The Mission: Saving Lives

Wolf Trap Animal Rescue (WTAR) focuses efforts on rescuing high-risk animals from euthanasia, neglect, and abuse. These animals primarily come from Mississippi, where young animals are euthanized by the hundreds each and every day due to overpopulation. Lack of spay-neuter laws and large sections of rural land allow for free-roaming animals to reproduce, leading to a surplus of neglected, homeless, and starving puppies and kittens. These animals are then found and brought to local animal shelters, which simply cannot provide the care or homes these pets need in order to survive. Ultimately, they get euthanized for space or for illnesses contracted at the shelter.

There simply are not enough people to adopt.

We rescue these animals by operating a life-saving transport, foster, and adoption program. WTAR finds the pets who need us the most by employing a full-time transport coordinator on the ground in Mississippi (WTAR South), with the goal of working directly with these shelters and communities to be a resource when they cannot accept any more animals or find enough homes. These transports operate nearly weekly, relieving the shelters and communities from overcrowding and needless euthanasia. Redirecting the intake of young, at-risk animals from the shelter to WTAR allows additional time and resources to be spent on the older, less adoptable residents of the shelter that would otherwise be euthanized for space. Rescued animals are then scheduled and placed on emergency transport with WTAR to Northern Virginia. Upon arrival, they undergo an extensive veterinary intake evaluation and then are placed in foster homes until they find their forever homes through private Meet & Greets. 

Experience the difference with WTAR

While there are plenty of animal rescue groups to adopt from, there is an exclusive difference with the pets adopted through WTAR. WTAR is one of the only veterinarian-led animal rescue organizations with the primary focus being on the health of pets. Dr. Amber Burton, Founder & Director of WTAR, is a Shelter Medicine and pediatric spay-neuter expert, leading the forefront of animal rescue and transport programs. WTAR has an extensive 21-day veterinary quarantine in specialty-trained foster homes which allows for any potential life-threatening illnesses to be immediately detected and screened out. 

 The 21-day home quarantine period follows expert Veterinary Shelter Medicine protocols exclusive to WTAR.

All WTAR pets receive the best, top-of-the-line veterinary products in wellness, preventatives, and treatment while in foster care.  WTAR’s in-depth program strives to place adopters with the healthiest pets possible. All pets entering the program undergo advanced spay-neuter techniques with WTAR. These surgeries, especially in pediatrics, allow for significantly reduced surgical time, faster recoveries, and minimal post-operative stressors. WTAR’s adoption program also uniquely extends past adoption day, giving adopters 30 days of pet insurance, which covers any accident, injury, or illness occurring upon activation.

Foster program unlike any other

WTAR’s foster program is designed not only to ensure the health of the pet but also to provide people an opportunity to experience life with a pet before making the life-long commitment of adoption. This program is especially beneficial for families with young children in the home; they may need additional assurances the pet is the right fit. While some organizations have administrators who give preferential treatment to adopters based on their application, WTAR places the power of decision on the ones with the most first-hand knowledge and experience of the pet: the fosters.

Foster caregivers not only have priority in adopting, but they also get to interview and select which home they feel would be the best fit for the pet in their foster care.

Since May 2015, Wolf Trap Animal Rescue has successfully adopted over 10,000 dogs & puppies, and nearly 2,500 cats & kittens, for a total of over 12,00 animals currently rescued from euthanasia. The rescue has an amazing network of volunteers and fosters that are dedicated to helping save more lives through this rescue program.

To learn more about the results of our mission, view our impact!