the silent auction. Chili Bingo will sell out so get your tickets today before it’s too late!
It’s time to prepare for our fourth annual Chili Bingo fundraiser! The awesome fun happens October 8th and there are lots of ways YOU can help! Volunteer! Donate supplies, prizes, auction items, or baked goods! Spread the word!
Chili Bingo Saturday, October 8, 2022 6-9 PM Lyon Park Community Center 414 N. Fillmore St. Arlington, VA 22201
Space is limited and we expect a sell-out crowd so get your tickets today if you are planning to attend! Tell your friends and family too!
VOLUNTEER SHIFTS
Friday 10/7 or Saturday 10/8
Feel free to sign up for more than one shift. Saturday evening volunteers will get a chance to eat & bid in the silent auction too. PLEASE HELP US PACK & CLEAN EVERYTHING UP AT THE END IF YOU CAN! We should be done between 10-11pm.
GENERAL SET-UP FRI 3-8:30pm, SAT 2-5:30pm
Cart in supplies & set up tables & chairs. Help set up prize display, registration table, silent auction, drink station, bingo supplies, decorations, etc. Set up & test/troubleshoot AV equipment.
FOOD PREP FRI 3-8:30pm, SAT 2-5:30pm, SAT 5-9pm
Help with cooking chili & cornbread, preparing salad, and setting up & replenishing the food buffet. Wash pots & pans, clean up kitchen, etc.
BINGO CALLERS SAT 5-9pm
Charismatic volunteers needed to take turns calling the bingo games. Instructions & some suggested scripting will be provided in advance.
CHECK-IN/OUT & SALES SAT 5-9pm
Check in guests, sell bingo cards & raffle tickets, help guests with silent auction check-out, etc. Smart phone or tablet required.
GENERAL EVENT SUPPORT SAT 5-9pm
Misc. tasks. Verify winning bingo cards, spot clean, collect trash, communicate guest comments/requests to Rebecca, spin the bingo ball dispenser, fill in for other volunteers’ breaks, restock dessert table, encourage guests to spend $, etc.
BARTENDERS SAT 5-9pm
(Must be 21+) Keep drinks table clean & stocked, take cash & drink tickets, open & serve wine & beer.
CLEAN-UP SAT 9-11pm
Help clean up, pack up supplies & cart them out to the van, put tables & chairs away, take trash out, etc.
There are several other ways you can help make this event a success. Let us know if you can donate any of the following!
SILENT AUCTION ITEMS
Do you have an item or gift card you can donate? Do you have connections to a business or artisan who would donate goods or services? Do you love to shop and want to find & donate something? Let us know!
BINGO PRIZES
Can you provide any nice, unique, useful, useless, luxurious, wacky, tacky, small, decorative, functional, coveted, &/or fun items or small gift cards to donate for bingo prizes? Are you willing to buy a few prizes to donate? We will need prizes mostly for adults as well as some for children. Value $5 and up.
GIFT CARDS & GROCERIES
Can you help cover the cost of food & party supplies? We’d love grocery store, Costco, or party store gift cards. We will also happily accept unexpired non-perishable goods (beans, oil, spices, canned peeled tomatoes, corn, hot sauce, Fritos, crackers, cornmeal, flour, sugar, salad dressing, soda, water), and perishables (TVP, milk, butter, onions, peppers, salad ingredients, shredded cheese). The more we can get donated, the more money we will have for the animals!
DESSERTS
Calling all bakers! You can get involved by donating your delicious baked goods for our dessert table. Can you help us provide a nice variety of yummy desserts by baking cookies, brownies, cupcakes, etc.?
CORNBREAD
We will need lots of delicious cornbread! Can you make and bring some?
Fairfax, Virginia – July 12, 2022 –Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides pet adoption in Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland, today announced the rescue will be assisting with the transfer of 4,000 Beagles from breeding facility Envigo.
Following Virginia legislative actions and a 2021 PETA undercover investigation of the massive Envigo breeding factory in Cumberland, Virginia, Homeward Trails negotiated a deal to receive 500 beagles that had become surplus during the COVID-19 pandemic and place them for adoption starting in April 2022.
Following the initial rescue, the 2022 Virginia legislature unanimously passed several bills enforcing better treatment of the dogs at Envigo.
According to USDA reports, Envigo’s facility committed 70 animal rights violations, including more than 300 puppy deaths in the beginning of 2021 from unknown causes, inhumanely euthanizing puppies, severe skin problems and dental disease among dogs, as well as dogs wounded in dog fights. This led to further action by the United States Department of Justice, ultimately resulting in the closure of the Cumberland facility.
