Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA)

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Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA) Friends of Homeless Animals is a non-profit, no-kill shelter for homeless dogs & cats, located in Northern VA

Located in Northern Virginia, Friends of Homeless Animals has been serving the Washington metropolitan area since 1973. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) no-kill shelter dedicated to saving abandoned and abused dogs and cats. We provide rescue, medical care, rehabilitation, and adoption services in the Northern Virginia and Washington, DC metropolitan areas.

Hi, I'm Cardi!  Playtime is my favorite jam, and I’m all about the toys. I can’t resist a good game of tug of war! And t...
23/01/2025

Hi, I'm Cardi! Playtime is my favorite jam, and I’m all about the toys. I can’t resist a good game of tug of war! And the best part? You can reach into my mouth without a worry. I’m all play, no bite.
For more info, visit my page https://foha.org/pet/cardi2023/ I am available to adopt or foster.

Get to know Brent, one of our Dogs of the Week!https://youtu.be/eKyOLXvUikEHe's a 3 yr old, 50 lb Retriever/Black Mouth ...
23/01/2025

Get to know Brent, one of our Dogs of the Week!

https://youtu.be/eKyOLXvUikE

He's a 3 yr old, 50 lb Retriever/Black Mouth Cur Mix who is good with other dogs. If you have a dog who is looking for a friend, Brent might be the family member you didn't know you were missing.

Happy Birthday to our boy, Lambert!  He’s a 9-year-old, 100lb Shepherd mix and is as sweet as can be.  He’s a big guy bu...
23/01/2025

Happy Birthday to our boy, Lambert! He’s a 9-year-old, 100lb Shepherd mix and is as sweet as can be. He’s a big guy but is very easy to walk through the trails at FOHA, staying right by your side and enjoying all the smells. Lambert has lots of fans among the FOHA staff and volunteers and he can’t wait to meet you too! He would do best in a home with no small children and with an experience owner. Come meet this sweet Birthday Boy! To learn more about Lambert, check out his bio:

https://foha.org/pet/lambert2021/

If you'd like to meet any of our dogs or cats, submit an application (no obligation) or stop by the shelter between noon and 5pm on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Meet Steffie, a FOHA Dog of the Week!  She’s an 8-year-old, 50lb female Husky mix with the most striking bi-colored eyes...
22/01/2025

Meet Steffie, a FOHA Dog of the Week! She’s an 8-year-old, 50lb female Husky mix with the most striking bi-colored eyes. She might seem a bit shy at first, but she’ll quickly open up and become your new best friend. She loves to play, particularly fetch, she does great in the car, and she’s housebroken to boot! She would make a great new family member for almost any family. Come to FOHA and meet this lovable girl! To learn more about Steffie, check out her bio:

https://foha.org/pet/steffie2023/

If you'd like to meet any of our dogs or cats, submit an application (no obligation) or stop by the shelter between noon and 5pm on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Hi everyone, I'm Meatball!  I am a friendly Pitbull who had a rough start in life.  But for now…..here is the good news ...
21/01/2025

Hi everyone, I'm Meatball! I am a friendly Pitbull who had a rough start in life. But for now…..here is the good news about me. I am 60 pounds of love. I can smile at you when I am happy. I am 5 years old so I have many years left to be in your house sharing my love with you. People say that I am a sweet guy so that means that I will give you a kiss whenever you need one. Please consider submitting an application! The foster team will help coordinate a meet and greet!
For more information or to submit an application, visit my page https://foha.org/pet/meatball2024/ . I'm in foster care so be sure to submit an application (no obligation) if you'd like to meet me.

From Alison Maurhoff, FOHA's Executive Director, here is the FOHA 2024 Year in Review2024 was a year of great successes ...
21/01/2025

From Alison Maurhoff, FOHA's Executive Director, here is the FOHA 2024 Year in Review

