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Washington Post
a day ago
- General
- Washington Post
The AC broke at an animal shelter. People lined up out the door to foster pets.
Katie Boord was scrolling through Facebook on Monday evening, enjoying the aroma of the chicken macaroni and cheese her husband was cooking, when a post appeared on her phone that made her panic. An animal shelter in Derwood, Maryland, wrote: 'URGENT: Short-Term Fosters Needed for Shelter Animals.' The shelter's air conditioning was broken, the shelter said, putting hundreds of animals at risk of heat exhaustion. 'I have to do something,' Boord recalled telling her husband, Sean Clayton. 'Go ahead,' Boord recalled Clayton replying. 'I'll keep dinner warm.' Boord rushed to the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center from her Rockville, Maryland, home, joining dozens of others who came on short notice to foster animals after seeing the shelter's message. Boord left with three cats named Sponge Bob, Sandy Cheeks and Gary. The trio was among the roughly 70 animals who were fostered from the shelter this week as Montgomery County employees worked to fix the air conditioning amid a heat dome — a heat-trapping lid of strong high pressure — that brought extreme humidity and temperatures around 100 degrees to the D.C. area. Maria Anselmo, the shelter's community relations manager, said employees didn't expect such a large outpouring of help. 'Half of us probably cried at some point over the past couple days [from joy],' Anselmo told The Washington Post. When employees reported to the shelter Monday morning, Anselmo said, the air conditioning wasn't working. They called the county's Department of General Services, which found a broken air-conditioning motor that could be fixed in about 24 hours. Shelter employees set up fans and cooling mats throughout their building. They froze Kong dog toys and limited their animals' time outdoors. Employees emailed former foster volunteers for help. But they realized that wasn't enough people, Anselmo said, so they posted on social media in the late afternoon Monday. 'We're urgently seeking short-term foster homes for dogs and cats,' the shelter wrote, adding: 'Even a weekend foster makes a difference. You'll give a shelter pet a much-needed break from the heat and help us free up space during this critical time.' As hundreds of Montgomery County residents and Maryland animal lovers shared the post, people began showing up at the shelter within minutes. The shelter's phones wouldn't stop ringing. Soon, a line formed outside the front door. While the shelter usually asks foster volunteers to complete an application and schedule an appointment to meet employees and animals, the staff simply asked Monday for each volunteer's ID, address, phone number and email. 'We had so many people just show up who were ready to jump in and help that we weren't going to turn those people away,' said Anselmo, 37. After Boord arrived that evening, she said, she waited about an hour for employees to give her three cats who had come to the shelter from the same home — Sponge Bob and Sandy Cheeks, both of whom are around 2 years old, and Gary, about 10 months old. Boord and Clayton already had an 8-year-old cat, Fillion, at home. While Boord was at the shelter, Clayton set up their guest room for the foster cats with cat food, a litter box, water bowls, toys and a cat bed. While the cats were initially scared, they began playing with a spring toy the next day, and Gary, who initially wouldn't come out from his light blue blanket, cuddled with Boord, 34, a special-education teacher. At the shelter, employees worked until around 10 p.m. Monday. One of the many calls they received came from Debbie Lauer, who saw the shelter lost air conditioning while watching the evening news as she ate a chicken skewers dinner. Lauer had wanted to foster a dog since she retired last month from the National Security Agency. On Tuesday, Lauer's 67th birthday, she drove about 16 miles south from her Mount Airy, Maryland, home to pick up Princess Daisy, a roughly 1-year-old terrier mix with a white and brindle coat. 'It's just feeling like you're doing something good,' Lauer said. 'I'm glad I did it. I will continue to do it.' The county fixed the shelter's air conditioning Tuesday, and the shelter emailed fosters that afternoon to say they could return the animals. But Ilya Albert, who began fostering Teton, an 11-month-old brown cat, on Monday, didn't want to say goodbye. Albert and his wife, Jessica DePrest, had considered adopting a cat since their longtime cat, Jones, died last month. At their Rockville home, Teton cuddled with DePrest, jumped atop their cat trees and purred when they picked him up. When Albert's 6-month-old daughter, June, pulled Teton's whiskers, Teton seemed unbothered. 'He felt like he was already a family member,' said Albert, 37, who works in marketing. Albert told the shelter Wednesday he and DePrest wanted to adopt Teton. They renamed him Jake — based on the cat from the 1978 movie 'The Cat From Outer Space.' Boord returned her cats Thursday, and Lauer is seeking an adopter for Princess Daisy. About 40 dogs, 20 cats and 10 small animals — rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets and a chinchilla — were fostered this week, Anselmo said. The shelter thanked the volunteers in a statement Wednesday. 'This response has left us speechless,' the shelter wrote. 'How do we even begin to express our gratitude for each and every one of you?' To Anselmo, that starts by responding to every email and social media message the shelter received this week — a task she expects to take a few days. 'In the meantime: All animals are safe, cared for, and cool… thanks to YOU,' the shelter wrote.
