Couple Reschedules Their Wedding Ceremony to Adopt a Dog

At the grand opening of the Lorton Campus, Daisy found her family with a newlywed couple who went above and beyond to adopt her!

Eduardo and Regan rescheduled their wedding ceremony to an earlier time so they could be first in line to meet Daisy. After exchanging vows, they headed directly to our Lorton Campus to welcome her into their family. The heartwarming adoption story was even featured in People Magazine! 

In an adoption update, the couple shared that Daisy settled right into her new home and is incredibly smart, sweet and eager to meet anyone and everyone!

Wilson Finally Meets His New Family 

Wilson arrived at our shelter as a stray in January of 2023. During his year-long stay with us, he went on countless Power Hour adventures with our volunteers, had a special birthday party, played endless games of fetch and captured our hearts. 

In late January of 2024, Wilson's new dad stopped by our Lorton Campus twice to meet the beloved pup. His dad even brought along some tennis balls during the second visit after hearing how much Wilson loves them! After spending time together, his dad knew it was the perfect match and officially adopted him.

Lunch Delivery Leads to a Special Adoption

Jihoo's adoption story spread nationwide through outlets like The Washington Post and People Magazine, sparking joy and inspiring a belief that some things are simply just meant to be.

After more than 240 days in our care, Jihoo was adopted by Alan, a Grubhub driver, who happened to be delivering an order to one of our staff members at the Lorton Campus. When Alan saw Jihoo through the front window, he was struck by how much Jihoo resembled his beloved dog who had passed away. Once our team introduced Alan and his young daughter to Jihoo, they knew it was meant to be!

Jihoo has since been back to our Lorton Campus to visit and regularly accompanies Alan on food deliveries. Our staff always makes sure to give Jihoo lots of pets and love when he visits! 

Since opening the Lorton Campus, we have greatly extended our ability to serve more areas of Fairfax County, enhancing accessibility for communities that may not have been able to utilize our programs and services previously.

By comparing the zip codes of our Vaccine and Microchip Clinic attendees between our two campuses, we can see that we serve distinct populations at each shelter. While our clinics held at our Michael R. Frey Campus in Fairfax attract attendees from areas like Fairfax/Braddock, Springfield and Reston, the Lorton Campus has seen participation from neighboring communities such as Lorton, Alexandria/Hybla Valley and Woodlawn/Mount Vernon. 

Michael R. Frey: Top Zip Codes of Vaccine and Microchip Attendees (March to Sept. 2024)

1. Fairfax/Braddock
2. Springfield
3. Greenbriar/Fair Oaks
4. Annandale
5. Reston

Lorton Campus: Top Zip Codes of Vaccine and Microchip Attendees (March to Sept. 2024)

1. Lorton
2. Alexandria/Hybla Valley
3. Woodlawn/Mount Vernon
4. Annandale
5. Alexandria/Lincolnia

Additionally, 75% of Lorton Vaccine and Microchip Clinic attendees had never accessed our services before, demonstrating how our expanded reach is connecting us with new audiences across the county and increasing awareness of the vital support we provide to pets and their families.

Our commitment to enhancing accessibility in the Lorton area has led to the growth of meaningful community partnerships, enabling us to bring vital services directly to residents and reducing barriers to accessing pet resources.

Through our Pet Resource Center (PRC), we work closely with human service agencies to connect residents with the support and resources they need to care for their animal companions.

In 2024, we established partnerships with Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC) and Rising Hope Mission Church to offer essential pet supplies alongside their food pantries. Bringing supplies directly into our community through these partnerships also allows us to connect with community members who may benefit from our services, such as Lilly, a client of LCAC.

Lilly learned about our PRC services while attending a food pantry at LCAC. Since then, we have been able to assist Lilly and her four pets through our spay/neuter voucher program, Vaccine and Microchip Clinic and Pet Pantry.

Lilly wrote to us:

“To be honest, let me tell you that I am deeply grateful for your great support for my pets and for my family. In addition to the spay/neuter surgeries, we have been provided: food, vaccinations, puppy pads, flea and tick medicine to support our pets. The support from the Pet Resource Center has allowed us to be able give a good quality of life to our pets. Thanks a lot!!” 

Justice was brought to our shelter with a severe laceration on her chest, requiring immediate hospitalization. Thankfully, our nonprofit fundraising partner, the Friends of Fairfax County Animal Shelter, stepped in to fund her critical medical care.

After recovering in a foster home, she enjoyed time in a staff member's office, basking in the sunlight and asking for head rubs. It was not long before Justice found her new home during our Clear the Shelters adoption event in August!

In an email update, Justice's new dad wrote: "Justice is settling in nicely. Being an older cat, she’s not into the usual cat activities like jumping on high perches and knocking things down. She loves head rubs and warm laps, and enjoys window views of the trees and grass."