2024 was a year of great successes and a year of heartbreaking loss. We came together as an organization to celebrate our wins and cry at our losses. We continue to have such amazing support of our community and are excited for what is to come in the future. If you have any questions or comments about the information shown below please always feel free to email me at [email protected].
Thank you!
Alison Maurhoff, Proud FOHA Executive Director
Animals –
● We processed 241 dog adoptions (down 3% from last year) and 180 cats/kittens adoptions (down 4% from last year) – a total of 421 animals which is down 3.2% from last year (435 in 2023).
● 10 dogs were adopted after completing treatment for heartworm disease.
● 13 senior dogs (8 years old or older) found their forever homes.
● 20 FIV positive cats were adopted. This is up 15% from 2023!
● 17 Diamond Dogs, long stay dogs, found their forever homes. An amazing 40% increase from 2023!
● Length of stay for dogs dropped 17 days in the last 2 years and cats dropped by 10 days in the last 2 years.
Animal Care Successes and Challenges –
● Our Dog Walker Volunteer Training and Safety Program continues to be a big success. Each dog walker is allowed to walk dogs within a certain color category based on the levels of training they have completed with our Behavior Team.
o In 2024, 35% of new dog walking volunteers completed our 2-part Yellow training and 14% completed the entire 7-part training program to advance to Senior Volunteers compared to 21% and 0% respectively, in 2023.
o 41% of all new dog walking volunteers in 2024 have started their advanced-level trainings.
● Behavior assessments are being done on all dogs prior to adoption meet and greets so we have better information for our matchmaking process.
● Enrichment is being provided to dogs and cats every day to keep them stimulated and entertained.
● We had 183 cats (same as 2023) and 235 dogs (14% increase over 2023) entered foster care this year. This includes regular foster care, short term foster and foster with intent to adopt events.
o 87% of cats and 77% of dogs who entered foster care in 2024 have already been adopted!!
● Unfortunately we lost a larger than average number of our long term animals in 2024. We had to say goodbye to many of our beloved friends. This was very hard on all staff and volunteers!!
o Cats/Kittens – Faye, Gamora, Copper, Phillip, Goat
o Dogs – Trini, Bella, Carson, Gabe, Gamby, Savannah, Bianca, Dan, Murphy, Addie, Hazel, Jango
● Adoption Program Enhancements –
o Fully mapped out our cat adoption process
o Hired an Adoption Coordinator to manage our overall adoption process, staff and volunteers
● We participated in 23 Dog and Cat Adoption events in 2024! Well above what we did in 2023. Each event was an opportunity to talk about our animals and FOHA!
Technology –
● Managed an upgrade to our shelter management system, ShelterLuv, in the Fall 2024.
● Started work on a mobile application for our dog walking and behavior training programs.
● Kicked off a project to revamp our website.
● Started the process to assess our Donor CRM Database
Volunteers –
● 15 Corporate Groups volunteered at FOHA in 2024 (20% increase over 2023).
● 188 new dog walkers were trained and 152 new cat snugglers were trained.
● 463 different volunteers donated over 18,700 volunteer hours in 2024!! That is an average of 40 hours a year per volunteer.
● Volunteer Hour Value – $577,354! WOW WOW WOW!!
● Board Development
o New President elected – Steve Altman
o New Board Members – Miro Liwosz, Howard Golub and Marianne Berner
o Leadership Changes – Danielle Byrd – VP Fundraising, Michelle Wright – Secretary, Ruth Duska – Treasurer
o Completed an update to our strategic plan for the next 5 years
Development/Fundraising –
● The Treasure Hound continues to be an amazing source of revenue for the shelter, supporting the dogs and cats in all that they do. This year was a great year for the team of staff and volunteers and our donors and patrons. Thank you!!
● Awarded 3 grants – Pedigree, Grey Muzzle, and Ursula Landreth Animal Rescue Fund
● 3 successful fundraising appeals, 2 giving days and 3 additional fun campaigns during the year (2025 calendar contest, kitten shower and Jordan’s Way)
● We had a wonderful time at our successful second annual Paws for a Cause brunch and Shop for the Shelter Auction fundraiser in October!
● Tails to Trails team and many from FOHA again “Ran the Greenway” again in Star Wars spirit on May the 4th, bringing in much-needed funds for the dogs and cats
● We launched a new FOHA merchandise store online with Bonfire.
Facilities –
● We worked through the year with our architectural firm Cole and Denny to complete the designs and build estimates for our new Cat Adoption and Wellness Center. We have also launched a smaller project to assess our oldest kennel Line 1&2 for possible refurbishment or replacement.
o Adjacency diagram is complete, site plan has been confirmed, estimates for the build have been received
o Awaiting design of the exterior of the building
● The roof on our largest kennel Lines 5-8 was replaced!
● Replaced the well pump after it stopped working and caused the shelter to be without water for over 48 hours.
Staffing –
● Promoted Laura Eddy to Senior Operations Manager
● Promoted Rob Sherwood to Adoption Coordinator
● Thanks to our Pedigree Grant we were able to bring on Mark Radloff as a contractor to help with Volunteer Training and Dog Behavior Support.
What to look for in 2025 –
● Upgraded website – foha.org coming in the first half of 2025!
● Launch a capital campaign to raise the necessary funds for the new major build of our Cat Adoption and Wellness Center
● Continue to increase adoptions through enhanced promotions and marketing
● Continue to train our dog walking volunteers through the Level Training and provide targeted training to support individual dog needs.
● Increase the number of adoptions for senior animals and special needs animal.
Everyone has given their all to make FOHA the best temporary home for our animals. Your dedication to the animals and FOHA’s mission is amazing. Thanks to everyone who has made this another very successful year!