Washington Post
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Boys' lacrosse Top 10: Spalding holds on to the top spot in final rankings
In the weeks since The Washington Post's most recent boys' lacrosse rankings, three D.C.-area public school programs won state championships: Severna Park, Independence and West Potomac. Severna Park cruised to its ninth straight Maryland title. Independence ousted five-time defending champion Riverside from the Virginia Class 5 playoffs before going on to win its first boys' lacrosse crown. West Potomac went on a surprising run through the Virginia Class 6 playoffs to the first title in program history and the school's first title in any sport since 1990.
Washington Post
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Girls' lacrosse Top 10: Good Counsel, Stone Ridge top final rankings
The Virginia Class 5 and 6 championship games Saturday marked the end of the girls' lacrosse season in the D.C. area. There was plenty of continued dominance this spring, as four of the 10 teams in these final rankings extended a streak of consecutive state or conference titles. Just like last season, Good Counsel and Stone Ridge finish as the top two teams after each program won conference championships. Yorktown and Broadneck affirmed their public school supremacy, while Marriotts Ridge and Riverside round out the rankings after winning state titles of their own. The Falcons have lost just three games since the 2023 season. Despite graduating plenty of talent ahead of this season, the Falcons cruised through Washington Catholic Athletic Conference play and won the conference championship for a fourth straight year. Last ranked: 1 The Falcons have lost just three games since the 2023 season. Despite graduating plenty of talent ahead of this season, the Falcons cruised through Washington Catholic Athletic Conference play and won the conference championship for a fourth straight year. Last ranked: 1 The Gators completed their three-peat, besting St. Stephen's/St. Agnes for their third straight Independent School League championship. LR: 2 The Gators completed their three-peat, besting St. Stephen's/St. Agnes for their third straight Independent School League championship. LR: 2 Coach Claire Berg led a talented Panthers squad to the first Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I Championship in program history. LR: 4 Coach Claire Berg led a talented Panthers squad to the first Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I Championship in program history. LR: 4 Since 2022, Coach Jenny Keimig has led the Patriots to three Virginia Class 6 titles in four years. In Saturday's final, the Patriots topped Madison, 16-14. LR: 6 Since 2022, Coach Jenny Keimig has led the Patriots to three Virginia Class 6 titles in four years. In Saturday's final, the Patriots topped Madison, 16-14. LR: 6 In one of the most challenging girls' lacrosse conferences in the country, the Cavaliers made it to the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Final but came up short against Maryvale Prep. LR: 5 In one of the most challenging girls' lacrosse conferences in the country, the Cavaliers made it to the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Final but came up short against Maryvale Prep. LR: 5 The Bruins continued their dynasty by winning a fifth straight Maryland Class 4A championship in Coach Katy Kelley's final year. LR: 8 The Bruins continued their dynasty by winning a fifth straight Maryland Class 4A championship in Coach Katy Kelley's final year. LR: 8 The Falcons advanced to a third straight Maryland Class 3A final but lost to Marriotts Ridge, 11-10. LR: 3 The Falcons advanced to a third straight Maryland Class 3A final but lost to Marriotts Ridge, 11-10. LR: 3 Coach Kathy Jenkins's squad won 20-plus games for the first time since 2022 but fell in the ISL final and VISSA semifinal. LR: 7 Coach Kathy Jenkins's squad won 20-plus games for the first time since 2022 but fell in the ISL final and VISSA semifinal. LR: 7 The Mavericks dethroned Severna Park atop Maryland Class 3A by defeating the Falcons, 11-10, in the championship game. LR: 10 The Mavericks dethroned Severna Park atop Maryland Class 3A by defeating the Falcons, 11-10, in the championship game. LR: 10 The Rams stormed back in the Virginia Class 5 final Saturday to beat powerhouse Douglas Freeman and win their first state title since 2018. LR: NR Dropped out: No. 9 Glenelg The Rams stormed back in the Virginia Class 5 final Saturday to beat powerhouse Douglas Freeman and win their first state title since 2018. LR: NR Dropped out: No. 9 Glenelg
Washington Post
09-06-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Half of D.C. public students will soon be barred from using phones in school
Students in D.C. Public Schools will no longer be permitted to use their cellphones during the school day starting this fall, the system's chancellor said. The 52,000-student district, which enrolls more than half the public school students in the city, is the latest in the D.C. area to attempt to restrict phone usage. It joins schools in several states — including Virginia, California and Florida — that have adopted similar policies amid growing concerns over how the devices could affect students' mental health.
Washington Post
30-05-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
Why D.C. should brace for a brutally hot and humid summer
The D.C. area is accustomed to punishing summer heat and humidity. But this year, we expect that combination to be particularly oppressive and on par with some of our steamiest summers on record. The heat may come as a shock considering how cool late May has been. Every day since May 20 has been chiller than normal.