Senior United States District Court Judge Norman K. Moon approved a joint plan of the U.S. Department of Justice and Envigo to remove approximately 4,000 surviving dogs from the Cumberland, Virginia, facility. Homeward Trails is partnering with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to remove the Beagles and secure foster and adoptive homes for them in the next sixty days.
“This is one of the largest dog rescue efforts ever coordinated and has truly been a group effort. To know that these dogs will get to have the lives they deserve and not languish in cages for the rest of their lives is just so rewarding,” said Sue Bell, executive director of Homeward Trails. “For months now, we have witnessed first-hand the joy these dogs experience when their feet touch grass for the first time, they get a bone to chew on, and they experience love from a human being.”
In the next few weeks, Homeward Trails and HSUS will begin moving dogs off the premises. HSUS will be hosting an active website of the various groups that take in these Beagles by geography. To apply to adopt a Beagle in the Washington, DC area from Homeward Trails, email info@homewardtrails.org. Tax-deductible donations towards the medical care of these dogs can be made at www.homewardtrails.org
To learn more about Homeward Trails and its efforts to rescue animals, visit www.homewardtrails.org.
About Homeward Trails
Homeward Trails Animal Rescue is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides pet adoption in Virginia, Washington, DC and Maryland. We find homes for dogs and cats rescued from low-income, rural animal shelters or whose owners can no longer care for them; abandoned hunting dogs who are dumped in woods or left at shelters; owned pets whose owners can no longer care for them; and animals who have been injured, abused and neglected. We have helped internationally as well: we have rescued dogs from Thailand, China, Korea, Russia, Peru, Greece and Kuwait. And we have run a full-time program in Puerto Rico for 4 years, rescuing more than 450 dogs and providing Trap-Neuter-Return services for more than 500 cats.
Fido Group initiative partners skateboarders with animal rescue
We are very excited to announce the re-naming of our pet adoption facility located at 11116 Fairfax Station Road, Fairfax Station, Virginia 22039.
Manny Law, the new namesake of the facility, was a skateboarder from Falls Church who unexpectedly passed away at the age of 24 on January 5, 2015, as a result of congenital heart failure.
At the time of his passing, Manny was a student at Northern Virginia Community College where he was completing a degree in architectural landscaping. As an avid environmentalist, Manny had planned to apply his knowledge to the protection of the environment and the maintenance of habitats for wildlife. Manny’s passion for skateboarding, coupled with his personal warmth, his genuine care and concern for others, and his natural charm and charisma, allowed him to build strong and lasting friendships throughout the DC metro area and beyond. Manny was survived by many of his family, friends, and two dogs, Gremlin and Yesca.
The re-naming of the adoption center was commissioned by Fido Group, a skateboarder-owned dog walking company in Upper NW DC whose owner, Chris Bota, was friends with Manny. Aside from providing in-home pet care services to 120 Upper NW DC families and their dogs, Fido Group holds valuable corporate partnerships with animal welfare organizations like Homeward Trails to directly impact the state of animal welfare at the ground level and pay it forward to the rescued cats and dogs Fido Group serves. With the re-naming of the facility, Chris has become more active in the organization and has been tasked with the role of Director of Business Development at the Manny Law Adoption Center.
The broader scope of the Manny Law Adoption Center initiative is to provide skateboarders with:
Avenues to make an impact on animals in their community
Opportunities to garner hands-on, career-building experience with animals
A therapeutic outlet to combat mental health issues
Chris leveraged his business to generate resources and awareness about the new Manny Law Adoption Center through something Manny loved: a skateboard.
Fido Group produced a limited supply of Manny Law Adoption Center skateboards and partnered with Crushed Skate Shop in Washington DC to make the boards available for purchase both domestically and internationally.
One hundred percent of the net proceeds from each Manny Law Adoption Center skateboard sale directly benefit homeless cats and dogs at Homeward Trails in Manny’s honor.
To purchase a Manny Law Adoption Center skateboard and for more information about Fido Group, please visit https://fidogroup.store
Would you like to get paid to help homeless dogs find forever homes? Homeward Trails Animal Rescue is looking for highly motivated, hard working Animal Care Technicians to join our Adoption Center team! Animal Care Technicians will not only get to spend their days with some of the cutest dogs on earth, they will also learn tons about their behavior, training, and health! And, as a bonus, work with some pretty cool humans!
Homeward Trails Animal Rescue is a nonprofit animal rescue in Northern Virginia. We rescue thousands of animals each year from under resourced rural shelters and from partners in Puerto Rico and internationally. Dogs we rescue are placed either in foster homes or in our Adoption Center until they are adopted.
The Adoption Center is a unique shelter to the area in that it is centered around frequent socialization for the dogs through playgroups, which offer great opportunities for our dogs to receive daily exercise, enrichment, and socialization.
