Article Text

A dog named Yuki sparked tears, applause and a six-figure surprise at the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation in Falls Church on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Petco Love presented the organization with a $100,000 grant during a ceremony at its rescue care center at 6801 Wilson Blvd. The award resulted from a letter written by Alexandria resident Anna Ridge about how adopting Yuki, a 2-year-old mixed-breed dog, transformed life for her and her husband, Matt Ridge.

Anna’s letter was selected as one of 10 national finalists in the Petco Love Stories campaign, which highlights the effects of pet adoption on animals and their families. Ten shelters and rescue groups are sharing $250,000 in grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.

Since 2013, adopters have submitted more than 25,000 stories through the campaign, which has generated over $8 million in awards for animal-welfare organizations.

“For more than seven months, Yuki waited patiently for a loving family of her own,” Petco Love said. Anna wrote that Yuki made the couple’s home “louder, funnier, and infinitely warmer” while teaching them to slow down, laugh more and appreciate everyday moments.

A surprise worth $100,000

Anna and Matt initially visited the Falls Church shelter intending only to volunteer through Dogventures, a program that lets participants take a dog on a short outing. Yuki was the first dog they saw after entering the building.

They quickly became attached to her.

“We thought we could adopt her and improve her life, and what we found out was actually, she improved ours,” Anna said during the ceremony.

She said Yuki brought joy, structure, happiness and plenty of pet hair into their home. Anna also urged people who cannot adopt to consider fostering, volunteering, donating or helping rescue groups promote their animals.

When Petco Love representatives revealed the $100,000 check, the room erupted in gasps and applause. Yuki wagged her tail and circled the gathering as attendees laughed.

Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation Executive Director Dawn Wallace called the award “monumental.” She said it would give the organization more opportunities to rescue homeless animals, support volunteers and work with shelter partners.

“This grant means opportunity,” Wallace said. “It means opportunity for more homeless pets, like Yuki.”

Board Chair Austin Garcia said the money could help fund animal transports and medical care. The organization does not employ an in-house veterinarian, making outside veterinary services a significant expense.

Yuki’s difficult journey

Before finding her permanent home, Yuki faced a complicated path through Virginia’s shelter and foster system.

She was surrendered while heavily pregnant to a small rural shelter in Dickinson County in Southwest Virginia. She delivered her puppies on the shelter floor the next day.

After receiving a request for assistance, the Falls Church rescue sought a foster volunteer and arranged transportation from Dickinson County, more than six hours away. Yuki and her puppies stayed in foster homes, including with the organization’s founder, while the puppies grew healthy enough for adoption.

Once the puppies found homes, Yuki was spayed and prepared for an adoption of her own. But rescuers discovered that she struggled when left alone and displayed serious separation anxiety. They also learned she could climb after she scaled the shelter’s kennels.

Those needs made finding the right household more difficult. Anna and Matt, who had begun volunteering with the rescue, repeatedly selected Yuki for Dogventures outings and gradually bonded with her.

The couple carefully planned the adoption and hired a trainer to help them manage Yuki’s anxiety. Wallace said they have since made substantial progress.

Anna advised prospective adopters to spend time learning what a dog needs and seek experienced help when necessary. As first-time dog owners, she and Matt initially needed guidance with basic tasks, including putting on a harness and responding to separation anxiety.

From a birthday gift to a permanent companion

Matt first enrolled the couple in Dogventures as a birthday gift for Anna, who loved dogs but did not believe they were ready to own one. The couple now jokes that it became the “world’s most expensive birthday gift” because Yuki eventually joined their household permanently.

Anna said the adoption improved their routine, widened their circle of friends and brought neighbors together around Yuki. The dog is not yet ready for dog parks, but she takes daily walks, runs in a field behind the couple’s home and has made several canine friends in their Alexandria community.

Matt said the grant presentation left virtually everyone in the room emotional. He emphasized that supporters can contribute money, volunteer their time, foster animals or otherwise become involved. He and Anna plan to continue volunteering with the rescue.

Matt did not know Anna had submitted the story until she became a finalist. When he later learned during a work trip that she had won, he began telling colleagues, “My dog’s about to be a celebrity!”

A rescue built by volunteers

Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation was established in 2001 by Arlington restaurant owners Pam McAlwee and Ross Underwood. Its headquarters opened in Falls Church in 2017, and the organization also operates Lost Dog Ranch, a 63-acre property in Summerduck.

The group says it has placed more than 50,000 dogs and cats in homes, including animals removed from crowded municipal shelters where they faced possible euthanasia.

Its Falls Church facility can comfortably shelter about 75 to 80 dogs and 20 to 30 cats. More than 800 local and remote volunteers support the operation, with roughly 60% working remotely. Volunteers handle fostering, technology, data analysis, social media, graphics, website work and other duties, while paid employees primarily staff the kennels and care for the animals.

Wallace said the public often sees only the final stage of a rescue—meeting a happy dog at an adoption event—without knowing the transportation, fostering, medical care and emotional recovery required beforehand.

For the rescue, Yuki’s story now represents more than one successful adoption. The $100,000 award will help give other homeless dogs and cats a chance to complete journeys of their own.