Animal Control Report: Puppy Rescue, Duck Tale

Animal Control officers in Alexandria deal with a variety of calls every week. Here's a glance at some recent incidents in the city courtesy of Patrick Cole, the director of communications and outreach at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.

Puppy rescue — An Alexandria Animal Control officer was called in to rescue a puppy accidentally locked inside a car on a warm day.

On May 30, Alexandria police dispatched the Animal Control officer to the 200 block of Yoakum Parkway where a citizen accidentally locked her keys in her car along with a 10-week-old Boston terrier. The outside temperature was 77 degrees and the puppy was panting and pacing, both signs of distress.

The officer opened a door on the vehicle with a Slim Jim lock pick. Once out of the car, the puppy appeared to be in good health. The owner was advised to get the dog inside and into air conditioning and to provide water immediately.

No further action was taken by the officer.

Alexandria Animal Control reminds the public that the temperature inside a vehicle, even in as much as 70-degree heat, can rapidly rise to dangerous levels. A pet can quickly suffer serious injury or death in such situations.

As part of a city ordinance, Animal Control officers can issue a fine of $200 and confiscate an animal if the owner cannot be located.

Duck tale — On June 3, police dispatched an Animal Control officer to the 1100 block of King Street to rustle a family of ducks to safety.

Police forwarded a report of a mother duck and ducklings nesting on a large, fifth-floor terrace of the King Street building. Upon arriving on the scene, the Animal Control officer found one ducking had fallen to the ground floor but appeared uninjured.

The officer was unable to immediately locate the mother and other ducklings, but soon realized they had fallen to a fourth-floor terrace.

After about an hour wrangling and getting the ducks together—perhaps in a row—the officer was able to reunite the family in a safer location at ground level.

For more information about Alexandria Animal Control, visit the AWLA website.