Friends of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter

11/08/2024

11/05/2024

FYI - Friends Community!

The Fairfax County Animal Shelter will be closed Tuesday, Nov. 5. Normal hours will resume Wednesday, Nov. 6.

11/04/2024

Our first Spotlight of the month featuring Sweet Sacha! Thank you, , for selecting this cute pup!
Sacha (A0057006211) is a sweet girl who has had a rough start as a stray. Although she is still finding her footing, her gentle spirit shines through. In the shelter, she has shown that she can be friendly, but her past has made her a bit timid. With a little patience and love, Sacha is sure to blossom into the loyal companion we know she can be. A calm and patient home environment will help her feel safe and secure.
Sacha is also eligible for an Adoption Audition! What is an Adoption Audition? It's a 5-day, no-strings-attached trial adoption period. You can take this pet home to try it out! If you're interested, come to either shelter location anytime during open hours and speak with one of our Customer Care staff! Sacha is located at the Fairfax Campus (4500 West Ox Road, Fairfax). Both locations are open Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12-5 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays 12-7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information on Sacha and the adoption process, including requirements and fees, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter/adopt

10/31/2024

Happy Halloween! As we gear up for the spooky season, it's important to remember that Halloween can pose some risks to our furry friends. Here are some Halloween Safety tips for your pets!
1) Keep candy out of reach; chocolate can be dangerous
2) Be mindful of safety when decorating. Some decorations can be dangerous if ingested by wildlife and pets
3) Use Collars with ID tags. Trick-or-treating can be stressful or exciting, tempting your pet to run.

Stay safe, and remember, with these precautions, you can ensure a spooky and safe Halloween for your pets!

10/27/2024

Friends is at the first annual Haunting for Candy at the Fairfax City Town Square. It looks like they are having a hauntingly fun time!

10/26/2024

We are delighted to share that Friends of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter has been chosen as the Giant Food Community Bag Program Nonprofit Partner for November. This means that every time you purchase a $2.75 reusable Community Bag at the Giant Food located at 14125 Saint Germain Drive, Centreville, VA, $1 will be donated to FFCAS. Your support is crucial in helping us achieve our mission of aiding shelter pets at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter.
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10/23/2024

Help change lives by donating a vehicle to the Friends of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter this Cartober! Every dollar donated to Friends ensures that all shelter pets are given the best chance for a full and happy life. It’s an easy way to make a pawsitive impact. Interested in donating, follow this link to https://careasy.org/home

10/14/2024

And it’s a wrap! Thanks to the incredible support and dedication of our community, Friends was able to raise over $90,000 at this year’s Putting for Pets Golf Tournament! We are genuinely grateful to the participants, sponsors, and volunteers for making the tournament the most successful to date. Because of our generous donors, Friends is able to continue its mission of raising money for homeless pets in need at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. We couldn't do it without you!

10/14/2024

Thank you, Kareen Lawson, in memory of her friend Lisa's dog Cooper, for spotlighting the fun-loving dog named Kole!

Are you ready to meet your “furever” adventure buddy?! Meet Kole! He can’t wait to find his forever family!
Kole is not just any dog, he's a unique and spirited 42lb pup. His love for playing chase and tug of war with rope toys is just the beginning. Kole is a cuddle bug and enjoys being the one and only furry light of your life. He gets along with all humans- young and old alike. If they are human-shaped, they are friend-shaped! Kole prefers to be the only furry light of your life, so no other pets, please! He wants to soak up all the attention for himself. He would love an area without many other pups in the neighborhood, as they can make him nervous. If Kole seems like the right fit for you, stop by with the whole family to meet him!

Did you know that Kole is eligible for an Adoption Audition? This 5-day, no-strings-attached trial adoption period allows you to take Kole home and see if he's the perfect fit for your family. It's a risk-free way to get to know Kole and see if he's the adventure buddy you've been looking for. If you're interested, simply visit the shelter during open hours and talk to one of our Customer Care staff!

