Adoption

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- The owner of 94 dogs seized Aug. 4 from a home just outside of Martinsburg failed to appear Tuesday in Berkeley County Magistrate Court for a probable cause hearing, prompting a move to put the dogs up for adoption. Dog owner Leonard Woods Jr. requested the hearing after the dogs were seized from YipYipDog Kennels LLC at 1206 S. Raleigh St., just outside Martinsburg. Woods has not been charged in the case, but Berkeley County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Saunders said Tuesday the matter remains under investigation by the sheriff's department.

Area families are invited to see real dogs and cats when they go to a special showing of "Dogs and Cats: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" Saturday at Regal Cinemas Valley Mall Stadium 16. The Humane Society of Washington County will present adoptable dogs and cats at Regal Cinemas from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 31. The humane society will also accept donations of pet-friendly items such as food, toys and blankets. Those who make a donation will receive a movie poster or face mask.

Melissa Vega of Hagerstown looks over cats up for adoption Monday at the Morris' Million Cat Rescue interactive bus parked at Wal-Mart, presented by 9Lives.

Adoption is a gradual process that has undergone major changes since Congress passed the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, according to adoption personnel at the Washington County Department of Social Services. The Act was a "big thrust" by the federal government to increase adoptions so children don't languish in foster care, said Richard C. Snyder Jr., foster care and adoptions resource home coordinator. The legislation's goal is to help children waiting in foster care to move more quickly into safe and permanent homes, according to the Children's Defense Fund Web site.

"You don't need to go to Korea or other places to adopt. There are plenty of kids who need homes right here in Washington County," said adoptive mother Diana Kegarise. The county Department of Social Services is currently seeking loving homes like that of the Kegarise family for 14 children of both sexes legally ready for adoption, said Ann Pittman, foster care and adoption supervisor. Some of those children are older, have special needs, are emotionally disturbed or are developmentally delayed, Pittman said.

bonnieb@herald-mail.com A pregnant Russian widow left her 10-month-old son, Yuri, at an orphanage in the Tula Oblast region south of Moscow in 1989. The baby was ill and she could not afford medical care for him. A few weeks later, she returned with her newborn, Alexi, and left him there, too. The brothers were moved to another orphanage when Yuri turned 4, a common practice as children in state care in Russia are grouped by age. But in 1996, the brothers were separated when Alexi was moved to the Severo-Ageyevsky internat - a boarding school orphanage - in a remote area.

The third annual Home 4 the Holidays, a campaign to promote the adoption of shelter animals this holiday season, is under way at the Humane Society of Washington County. In an effort to attract attention to the animals available for adoption, the shelter is joining forces with Washington County Public Schools, Washington County businesses, Antietam Cable Television, Longmeadow Animal Hospital, 4-Legged Friends Pet Services, Iams Pet Foods and the Helen Woodward Animal Center to promote shelter animal adoptions.

The Humane Society of Washington County plans to reopen its dog adoption kennels on Thursday after closing them Aug. 31 in response to an outbreak of canine parvovirus, Humane Society spokeswoman Katherine Cooker said. The shelter has not had a case of the potentially-deadly disease since Sept. 5 and staff feel it will be safe to reopen, Cooker said. The dogs had been confined to their kennels to prevent the spread of the disease, which is transmitted through dogs' fecal matter, she said.

katec@herald-mail.com WILLIAMSPORT - Last December, Melissa "Missi" and Matthew Dittman got the call they'd been waiting for. A baby boy born in Seoul, South Korea, would be theirs to adopt. Their prayers for a child were answered halfway around the world. They had not prayed alone. When the baby arrived at Dulles International Airport on June 21, more than a dozen people welcomed him. Among them were the pastor of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Williamsport, Mark Sandell; his wife, Annette; and their sons, 17-year-old twins Kevin and Brian, and 13-year-old Keith.

