The HOWS Project

19 hours ago

🐾 What a successful HOWS weekend! 🐾

On Saturday, Jaleen Tocco and Theresa Tocco dropped by to check on our favorite escape artist...Beethoven. 🐕 And, once again, he found a way out of his fence. 😲 So we reinforced it yet again...only THIS TIME we think we have finally outsmarted him! 🤓 Fingers crossed! 🤞🏻 We’ll see. While there, we stretched a 20 x 20 mesh tarp over Kudjo & Apollo’s fenced area.😊🐕🐾

Sunday was “all about Bandit”! 🐕 We are happy to announce that Bandit is NO LONGER CHAINED! 🙌🏻🎉👍🏻❤️ Our group of volunteers built Bandit a 10 x 20 area with plenty of natural shade.🌳 It is so rewarding to see their first moments off the chain! And, surprisingly, we learned that he loves to roll on his back on the ground...who knew! 🤷🏼‍♀️ His entire demeanor changed once he was released into his fenced area. He was far less nervous and his tail (normally tucked) actually wagged! We live for these moments! 🥰

While there, we put a shade tarp over Marley’s fence as well as Pikachu’s. In addition to Bandit, Marley & Pikachu, Squishy, Carmel & Jake all received flea and tick prevention and their bedding was changed to fresh pine. These folks have been clients of the HOWS Project for several years. 📆 They surrendered two dogs 🐕🐕 in the past year to help provide a more manageable pack. It has been a work in progress and our education and patience is paying off. Today we arrived unannounced and all dogs had fresh water 💦 and clean areas! That is what HOWS is all about! 🙌🏻🐾🐕❤️

Our last stop of the weekend was to check in on our buddy, Tiger! He lives inside a HOWS fence that was erected two years ago. Everything is A-okay 👌🏻 with our special friend. He is much more sociable than we remembered. It seems there is much more interaction with Tiger and his people these days. Yay for Tiger! 🙌🏻 We left him some flea & tick prevention and pine for his HOWS house. His people called us “life savers!” ❤️

And finally, we rounded out a perfect HOWS weekend with a donation of 4 extra heavy duty kennel panels & roof donated and delivered (yes, delivered) by Wendy Keller Harper. Thank you so much for this kind donation! 🙏🏻 These will be put to good use in the coming weeks. We have the BEST supporters!

Thanks to our all star team this weekend: Theresa Tocco, Jaleen Tocco, Rob Loughridge, Darlene Hinton & Gabriele Ford! We could not do what we do without you!

#howssaveslives
#offthechain
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The HOWS Project

2 days ago

🐾 HOWS RESPECTS ALL LIVING THINGS 🐾

A cute lil memory from one of our Leads, Jaleen Tocco 😘🐕🐈🐓🐖🐇🐀🕷🐜🐛

When you volunteer for HOWS, you quickly learn that, though our focus is obviously dogs, we are certainly respectful/helpful/caring towards all living things. In these last 12 years of helping outside dogs in need, we have helped several dozen cats, chickens, pigs, bunnies, mice, guinea pigs, goats, etc. If they’re on the property where we are helping dogs, we will tend to their needs as best as possible too. So is true for the “smaller” of the living things... the ants, spiders, toads, worms...
Recently Jaleen recalled a memory of her very first HOWS outing. She was helping to clean up some pretty skanky dog pens, which involved removing structures and trash and such from the space. Lots of poop too. As she was raking up “the funk” she was stopped to be educated on the importance of saving the earthworms who had been exposed from all the moving of surface stuffs. 📣 Ya gotta save the earthworms! 🐛🙂🐛🙂🐛🙂🐛🙂🐛
Oh, ok, ok. Hmmm, I wasn’t aware.... 🤔

Jaleen has been with our HOWS team for a few years now, and for much of that time in a leadership position. She’s the perfect balance of dedication, kindness, toughness, and compassion. She’s been such a wonderful addition to our HOWS family and is well respected by all of our volunteers and clients.

