Monthly Archives: May 2012

Too many kittens! Please adopt one.

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The Fairfax County Animal Shelter has a problem: too many kittens and cats. They are overflowing! Can you help and adopt one of them?

The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is experiencing an extremely high volume of cats and kittens being brought to the shelter and is asking for the public’s assistance to help save animals’ lives.  Currently, all of the cat cages at the shelter are full and the shelter is leveraging its foster program to house an additional 100 animals outside the facility.

Often when people see a mother cat run off from her kittens, they will be tempted to bring the young kittens into the shelter. Female cats will usually return to their litter and these kittens have a better chance of survival if raised by their mother. Citizens are encouraged to leave kittens where they are. Adult stray cats should also be left in place to potentially go back to their homes.

The rapid influx of cats and kittens is the result of several issues including the atypical warm winter temperatures causing more cats to go into heat and become pregnant. More people become aware of the kittens’ existence as the warmer spring and summer temperatures bring people outdoors.

The huge increase in the volume of kittens entering the shelter is coupled with the increase in volume that the shelter typically sees during the busy summer months as  people surrender their adult cats when they are moving, traveling or develop allergies. Citizens are encouraged to keep a cat they are considering surrendering in the home until the volume of cats and kittens decreases at the shelter or to re-home the cat on their own. This helps provide the animal with a greater opportunity for a positive outcome.

“We have held special adoption events, appealed to our rescue partners and have been recruiting additional foster homes to help these animals have positive outcomes, but we are hearing from shelters and rescues around the region that they are also overwhelmed with the volume of cats and kittens currently being taken in,” says Dr. Karen P. Diviney, director, Fairfax County Animal Shelter. “We are appealing to citizens to help us save the lives of countless cats and kittens this busy summer season. This is one instance where it truly will take a village to help us save more lives.”

Citizens who are thinking about bringing a cat or kittens to the shelter have several options:

  • If you are thinking about surrendering an adult cat or kittens, consider keeping it for the summer until the volume of cats and kittens entering shelters and rescues slows down.
  • Consider finding homes for cats or kittens through alternative reputable means, such as through friends, family, neighbors or coworkers.
  • If you see a stray cat, leave it in place so that it can potentially find its way home.
  • Leave kittens in place with their mother, especially if they are too young to eat on their own.
  • If you must intervene with kittens, offer to help the shelter by providing in-home foster care in your home until the kittens are 8 – 10 weeks of age.
  • Spay or neuter all tame cats you currently own.
  • If you have a cat who is pregnant, keep the mother and babies until the kittens are 8 – 10 weeks of age to help the shelter conserve foster homes for kittens who otherwise have no place to go. Keep the mother cat in your home after the kittens are adopted and ask the shelter about its spay program for female cats so no more unwanted kittens are born.
  • Get involved with the shelter’s trap, neuter and return program to have outdoor cats spayed or neutered.

For more information about the shelter’s low-cost spay/neuter program, please visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/living/animals/spay.htm.

Sick or injured cats may still be referred by phone to animal control at 703-691-2131.

Shelter information:

4500 West Ox Road
Fairfax, Va. 22030
703-830-1100

Public Hours
Tuesday–Friday: 12pm – 7pm
Saturday: 10am – 5pm

More animals attacked at Frying Pan Park

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Sometime last night two goats, a calf and a chicken were cut by an unknown assailant or assailants at Frying Pan Park. This follows a well publicized slashing of three horses at the park in April. This suggests the original perpetrator is at work again. From police:

In the wake of a stabbing of three horses on April 26, more barnyard animals have been injured by an unknown assailant at the Kidwell Barn at Frying Pan Park in the Herndon area. Two goats, a calf and a chicken were cut by an unknown object during the nighttime hours between 5 p.m. Saturday, May 26 and 7 a.m. Sunday, May 27.

Farm staff discovered the injuries around 8 a.m. when they went to feed the animals. The calf and one of the goats are both under a year old and bottle-fed. They have no fear of humans and would approach anyone who came near thinking they might be fed.

Animal control officers, detectives and private veterinarians responded to the barn and are continuing the investigation. The animals’ injuries do not appear to be life threatening.

It is unknown whether or not the April 26 incident is related to today’s crime. The horses were being housed in a barn that is adjacent to the Frying Pan Park and were not on park property. An arrest has not been made in that case and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with additional information to provide or recalls seeing anything or anyone suspicious is asked to contact Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477, e-mail at www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES/274637 or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.

Bookmark this: 511virginia.org

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While our commonwealth can’t seem to keep our roads from clogging with traffic, at least they have created a cool new web site to help better communicate traffic information, including mobile apps. From a press release:

The new system includes several features and enhancements, all accessed via www.511virginia.org:

  • Mobile apps for Android and iPhone featuring real-time traffic cameras, travel times, electronic message signs and traffic maps
  • New and improved 511 phone service with a better voice recognition system
  • Website showing incidents, construction zones, electronic message signs, travel times and traffic cameras
  • The majority of traffic cameras stream video at 15 frames per second, providing sharp and clear images
  • Reach the Beach information that shows the fastest routes to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront and the Outer Banks Expressway

Agriculture under secretary visits Frying Pan Park

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The Herndon Connection reports a recent visit to Frying Pan Park by Kevin Concannon, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Food. He visited May 17 to check out and praise the farmers’ market at the park.

In addition to visiting with local vendors and shoppers, he announced new grant opportunities for states to purchase Electronic Benefit Transfer wireless technology for the markets.

“There are about 7,000 farmer’s markets nationally, and about 2,500 of those have access to electricity or wireless connectivity,” Concannon said. “Our goal with these grants is to close the gap.”

Man convicted for downloading child pornography at work in Herndon

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It’s hard to believe any criminal would be stupid enough to engage in acquiring child pornography at work. A Silver Spring man who did so in Herndon was convicted in Maryland and sentenced yesterday.

A Maryland man was sentenced to five years in prison, along with ten years of supervised release, today for transporting child pornography from his job in Herndon, Virginia to his home in Silver Spring.

….

Upon further investigation, investigators found more than 1,400 thumbnails on his home computer, more than 23,000 images and seven videos on his flash drives — All containing child pornography.  Gualteros’ work computer also revealed more than 800 images and three videos.

Fire at Herndon Kohl’s deliberately set

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An arsonist was at work at the Herndon Kohl’s yesterday evening. Fortunately, sprinklers quickly put out the fire. Let’s hope cameras identify a likely suspect.

From NBC-4:

Firefighters found heavy smoke throughout the store when they arrived. They found a clothing rack on fire in the women’s section of the store, authorities said.

Sprinklers had activated and put out the majority of the fire.

The store was evacuated when the smoke alarms went off and no injuries were reported.

Puppycam helps nab burglar in Oak Hill

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Hooray for modern technology! In addition to using Puppycam to keep track of your puppy, it can also help nab burglars. Oak Hillers may want to install Puppycam. From Fairfax County police:

BURGLARY, 12300 block of Folkstone Drive, 5/11/12, 2:25 p.m. The victim reported she was watching via a “puppycam” an unknown man walking through her house. Officers responded and charged Steven Anderson, 48, of Charlottesville, VA., with burglary.