If you're excited to meet Kole, he is located at the Lorton Campus (8875 Lorton Road, Lorton) of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. Then, simply come in during our open hours! Both of our locations are open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12 to 5 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays from 12 to 7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information on our adoption process, including requirements and fees, visit: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter/adopt

10/11/2024

Thank you, Casey Whitmarsh-State Farm Agent for today’s Spotlight Pet for the Day!
Meet Buster! This handsome gentleman has a tricolor black, white, and brown coat and weighs about 54 lbs. Buster is almost ten years old and is looking for the perfect home to live out his golden years! Although Buster still has bursts of energetic playfulness, he would appreciate a household that moves slower (no young children, please!) where he can relax confidently. Do you have what it takes to give this sweet boy a happy and loving home? Come by the shelter to meet him today!

Does it sound like the sweet soul to you? You can meet Buster at the Lorton Campus (8875 Lorton Road, Lorton) of the Department of Animal Sheltering. He is also eligible for an Adoption Audition! What is an Adoption Audition? It’s a 5-day, no-strings-attached trial adoption period. You can take this pet home to try it out! Interested? Then, come in during our open hours! Our locations are open Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12-5 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays 12-7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information on our adoption process, including requirements and fees, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter/adopt

10/05/2024

Let's get this boy adopted!

10/04/2024

Fairfax County Animal Shelter in Virginia has one of the highest Return-to-Home rates for dogs in the country, with an 86% success rate so far this year. And what’s even more exciting is that their 2023 dog length of stay for reclaims was 2.5 days—4.6x less than for transfers and 7.8x less than for adoptions! ⚡️

Let’s look at everything they do to get dogs back to their families! What other steps do you recommend?

🐶🏠 BASICS 🏠🐶
🔍 Make reporting a lost/found pet easy by accepting reports online, by phone, or in person
🔍 Frequently compare lost reports, found reports, and in-shelter population
🔍 Scan all pets for microchips multiple times, & scan pets in the field before coming to the shelter (as well as research/trace chips, ID tags, licenses in the field)
🔍 Use whitepages.com to research dead-end owner info
🔍 Use the AAHA Microchip Registry Lookup website to research chips; contact all orgs the chip is registered with, including implant facility to track down updated info
🔍 Search lost/found websites, lost/found pages and groups, Nextdoor, etc

🐶🏠👣 EXTRA STEPS 👣🏠🐶
💡 Support finders by researching chips from found pets
💡 Use their dog license database (Pet Data) to search for owner contact info, dogs matching the description, or neighbors near where the dog was found
💡 Search expired lost/found reports when pets appear to have been on their own for a while; search reports for anything identifiable such as "harness"
💡 File found report & check lost reports with nearby animal controls for pets found near other jurisdictions
💡 Check for lost reports with apartment complexes for pets found nearby
💡 Contact hospitals and jails and request to send documents allowing family to reclaim, if a pet has a known owner in the hospital or jail
💡 Contact owners of pets with upcoming review dates to see why they haven't reclaimed, problem-solve, and offer help
💡 Provide free collar, ID tag, and microchip on request with reclaims

10/03/2024

Thank u for your support!

We had an amazing time at last week's Friends of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter’s Putting for Pets fundraising event! I’m incredibly proud to have been a Top-Cat Sponsor, supporting this incredible cause and helping our furry friends in need. Thank you to everyone who came out and made this event a success—together, we’re making a difference!

10/03/2024

Thank you, Cafe Kindred for spotlighting Skye today!
Meet Skye, the sleek, grey dog who is the belle of the ball! Skye weighs 60 lbs. and has a beautiful grey coat. She is very enthusiastic about exercise and play. Skye loves going for a run and chasing balls, but she loves delicious treats even more! Skye is currently undergoing treatment for microfilaria, a heartworm larva. However, it is not contagious to people or other animals, and the shelter covers the cost of her treatment. Although she is currently restricted from exercising, Skye looks forward to the day she can run freely again. Skye hasn't been comfortable around other dogs at the shelter, so she would do best in a home where she is the only pet. This friendly and beautiful gal is looking for a loving home. Consider adopting sweet Skye today!
Exciting news! Skye is eligible for an Adoption Audition! This 5-day, no-strings-attached trial adoption period allows you to take Skye home and see if she's the perfect fit for your family. Interested? Visit the Fairfax Campus of the Department of Animal Sheltering during open hours and talk to one of our Customer Care staff to start the process!

The Fairfax Campus (4500 West Ox Road, Fairfax) is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12 to 5 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays from 12 to 7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Skye's id is A0055523352. For more information on our adoption process, including requirements and fees, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter/adopt.