Humane Rescue Alliance — District of Columbia Animal Care and Control

Maritza Cooper

This location serves as a shelter and animal control too, I believe. The facility is small, the staff quite dedicated. It's a tough job and they are doing everything they can to help these animals. Shelter life is hard on the animals. They are scared in this loud environment. Every dog we saw took treats very gently. These are just a few of them. Sad to see so many Pitties!

Feb 9, 2020

Jasmine Boatner

I’ve had good experiences when I’ve contacted HRA about injured cats I’ve seen in my yard. They’ve come out to trap and treat two cats in the 2 years I’ve lived here. I don’t have a car, so I’m glad they’ll come out for injuries. Recently a cat I’ve been feeding for about a year showed up with a pretty serious wound on his tail. HRA was able to coordinate with me to come around the time I usually feed him in order to trap him and bring him in. 6 days later they brought him back neutered and all healed up! You can see how much better his tail looks in the before and after pictures included.

Jul 13, 2024

Floyd Montero

Upon arrival I did shed a tear drop when I was taken to see the dog. I wish I could have adopted them all. Saw a couple that caught my attention but they were not up for adoption on that day so it was down to this beautiful girl. They said her owner was coming to pick her up but if I came back in 3 days and she was still there I could adopt her . Guess what? She was still there 😍. So I went ahead and adopt her right away . Thanks for the great customer service you guys deliver “ Warren G, Shawnna I & Julia A”. Banks said hi “🐶” Might be back to adopt more in the future.

Oct 3, 2024

swErv In (Swerv)

EDIT: After over 5 years of sharing a home and life with my wonderful friend, I came back and downgraded my vote for HRA based on what I consider to be a culture of negligence that may well be limiting the adoption potential of their organization. When I adopted Patty I was told she had been a stray, and was living in foster (3 months) to learn how to be a dog; as she had previously been feral. They described her as resource guarding and FOREVER incapable of being around children under 13, other dogs, or animals of any kind. They said she would REQUIRE professional training on a regular basis for years, and they could recommend me to the two people only they vet in the entire DMV. They told me that she was mildly dangerous and could snap at any time, and I needed to get insurance for her, and to not plan on starting a family or entertaining at my home. They even offered me other "more calm" animals (one of which was a massive 140lb Mastiff named Dallas) that I hadn't even met, going against their own protocols. First I would like to point out that my dog has never had professional training of any kind. She has never displayed a single quality of a feral animal. She has also never shown aggression towards another living thing, even bugs, the entire time she has been here. I gave her a loving and patient home and in return she has met my trust with respect and loyalty. Patty met a newborn baby less than six months after arriving here. She has also met rabbits, a house-squirrel, rough toddlers, countless adults including the elderly/infirm, and we even adopted a kitten almost a year ago. Countless road trips, off-leash camping, daily dog park during the pandemic; NO PROBLEMS! She pulls the leash, she lunges to get close to people, she jumps to give kisses... but she is most certainly not the violent "ready to snap" animal that I was made to think she was, and had I taken their advice I might've ended up like the "so many" other people who had come to see her at foster, told the foster they would adopt her, and then suddenly broke contact. As a matter of fact my 80lb Bully is afraid of and regularly ambushed by a 1yr kitten that is 1/5th his size. Instead of aggression she chooses running in terror to find me or initiates playtime. She can tell the difference between domestic and wild animals, and even plays nice with DEER and OPPOSSUM. No mediation or refereeing by humans EVER required, so I get to gape in awe at the beauty and majesty of a well-mannered animal that loves life as much as I do. It's a sad and unnecessary bout of prejudice for an animal who didn't deserve it, and the necessarily slow realization makes me wonder... how many similarly situated dogs that are anxious and scared in their current environment are slipping through the cracks, because the (volunteer, mind you) staff is either overburdened or too callous to notice when welfare is being sacrificed for... I don't even know what? Perceived operational milestones? Honestly why doesn't matter, behaviorists are not doing their jobs right. Especially when there are so many public comments claiming a perfectly adoptable animal was euthanized. Medical misclassification of a human, behavioral or otherwise, is enough to get a professional removed from their practice; I don't see how an institution with a mission such as theirs would operate any other way. But here we are, with me recommending you go to Animal Welfare League in Arlington, VA... PREVIOUS POST: After an adoption process with direct and informative staff that was cognizant to the needs of my new friend and myself, I have thoroughly enjoyed the early stages of acclimating my best friend Patty (formerly Pantene) to our home. Front desk staff and adoption counselor was friendly, and the adoption supervisor(?) took time to call me and follow up with recommendations in regards to resources catered to this dogs needs. The foster parent has also been a great asset and to me that also demonstrates a certain caliber of professionalism on the part of HRA for holding on to such a volunteer.

Jun 9, 2024

Danielle Carnes

We adopted our dog and cat from here, and have been absolutely delighted with the quality of service. We even had the adoption fee for our cat waived due to health complications. Thank you for the support, we will return if we need another pet!

Apr 18, 2019