#2024

Hi, I'm Valentino, a 1-year-old male terrier mix! I had a bit of a rough start to life, as I was tied to a tree for ten ...
21/01/2025

Hi, I'm Valentino, a 1-year-old male terrier mix! I had a bit of a rough start to life, as I was tied to a tree for ten days before being rescued by FOHA. Now that I'm safe, I can’t wait to find a forever home. I can be a bit shy at first, but once I warm up, I'm very loving and affectionate. I love to cuddle and will try to get as close to you as possible! I've done well with other dogs after slow introductions. I'm an active guy and would do best with older kids. To learn more about me, check out my bio:

[https://foha.org/pet/valentino2024/](https://foha.org/pet/valentino2024/)

If you'd like to meet any of our dogs or cats, submit an application (no obligation) or stop by the shelter between noon and 5pm on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

🌟 Dogs of the Week: Brent & Steffie 🌟🐾 Meet Brent and Steffie, two sweet pups! 🌟 Brent is a loving guy who is a little s...
20/01/2025

🌟 Dogs of the Week: Brent & Steffie 🌟

🐾 Meet Brent and Steffie, two sweet pups!

🌟 Brent is a loving guy who is a little shy at first. He's working on his confidence and does well playing with other dogs in play group! He's worth the little bit of extra love and patience he needs.

🎉 Steffie is a beautiful Husky mix who likes hiking and car rides. She's shy but will come out of her shell for cheese! She loves playing fetch and is very affectionate.

🏡 Let's help Brent and Steffie find the loving homes they deserve! Share their stories this week, spread the word, and let's make their dreams of a forever home come true! 🏡

🐾❤️

Congratulations to the great group of dogs and cats who were adopted between December 16 and December 18: Doodle, Eliza,...
20/01/2025

Congratulations to the great group of dogs and cats who were adopted between December 16 and December 18: Doodle, Eliza, Lara, Murphy, Parker, Pixie, and Simone. Best wishes to all for a happy life with your new families! Thank you so much to our awesome staff and volunteers who work so hard every week to get our animals into forever homes.
Adopters - we'd love to see an update in the comments
If you know of anyone looking to adopt a dog or cat, please tell them about FOHA!

Meet Loki, the timid yet lovable canine companion with a heart of gold. This handsome pooch may take some time to break ...
19/01/2025

Meet Loki, the timid yet lovable canine companion with a heart of gold. This handsome pooch may take some time to break out of his shell, but once he does, you’ll find a loyal friend for life. Beneath his initial reserve lies a gentle soul eager for affection and companionship. Loki is a model citizen on the leash, making him the perfect companion for long walks or adventurous hikes. And when it comes to treats, he’s an equal-opportunity enthusiast, eagerly devouring any tasty morsel offered his way.
For more information, please visit his page https://foha.org/pet/dublin/ He is available to foster or adopt.

** Sunday Salute to Seniors **Have you heard about FOHA's Senior Care Plan?  FOHA offers the SCP to promote adoptions of...
19/01/2025

** Sunday Salute to Seniors **

Have you heard about FOHA's Senior Care Plan? FOHA offers the SCP to promote adoptions of our senior dogs (8 yrs and older) who may be less likely to get adopted due to adopters’ concerns about impending medical expenses. Under the plan, FOHA waives the adoption fee on eligible pets and reimburses up to $1,500 in qualifying medical expenses or pet insurance premiums.
If you're looking for a pet, be sure to check out our 13 older canines who need a soft place to land in their golden years: Betty, Steffie, Lambert, Samson, C**t, Doris, Dylan, Echo, Kingsley, Marvin, Nigel, Nolan, and Oscar. (bio links in captions).
Funding for this program is obtained through the generous support of FOHA donors committed to saving senior dogs and a generous grant from The Grey Muzzle Organization.

** NEW FACES ON THE WEBSITE **One of the benefits of following our page is that YOU get to be the first to know when new...
18/01/2025

** NEW FACES ON THE WEBSITE **
One of the benefits of following our page is that YOU get to be the first to know when new animals are added to foha.org. Here are the newest AMAZING animals waiting to meet you: Frank, Jinny, Logan, and Willow. (more info in captions).
You can see all of our adoptable animals on our website. If you see one that might be a good fit for your family, submit an application (no obligation) or stop by the shelter between noon and 5pm on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. If you'd like to meet an animal in foster, please submit an application so we can arrange a meeting.
FOHA is a 501c3 rescue and all dogs and cats are spayed/neutered, microchipped, fully vaccinated, and on preventatives. Most of our animals are pulled from rural shelters to help them free up space, so every animal adopted or fostered opens a spot to save one more!

