D.C.’s Humane Rescue Alliance, the area’s largest animal rescue organization, joined forces with a New Jersey based center, creating the first multi-state animal welfare organization in the nation, the institutions said Tuesday.
The merger with St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center of Madison aims to provide resources to animals in need, assist in cruelty investigations and animal control services and invest in pet overpopulation, according to a news release.
LaFontaine is also set to lead the merged companies as president and CEO. She oversaw the 2016 merger that resulted in the creation of the Humane Rescue Alliance, the first organization to provide a major urban area with all animal welfare programs and services.
“The merger of [Washington Humane Society] and [Washington Animal Rescue League] was never a final destination,” LaFontaine said.
“…Animal welfare organizations must work more collaboratively, and rather than compete, they should share a sense of responsibility for the overall population of vulnerable animals.”
The combined organizations will further invest in St. Hubert’s WayStation program, an animal transport program that cares for homeless animals, helps animals in times of natural and manmade disasters and addresses animal population disparities.
“By enriching the organizations on both ends of animal transports, we can weave a safety net for animals in every corner of the country,” LaFontaine said.
The Humane Rescue Alliance came to be when the Washington Humane Society and the Washington Animal Rescue League merged in 2016. That merger resulted in $1 million in savings and reduced the average amount of time an animal stays in a shelter from more than 20 days to nine.