Animal Care Technicians play a crucial part at the Adoption Center, supporting the physical and behavioral health of the dogs, running playgroups, maintaining the cleanliness and upkeep of the facility, and facilitating adoptions with the public.
Responsibilities:
Assisting with playgroups in accordance with Homeward Trails guidelines
Feeding dogs and monitoring eating habits
Ensuring dogs always have clean bedding and water
Assisting medically knowledgeable staff with physical care of dogs
Reporting medical and behavioral concerns to appropriate supervisors
Adhering to behavioral and medical protocols as directed by supervisors
Interacting with volunteers and adopters professionally and courteously at all times
Providing volunteers and adopters with information about the dogs using appropriate terminology
Thorough cleaning of facility using stated cleaning protocols – be prepared for lots of cleaning!
Ensuring that you are available and on time for all shifts or have arranged for suitable coverage
Engaging in continuous training and learning opportunities
Miscellaneous projects as directed
Qualifications:
Reliable and consistently available for scheduled shifts
Strong work ethic
Commitment to the well-being of the dogs in our care
Motivated to learn, gain new skills, and advance their knowledge
Positive and enthusiastic
Able to work with and interact with a wide range of people and personalities
Able to direct volunteers
Can remain calm and professional under pressure and in stressful situations
Must be able to meet physical demands including, but not limited to, lifting heavy items or animals
Experience working with dogs in a group setting or in a veterinary clinic a plus
This is a part-time opportunity looking to fill between approximately 20-40 hours per week. Working on weekends and holidays is mandatory. Starting pay is $12 per hour, but can increase with prior experience. Opportunities for advancement are available through skill acquisition, increased competency, and adherence to stated standards of employment. We are mostly seeking staff for shifts from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 3:30 PM to 8:30 PM. You must be 18 years old to apply.
To apply, please submit your resume and a short message that describes why you are a good fit for this position and the days/hours you would be available to work to markg@homewardtrails.org.
Homeward Trails is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, citizenship, military or veteran status or genetics.
With the return to our pre-Covid Adoption Center hours (no appointment necessary) we need lots more help on Saturdays and Sunday to work with prospective adopters and help get our dogs adopted.
We have two great opportunities to get more involved in helping dogs find loving homes. Please see details below and sign up for one (or both!) of our upcoming training sessions.
Adoption Counselors Looking to do something fun and rewarding on the weekend? Join us for a virtual adoption counselor training session. Once training is completed, we are looking for counselors to help in person at the Adoption Center in Fairfax Station, VA on Saturdays and Sundays so while the training is online, the actual volunteer role will not be.
Adoption Counselors are volunteers who are trained specifically to interact with prospective adopters at the Homeward Trails Adoption Center! You will share info on the dogs, gather info from the applicant, work with the Adoption Center staff to ensure a good match…and potentially play a key role in sending dogs into their forever homes.
We need folks who are willing to commit 3 hours on a weekend…just once a month! Just 3 hours can help send more dogs home more quickly, thus allowing us to have space to rescue more. Imagine – just 3 hours of your time can save dozens of lives!
You will be trained and fully supported by the HT staff as you get acclimated to your role. It’s fun, you’ll learn a lot and you’ll literally be saving lives.
Weekend Adoption Center Volunteers Love working with people and dogs? This role is the perfect blend of both!
We need volunteers every Saturday and Sunday to help greet adopters, identify dogs who might be a great match and facilitate the introductions between dogs and prospective adopters.
Homeward Trails is thrilled to announce this new program in partnership with the Pittsylvania Pet Center (PPC)!
The “Home To A Home” program will aim to decrease the number of animals having to enter a shelter by offering pet owners an opportunity to move the pet they can no longer keep directly to a foster home.
Our hope is to prevent an influx of animals entering the shelter as quarantine starts to lift and to re-route unwanted animals on a regular basis from one home to another!
Shelters, even those that are wonderfully run, clean and safe like the PPC can still be scary for so many animals and they pose unavoidable health risks to animals that are young and old.
The PPC animal shelter serves Pittsylvania County and surrounding communities in southern Virginia, where available foster and adoptive homes are fewer than here in Northern Virginia.
Join us in celebrating this program and our wonderful fosters who we know stand ready to assist the animals who will benefit!!
Collaboration saves lives!
More details are available in a local news story by WFXR, as well as in the press release below.
It is an important and exciting time for us at Homeward Trails and our Puerto Rico-based GuaniCARES program. On Wednesday, September 11, 2019 HT officially signed a contract with the Guanica Mayor’s office to take over operations for animal control. This is a truly amazing opportunity that we hope will give more dogs in Guanica life-saving outcomes. This has been several years in the making.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
There are hundreds (likely thousands) of dogs and puppies living in the streets, the forests, on the beaches of Guanica. We see them every day as we drive through the area. We see puppies, ranging from newborns to older. We see friendly dogs. We see feral dogs. We see dogs cared for by the community and dogs that are horribly neglected. We see gravely injured dogs and dead dogs in the streets. It is a very, very, very difficult environment for dogs here.