“HOWS saves ALL lives”, says Jaleen 😉
Dog knows, we certainly try 😉🐾🐛

#howsproject
#notjustdogs
#wormsrock
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The HOWS Project

7 days ago

🇺🇸🐾🇺🇸 8 hours left!!! 🇺🇸🐾🇺🇸

Don’t forget to grab your #howsproject merchandise!! Email us at thehowsproject@Gmail.com.

#merch #fourthofjulysale #dogsofinstagram #helptheoutsidedoggies #unchainthedogs ... See MoreSee Less

The HOWS Project

1 week ago

Don’t forget to grab your merchandise! Sale ends Monday at midnight!

🇺🇸🇺🇸 Fourth of July Sale - all merch half off! 🇺🇸🇺🇸

Email us at thehowsproject@gmail.com to place your order! ... See MoreSee Less

The HOWS Project

1 week ago

A true funny lil HOWS story to bring a smile to your Sunday... 🐕🌳😂

Mark Mehlin, dog whisperer, Animal Connection manager, and long-time HOWS volunteer, was out doing his thing on a particular HOWS field/delivery day. 🐾

The team had arrived to their destination, and the team leader had announced there was rumor that Yager, the large German Shepherd they were there to help, may not be friendly — to proceed with caution. ⚠️

The rest of the team gathered the various tools and treats needed to begin their work and headed up towards Yager and his people. Mark had turned back to fetch a couple other needed essentials... separating from the team. When he began his journey up the driveway, he realized that Yager, the 90 lb *possibly unfriendly* beast, was running directly towards him! 😬
Being the resourceful quick thinking guy that he is, Mark headed for the nearest tree and proceeded to climb to safety 🌳😮

Turned out that Yager was *super* friendly 🙂 and the rest of the team had a good laugh! 😂

❤️ We love that Mark is part of our HOWS family. He’s kind and resourceful (well beyond climbing trees), and ALWAYS winning over the love and attention of dogs and other critters we visit. Everyone who knows Mark loves him!

(FYI: it’s rare we encounter an unfriendly dog... just sayin’)

Happy Sunday ☀️

#howsproject
#volunteersmaketheworldgoround
#treeclimber
#germanshepherd #dogwhisperer
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The HOWS Project

1 week ago

🇺🇸🇺🇸 As we celebrate our country’s independence, let’s do so in a way that cherishes our companion animals, wildlife, and veterans.
MANY are scared by fireworks. Let’s not ruin the party by disrespecting those who live here.

Peace, love, woof, and Happy Independence Day from HOWS Project ☮️💟🐾

#hows #usa ... See MoreSee Less

The HOWS Project

2 weeks ago

🇺🇸🇺🇸 Fourth of July Merchandise Sale!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸

From Friday, 7/3 to Monday, 7/6 all merch is HALF OFF!! 👕🧢👚

**Masks will be at sale price as they just arrived and are brand spankin’ new! But they are still a great price!! 🆕✔️

Email us at thehowsproject@gmail.com to place your order. All items will be mailed to limit human interaction.

🇺🇸🐾🇺🇸 We hope eveyone has a wonderful weekend celebrating America! Stay Safe! 🇺🇸🐾🇺🇸 ... See MoreSee Less

The HOWS Project is feeling hopeful.

2 weeks ago

📣📣 NEW VIRGINIA ANIMAL LAWS = MORE TEETH FOR HOWS PROJECT & ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS! 🙌🐾

Effective today, Virginians are being held to a higher standard in how they care for their outside dogs! And we are LOVIN' it! 👍

❤️❤️ Kudos to Senator John Bell (SB 272) and Delegate Mark Levine (HB 1552) for authoring bills in this Virginia legislative session, furthering the tireless work of Lionell Spruill's 2019 efforts (SB 1025) to provide more protections to outside dogs and other animals living their lives at the ends of the chain. 🐕🐕