Hello, I’m Allister, a gentle giant with a heart as vast as the oceans and a frame as cozy as a mountain of blankets.  A...
18/01/2025

Hello, I’m Allister, a gentle giant with a heart as vast as the oceans and a frame as cozy as a mountain of blankets. As I patiently await my forever home, I dream of a family who will embrace me with open arms and shower me with the affection I so eagerly crave. Together, we’ll create a haven of love and warmth, where each day is filled with precious moments of togetherness. Are you ready to welcome me into your heart and home, where I can finally bask in the boundless love of my new family?
For more information, visit my page https://foha.org/pet/allister2024/ . I am available to adopt or foster.

p.s. My fourth birthday is coming up next month! Anybody out there want to give me the best present ever and help find my forever home?

Wow, it's only January and we've already had one snowfall and more are on the way!  Although the dogs LOVE the snow, we ...
18/01/2025

Wow, it's only January and we've already had one snowfall and more are on the way! Although the dogs LOVE the snow, we still need to keep the walkways safe. If anyone would like to donate to help us, here are some ideas:

1. Pick up some PET SAFE ice melt and drop it off at the shelter (Must be safe for pets)
2. Order Pink Snow Shield Ice Melt from our Amazon Wish List (https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/38HC75285C1OW)
3. Donate gift cards for Home Depot, Lowe's, Pet Smart, etc and we can purchase more ice melt as needed.

As always, THANK YOU for your support!

Update: Apologies for those having difficulty shipping from the Wish list. If you want to ship directly, the shelter address is 39710 Goodpuppy Lane, Aldie, VA 20105

Hi, I’m Happy, an outgoing canine who loves to play!  I’m also an affectionate pup who blossoms in the company of someon...
17/01/2025

Hi, I’m Happy, an outgoing canine who loves to play! I’m also an affectionate pup who blossoms in the company of someone compassionate and patient, who can bring out the best in my playful and vibrant personality! I also really love cheese and peanut butter! 🧀 Playing with my shelter mates in the yard is the highlight of my day. As we dart around the yard, tails wagging furiously and tongues lolling out in excitement, I can’t help but feel a surge of happiness.
You can read more about me on my page at https://buff.ly/3yn1r5K . Be sure to scroll down to see pictures, videos, and comments from staff and volunteers. If you'd like to meet me, submit an application (no obligation) or stop by the shelter between noon and 5pm on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Hi everyone, I'm Nelson!  I LOVE to play fetch! The second I see a ball or hear you say the word, I’m ready to play. I k...
17/01/2025

Hi everyone, I'm Nelson! I LOVE to play fetch! The second I see a ball or hear you say the word, I’m ready to play. I know how to fetch and I’ll bring the ball right back to you and drop it at your feet. I also love water and getting sprayed with a hose! I’m extremely smart, so I’m looking for an active family that will put my intelligence to good use. Are you intrigued? Contact FOHA and ask to meet me.
For more information, or to submit an application, visit my page at https://foha.org/pet/nelson2021/ I am available to foster or adopt.

Greetings, lovely humans! Mango here, patiently anticipating the day I’ll be welcomed into my forever home. While I may ...
16/01/2025

Greetings, lovely humans! Mango here, patiently anticipating the day I’ll be welcomed into my forever home. While I may initially come across as a bit reserved, give me a chance, and you’ll uncover the layers of my sweet and affectionate soul. What I’m truly longing for is a loving family, one that recognizes the precious gem I am. I’m ready to reciprocate that love tenfold, cherishing every moment we spend together. If you’re seeking a feline companion who thrives on warmth, affection, and a touch of mystery, look no further. Here I am!

You can submit an application on my page https://foha.org/pet/mango2024/ . I'm available to adopt or foster.

Hey there, I’m Pelican.  I’m a spirited and cheerful fellow, always ready for some fun and games. Among all the activiti...
16/01/2025

Hey there, I’m Pelican. I’m a spirited and cheerful fellow, always ready for some fun and games. Among all the activities, soccer is my absolute favorite, and I can’t resist a thrilling match with my friends at FOHA. I'm looking for a home with an experienced owner where I'm the only dog. Will you be the one to come and meet me and embark on this incredible journey together?
Read more about me on my page - https://foha.org/pet/pelican2022/ . Like many of the dogs at FOHA, I am available to foster or adopt.

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