To date, when the community was faced with “nuisance” dogs they called the Mayor’s office and “dog catchers” from a nearby jurisdiction would come to to town and round them up to be taken to a shelter and killed. With few resources, these catchers were most likely rounding up the friendliest and easiest dogs to catch. And these dogs stood no chance at life.
For four years now we have been working in Guanica. Since 2017 we have taken 633 dogs and puppies from Puerto Rico and brought them to the US for adoption. We have also provided Trap/Neuter/Return services for almost 500 cats. And we have provided more than $15,000 in supplies including food, traps and other animal supplies, thanks to our amazing donors.
We currently have one full-time staff person. So our accomplishments to date have been remarkable on the little resources we have.
We know that rescue is not a long-term solution to the dire situation of homeless animals anywhere. Especially here. We must have government involvement and support. We must have community involvement and support. And we must have the support of our loyal followers and donors.
Puerto Rico faces tremendous challenges and while there are so many people here who care about animals they simply do not have the information and resources to help. We want to change that.
With this contract we hope to achieve three major things:
1. To provide more dogs in the community with life-saving outcomes. This will mean adoption in the US or TrapNeuterReturn (TNR) to the community. Our TNR efforts will stop the reproduction of puppies, minimize aggressive behaviors of dogs towards other dogs and people, aim to eliminate the poisoning of dogs as a means to control the population and allow the dogs to live in the community safely and under the watch of community care givers. TNR will be used when the dogs are not deemed potential candidates for adoption due to a lack of socialization
2. To engage community members to join our efforts by helping us to identify priority dogs, fostering puppies, sharing our efforts to stop poisoning and other harmful methods currently used and recruiting and training volunteers to assist with TNR. We have our first community meeting this Sunday.
3. To hire individuals from the emergency response division and the police department, many of whom have had their hours cut by 50% due to budgetary issues, to work as GuaniCARES Animal Resource Officers (AROs). These people will be trained to go into the field to trap animals, respond to community calls and further our outreach and education efforts.
We are already overwhelmed but energized by the opportunities this partnership will bring to save more lives and make what is a huge community problem a community collaboration for life saving.
In the 3 days we have been here this week we have trapped 8 puppies living in the woods, taken in 4 dogs abandoned in Guanica recently and neutered 3 additional community dogs. In addition to caring for the dogs in our care, which takes an average of 4 hours daily.
This new partnership will have its challenges for many reasons. But we will endure for the animals and remain positive and committed. And we will share each step with you in hopes you will be a part of it. We would not be where we are today without your support.
The contract comes with a $2,300 annual payment. Yes, you read that correctly. $2,300. So we cannot be successful without our donors.
Our goal for Year One is to raise $20,000 for the following:
Hiring of two part-time AROs asap. $10,000
Secure additional large traps and trapping supplies $5,000
Print materials for community distribution $750
Training for youth outreach interns $500
Vetting costs for TNR dogs $3,750
We hope you will consider supporting this worthwhile project and helping GuaniCARES become a MODEL PROJECT for other areas. Long-term solutions are our goal.
Please stay tuned for photos and updates of our activities in live time this week as we are out in the field.
We recognize the TREMENDOUS support and partnership of the following people who have gotten us here today and will play integral roles as we move forward.
they recover and has provided countless hours of veterinary support and guidance for our efforts. Without them we would have no program here.
Ricardo Guzmán our San Juan-based attorney and CPA who meticulously guided us through the very detailed 24 documents and filings with 7 departments that were required in order to sign the contract. And for his tremendous help writing and negotiating this contract.
Lynn Descoteau who started our involvement here in Guanica by reaching out to ask for help for the dogs she saw everyday during her 10 years on he island. He care and concern and efforts are what brought us here.
AnimalWelfare Institute who so generously donated our transport van. Without it, none of our transport to/from the vet and to/from San Juan airport would be possible.
Barks of Hope and Leo the BOH Director here in PR who we are lucky to partner with and have her amazing support. Collaboration truly does save more lives.
Doris Draeger and Bonita Stoudt who continue to help us engage community members and support our efforts every day.
And so many more people who we know only by phone. And to all of our donors, fosters and adopters. These animals would not have a chance without you.
Thanks to our 61 contestants and 239 donors, we raised $9,865 for the Homeward Trails Medical Fund!
Our hope is to prevent an influx of animals entering the shelter as quarantine starts to lift and to re-route unwanted animals on a regular basis from one home to another!