Ever heard the phrase "A dog is man's best friend?" Well, don't be surprised, if you hear someone say, "A kougra is man's best friend" instead. A kougra - which looks rather like an odd, caricatured version of a tiger or a cougar - is just one of the 52 species available for creation on Neopets.com, an online world for owners of fantastical animals. Other species available for adoption include the aisha, which looks something like a cat with antennae, an ixi, which resembles a cross between a deer and a goat, and a cute bird-like creature, the pteri.

Twice a year, members of Rotary Club of Hagerstown-Sunrise go out to Sharpsburg Pike for a highway cleanup morning as part of Maryland's Adopt-A-Highway program. The program provides a way for community groups to show their state pride and help keep the state litter-free. Since the program started in 1989, SHA has partnered with more than 120,000 Marylanders who have cleaned and enhanced more than 15,000 miles of roadside.    

Reducing obstacles for adoption, decreasing euthanasia rates and increasing the number of animal control field service officers are top priorities listed by Michael Lausen, the recently hired executive director of the Humane Society of Washington County. Lausen, who took over the executive director job Feb. 4, said recently that the humane society had 142 adoptions, including 73 cats and 65 dogs, in March - its highest recorded one-month total ever - simply by relaxing the requirements in the adoption application process.

Name: Wall-E Age: 3 years old Color: Brown, black, white tabby Breed: domestic short hair mix ID: 19383723 Wall-E is one big lovable boy. He is looking for a family to call his own. Wall-E and many other animals are available for adoption at The Humane Society of Washington County, 13011 Maugansville Road, north of Hagerstown. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The Humane Society of Washington County is partnering with PetSmart Charities to participate in its National Adoption Weekend Friday through Sunday. “We are thrilled to participate in this important adoption event and are thankful to have such wonderful partners in the community.” said Mike Lausen, executive director of the animal shelter  “Through our collaboration with PetSmart Charities, we are able to make a difference in the lives of homeless animals in Washington County.” The shelter will receive $35 for every shelter pet adopted during the event, a contribution increase of more than 50 percent.

The Washington County Commissioners will never face an easier decision: In exchange for a relatively small expense, the county could finally begin to reverse the biggest local obstacle to growth and employment, that being the long-standing truth that business is reluctant to come here because of a poorly educated workforce. The commissioners last week heard a plan to offer a college or advanced trade education free to graduating seniors for the bargain-basement price of $2.2 million.

The Waynesboro Area School Board has whittled down a budget shortfall for 2013-14, preliminarily approving a $49 million spending plan that does not raise taxes. The board has until June 30 to adopt a final budget. On Tuesday, the district's business administrator, Thomas Dick, talked to the school board about an $832,765 deficit he had anticipated. He said the administration and school board's budget committee eliminated that deficit over the past month using several methods.

Martinsburg Mayor George Karos called it a “really tight budget” Monday night following a 20-minute City Council meeting at which the members adopted a 2013-14 budget that came in about $100,000 higher than the current year. There are no tax hikes in the new appropriation. Real estate values dropped for the sixth year in a row along with a corresponding drop in what the city collects in business and occupation taxes, Karos said. The new general fund budget is $14,025,000.

Hagerstown Day Nursery will hold a Longaberger/Vera Bradley bingo event Sunday, April 14, at the Elks Lodge on Robinwood Drive in Hagerstown. Tickets cost $25 in advance or $30 at the door for 25 games and a meal. Doors open at 11:30 a.m., the meal will be served at 12:15 p.m. and an early-bird warm-up for cash starts at 1 p.m. There will be raffles, tip jars and King Tuts. Participants must be at least 18 years old to play. Proceeds will go to Hagerstown Day Nursery, a nonprofit child-development center.

The Humane Society of Washington County is hoping to increase adoptions through its March Madness adoption campaign this month. All adoptable dogs and cats will be available for adoption at half off the normal adoption fee.  The adoption fee for dogs will be $75 and $35.50 for cats.  The adoption fee for dogs includes spaying/neutering; distemper, bordatella and rabies vaccinations, de-worming, flea treatment and microchipping. Additionally, each dog will receive a free ID tag, one month free pet insurance and a complimentary examination by a participating Washington County veterinarian.