These COMMON SENSE IMPROVEMENTS to VA's 3.2-6500 Codes place further emphasis on protections from predators and the elements, as well as more space for the animal in which to live:

Adequate shelter" means provision of and access to shelter that is suitable for the species, age, condition, size, and type of each animal; provides adequate space for each animal; is safe and protects each animal from injury, rain, sleet, snow, hail, direct sunlight, the adverse effects of heat or cold, physical suffering, and impairment of health; is properly lighted; is properly cleaned; enables each animal to be clean and dry, except when detrimental to the species; during hot weather, is properly shaded and does not readily conduct heat; during cold weather, has a windbreak at its entrance and provides a quantity of bedding material consisting of hay, cedar shavings, or the equivalent that is sufficient to protect the animal from cold and promote the retention of body heat; and, for dogs and cats, provides a solid surface, resting platform, pad, floormat, or similar device that is large enough for the animal to lie on in a normal manner and can be maintained in a sanitary manner. Under this chapter, shelters whose wire, grid, or slat floors (i) permit the animals' feet to pass through the openings, (ii) sag under the animals' weight, or (iii) otherwise do not protect the animals' feet or toes from injury are not adequate shelter. ❗️>>>> (ADDED AS OF 07/01/2020) The outdoor tethering of an animal shall not constitute the provision of adequate shelter (a) unless the animal is safe from predators and well suited and well equipped to tolerate its environment; (b) during the effective period for a hurricane warning or tropical storm warning issued for the area by the National Weather Service; or (c)(1) during a heat advisory issued by a local or state authority, (2) when the actual or effective outdoor temperature is 85 degrees Fahrenheit or higher or 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, or (3) during the effective period for a severe weather warning issued for the area by the National Weather Service, including a winter storm, tornado, or severe thunderstorm warning, unless an animal control officer, having inspected an animal's individual circumstances in clause (c)(1), (2), or (3), has determined the animal to be safe from predators and well suited and well equipped to tolerate its environment.<<<< ❗️

"Adequate space" means sufficient space to allow each animal to (i) easily stand, sit, lie, turn about, and make all other normal body movements in a comfortable, normal position for the animal and (ii) interact safely with other animals in the enclosure. When an animal is tethered, "adequate space" means that the tether to which the animal is attached permits the above actions and is appropriate to the age and size of the animal; is attached to the animal by a properly applied collar, halter, or harness that is configured so as to protect the animal from injury and prevent the animal or tether from becoming entangled with other objects or animals, or from extending over an object or edge that could result in the strangulation or injury of the animal; is at least 15 feet in length or ❗️ >>>> (NEW AS OF 07/01/2020, REVISED FROM 3 TIMES THE LENGTH OF THE ANIMAL) four times the length of the animal, as measured from the tip of its nose to the base of its tail, whichever is greater, except when the animal is being walked on a leash or is attached by a tether to a lead line or when an animal control officer, having inspected an animal's individual circumstances, has determined that in such an individual case, a tether of at least 10 feet or three times the length of the animal, but shorter than 15 feet or four times the length of the animal, makes the animal more safe, more suited, and better equipped to tolerate its environment than a longer tether;<<<<❗️does not, by its material, size, or weight or any other characteristic, cause injury or pain to the animal; does not weigh more than one-tenth of the animal's body weight; and does not have weights or other heavy objects attached to it. The walking of an animal on a leash by its owner shall not constitute the tethering of the animal for the purpose of this definition. When freedom of movement would endanger the animal, temporarily and appropriately restricting movement of the animal according to professionally accepted standards for the species is considered provision of adequate space. The provisions of this definition that relate to tethering shall not apply to agricultural animals.

Right now, as Hurricane Season is upon us and temps are regularly near or surpassing 90 degrees Fahrenheit, timing could not be better.
📣📣 So get the word out! Virginia is growing less and less tolerant of chained animals.

#howsproject
#advocate
#fortheanimals ... See MoreSee Less