Fairfax County Police Department News

As the end of the 2014 is upon us, it is a good time to share a story that touched our hearts. Maybe it will touch yours as well.

Residents here in Fairfax County are overwhelmingly helpful and supportive of the public safety community. Often, they go the “extra mile” that is sometimes required to help others.

 One of those residents is Ms. Jennifer Kraus of the Franconia community of Runnymeade. Jennifer spotted a thin, lonely hound dog wandering, around freely last September 25. She alerted the home owner’s association president. A week passed and Jennifer did not see the dog again; she assumed he’d been rescued by animal control or returned home. Then, one day, she was surprised to encounter the hound, hiding in a pile of leaves. The dog looked hungry so Jennifer retrieved a few table scraps and tossed them towards him. This shy pooch scarfed up the pieces of food, but would not come close.

Jennifer began to see the dog regularly, sunning himself on a nearby hill or peeking out from a pile of leaves. She offered him food each time and, eventually, the dog approached. He still, however, would never get close enough for her to catch him. The weather grew cold. Jennifer listened to him barking between 3 and 4 a.m. each night and worried he was in danger of freezing to death. She contacted Fairfax County Animal Control and was put in touch with Animal Control Officer Enna Lugo.

Jennifer was very surprised to learn that Officer Lugo had been working with others in the neighborhood, including neighbor Pilar Alexander. Pilar had been bringing dry blankets each night and feeding him in her backyard. A number of other residents, as well, were trying to help this fearful hound dog; feeding him and attempting to catch him to bring him to safety.

Officer Lugo realized that these combined efforts were actually working against her attempts to catch the dog that was by this time affectionately referred to by residents as ‘Teddy.’ She put the word out to ask residents not to feed Teddy so he would be hungry enough that she and her animal control colleagues could devise a creative way to capture him with food.

After several weeks of failed attempts to capture Teddy, Officer Lugo arranged a meeting to gather together some of the residents who had been trying to track him. Jennifer and Pilar met each other and shared stories of their efforts. Together, under Officer Lugo’s guidance, they all formed a plan. Teddy appeared to be most comfortable with Jennifer, but seemed to prefer Pilar’s porch. It was decided that Jennifer would feed him on this porch and that if he came inside, Pilar would quietly approach and close the gate.

Jennifer managed to lure him inside at around 10:30 p.m. on December 12. Once inside, Pilar closed the gate. They were overjoyed to have finally brought sweet Teddy to safety. He was frightened, at first, and stayed very still, shaking all over, until an animal control officer came to take him to the shelter. He was thin, but he was finally safe from the cold. Jennifer and Pilar stood in the driveway watching Teddy leave in the animal control van. They were overjoyed, but also very sad Teddy was ‘gone.’ They wondered what would happen to this little dog that had brought their community together.

Meanwhile, Teddy was checked into the Shelter, where staff members scanned him for a micro-chip. Staff discovered that Teddy had been adopted in September 2014 from the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. The day after his adoption, he had escaped from his home and was never seen again by his adoptive family. They filed a lost report, but several months had passed and the family was no longer interested in owning Teddy.

Over the next several days, Officer Lugo worked with Teddy, bathing him and taking him on short walks so he could adjust to life with people. He gentle, but timid. He trembled all over whenever he was touched or petted.

A day after he was brought to the shelter, Jennifer came to visit him. She had another dog who looked a lot like Teddy. Jennifer realized that over the months of trying to save this dog, she had fallen for Teddy; she wanted to provide a “forever home” for him. Teddy finally became available for adoption on December 17; Jennifer filled out the paperwork and Teddy happily joined her household.

Teddy is so well-known in his Franconia community that the neighborhood even threw a party to celebrate Teddy’s safe, happy ending and his adoption into his forever home.

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The Fairfax County Police Department and Animal Shelter thank this Franconia neighborhood, and all neighborhoods, for the tremendous help and support they give to animals and public safety every day.

Like in the case of Teddy, sometimes it’s the “little things” that matter; paying attention to details, checking on each other, and watching out for our communities.

Together, let’s make 2015 another wonderful, safe year for all.