Our Favorite Moments of 2025
We're taking a look back at a few of our favorite moments from 2025: Kitten Spring Fling, Empty the Shelters, Leo’s Lemonade Stand, and Spencer’s reunion after two years lost.
This spring, our Lorton Campus hosted its first-ever Kitten Spring Fling, and it quickly became one of our favorite days of the year. More than 600 people visited the campus to meet adoptable kittens, enjoy crafts and face painting, and see the shelter in action. Families rotated through the cat rooms and community spaces while staff and volunteers answered questions about adoption, foster care, and everyday kitten needs.
Guests brought pet food, litter, toys, and other supplies, and by the end of the day our donation van was almost full. Friends of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter were there sharing how they help fund medical care and enrichment for pets in our care, and DC News Now helped get the word out ahead of the event.
Kitten Spring Fling turned out to be a great example of how one event can both pack our Lorton Campus with new visitors and directly support the kittens and cats who need us.
 In May, Fairfax County Animal Shelter took part in BISSELL Pet Foundation’s national Empty the Shelters campaign. Over the four-day event, nearly 50 pets found new homes, including 27 cats, 23 dogs, and even a duck. Families lined up at both campuses to meet adoptable animals, complete the adoption process, and head home with a new family member the same day.
The event was a strong reminder of what can happen when national partners and our local community work together: more pets get the visibility they need, and more families are able to adopt.
 Leo came to the shelter just a few days before Christmas and quickly became a favorite among staff, volunteers, and his foster family. Months passed without the right match, so his foster family got creative. They organized a “Lemonade with Leo” event and invited the community to stop by, meet him, and learn more about our Adoption Audition program.
One guest had been following Leo’s story online. When she heard about his lemonade stand and audition, she decided it was finally time to meet him. Her family arrived an hour early to make sure they were first in line. Leo greeted everyone with his usual mix of big-dog charm and gentle manners while the family completed their Adoption Audition.
By the end of the visit, the decision was easy. Leo had found his people. His long-term fosters even stopped by to see him off and celebrate the moment they had all been waiting for: Leo heading home at last.
 In June 2023, Spencer’s family filed a lost report with Fairfax County Animal Services when their beloved cat went missing. For more than two years, they searched tirelessly, even hiring search dogs, but never found him.
Where Spencer has been all this time is still a mystery. What we do know is that, just recently, he walked through our doors. Because Spencer was microchipped and his information was up to date, our customer care team was able to match his microchip number to his old lost report, confirm the details, and contact his family right away. They rushed to the shelter to see if it could really be their best friend.
“That’s him! That’s our Spencer,” his dad shouted the moment he saw him. Spencer immediately recognized his family. Between kisses, his dad explained that they had been looking everywhere for him. “I’ve never seen him this lively,” a staff member said as Spencer rolled around in his dad’s lap. After a few treats and some quick paperwork, Spencer was finally ready to go home.
Stories like Spencer’s remind us how important microchips and current contact information are. They turn chance encounters at the shelter into once-in-a-lifetime reunions.
Avita is one of those dogs who quietly becomes a favorite of everyone who spends time with her. This 8-year-old, 100-plus-pound mixed-breed girl first arrived at Fairfax County Animal Services in September 2024. As of early December 2025, she has been part of the FCAS family for more than 450 days, making her one of our long-stay pets. In a busy shelter, it’s easy for visitors to assume that if a pet has been here a long time, “there must be a reason” and move on, even when that pet is a wonderful companion just waiting for the right fit.
Her foster family (who also fostered Leo from our story above) sees the real Avita every day: a big, gentle “house hippo” who loves being close to her people. She climbs onto the couch to stretch out between them and happily sleeps in bed at night, somehow managing to share the space politely despite her size. And she’s not all snooze, either. When it is time to play, Avita can still romp like a powerhouse, ears flying and tennis ball in her mouth, looking like a joyful gray bowling ball headed your way.
Her foster describes her as about “85 percent lounge lizard and 15 percent active.” Once she’s had her walks and some mental enrichment, she’s content to snooze and snuggle the day away!
 Avita has excellent house manners. She is fully housetrained, sleeps quietly through the night, and can be left home alone without worry. Video from her foster home shows that after her people leave, she rests by the door for a bit and then hops on the couch for a long nap until they return. She doesn’t help herself to things that aren’t hers, and even if food drops on the floor she waits until it’s offered. She knows Sit and Paw, is working on Down, rides beautifully in the car, and is the kind of dog who leans in fully for affection. On a recent outing to The Old Lucketts Store, she rode calmly and slept through most of the drive.
To help her long search end on a high note, her adoption fee is waived, and thanks to our Friends of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, she will go home with a $500 care credit at Pender Veterinary Practice for ongoing care. She’s also eligible for an Adoption Audition, a 5-day trial adoption that lets you see how she fits into your home before making things official.
After more than 450 days in our care, Avita is more than ready to become someone’s beloved family member.
When a dog or cat has been in a shelter for a long time, many visitors quietly assume, “There must be something wrong,” and keep walking. Psychologists describe this as a mix of social proof and negativity bias: we look at what other people are choosing, and if no one else has chosen a pet yet, we treat that as a warning sign instead of neutral information.
With social proof, our brains essentially use popularity as a shortcut. If a pet is adopted quickly, we assume they must have been a “good” one. If a pet has waited months, we assume other people saw a problem. Negativity bias makes that even stronger. We give more weight to the possibility that something might be wrong, even when there is plenty of positive information right in front of us.
In reality, long-stay pets are often overlooked for reasons that have nothing to do with their quality as companions. They may be larger, they may not show their best selves in a kennel, they may be a little plain-looking, or they may simply not match what most people think they are looking for when they first walk in the door.
So, if you’re visiting the shelter or browsing online and you see a pet who has been waiting a long time, try to push back against that automatic “something must be wrong” thought. We get amazing updates from people who adopt long-stay pets, and they’re often exactly what adopters say they want: already housetrained, past the puppy chaos, and the best decision they ever made, like Wilson who is pictured above!
 Simba Zippy: A Second Chance, Thanks to Friends
When Simba Zippy came into our care, he needed major medical help, including surgery to remove a chronically infected eye and treatment for high blood pressure. That care was fully funded by our nonprofit partner, Friends of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter (Friends), whose donors regularly support advanced medical treatment, dental care, and other lifesaving services for our shelter pets.
Because of that support, Simba Zippy could heal, feel comfortable, and show potential adopters his true personality. This November he headed out on an Adoption Audition, and in early December his new family made it official. He is now settling into his forever home after a successful adoption from our Lorton Campus.
Friends’ staunch support helps make stories like Simba Zippy’s possible. When you support Friends, you support Fairfax County Animal Services and all we do!
As part of Fairfax County Animal Services' Pet Resource Center, Fairfax County residents have the opportunity to have their pet vaccinated and microchipped without the cost of a veterinary exam.
All clinics are first-come, first-served and are cash only. Clinics are held at either Fairfax Center Fire Station 40 or Fairfax County Animal Services' - Lorton Campus.
Upcoming Clinic Dates & Locations
Date
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Time
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Clinic Location
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Friday, Dec. 19
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9 to 11 a.m.
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8875 Lorton Road,
Lorton, VA 22079
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Wednesday, Jan. 7
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9 to 11 a.m.
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4621 Legato Road,
Fairfax VA 22030
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Friday, Jan. 23
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9 to 11 a.m.
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8875 Lorton Road,
Lorton, VA 22079
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