Cassie Northern 
In August of 2001, the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation (LDCRF) kicked off with its creation of the Lost Dog Ranch in Sumerduck. Fast forward 25 years later, and the Arlington-based nonprofit has now rescued over 50,000 four-legged friends, including both dogs and cats. In addition to the dog ranch in Sumerduck, the LDCRF also runs a Rescue Care Center in Falls Church that opened in 2018. The foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and amidst all the festivities, it’s also getting ready for the next 25. Read on for more about the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation and this newly reached milestone.
History of LDCRF
The story of the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation begins in Arlington. It blossomed from the early services of Arlington’s Lost Dog Café owners Pam McAlwee and Ross Underwood.
The Lost Dog Café started in 1985 in Westover, Arlington. In addition to its popular food items and beer, the café soon began rescuing dogs, stemming from Pam and Ross’s lifelong love for animals. The restaurant soon became entwined with saving dogs, causing it to become an essential part of the business. In 2009, the café opened another location at Columbia Pike, and soon grew into additional locations at McLean, Dunn Loring, and Alexandria. All the locations are owned by former employees, and the café continues to spread the original mission it was built upon today.
Pam and Ross officially founded the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation in 2001, a full-blown continuation of what had begun at the Lost Dog Café. The foundation’s first project was the Lost Dog Ranch in Sumerduck, built upon 63 acres of land that Pam and Ross bought the same year the organization began.
The Lost Dog Ranch houses and cares for animals waiting to be adopted. The 63 acres serve as a spacious play area for rescued dogs, and the ranch also has a shelter free of cages for rescued cats. One of the LDCRF’s main goals is to save animals from overcrowded shelters where they may be euthanized, and this is where most of the organization’s over 2,000 pets that it saves per year come from.
The work of the staff members helps the rescued dogs feel comfortable around humans and fellow pups. Last year alone, the LDCRF counted over 48,000 hours of volunteer work, a testament to how much time and care goes into the foundation. Volunteers have helped with “animal care, adoption events, transportation, fostering, fundraising and many other essential parts of the rescue’s work.” And anyone who adopts or fosters a pet who’s been rescued by the LDCRF is playing their own part in saving an animal’s life.
These combined efforts are what ultimately led to the foundation’s second location opening in 2018, 17 years after the opening of the Lost Dog Ranch.
The LDCRF’s Rescue Care Center is located in Falls Church, and it’s made up of over 5,000 square feet. The expansion into another area allowed for the LDCRF to begin taking in more animals, sending it further along the path towards its grand achievement of 50,000 pets rescued. Its location in Falls Church also makes it more convenient for the LDCRF to connect with the local community and bring in more volunteers.
Similar to the Lost Dog Ranch, the Rescue Care Center takes care of dogs and cats until they get adopted, offering “temporary housing, daily care, medical support, and enrichment.” It essentially operates as the foundation’s main location and is also a spot for drop-offs.
Mission and Anniversary
Lost: unable to find the way. Not appreciated or understood. No longer owned or known. The definition is at the top of the LDCRF’s website page and written on the side of its vehicles. The word lost within the LDCRF’s name is what the foundation is all about: taking lost dogs and cats and helping them find a safe space where they’re loved and belong. The 50,000 dogs and cats that the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation has saved over these past 25 years is proof of the foundation’s steadfast dedication to this cause. And its work will only continue.
“This anniversary belongs to every person who has helped make our mission possible,” said Dawn Wallace, the executive director of the foundation. “Every one of these 50,000 animals has a story. Behind every adoption is a network of people who refuse to give up on an animal in need. This anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate those stories and thank the community that has stood beside us for the past 25 years.”
To celebrate the 25 years the LDCRF has been in business, a few different things are happening throughout August. For starters, the foundation will be sharing stories about successful rescue and adoption experiences on its social media. There will also be spotlights given to supporters and volunteers, and shared information about pets that are up for adoption. There will be special commemorative merch such as t-shirts and stickers online and at certain adoption events.
Get Involved
If you’re interested in getting a new pet, dogs and cats from the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation can either be adopted or fostered, with a separate program for each. You can read about and view all the current furry friends up for adoption and fostering online, as well as follow along with the different steps of the adoption processes for both dogs and cats.
The foundation also offers same-day adoption, which means you can welcome your pet home on the same day that you get approved. Additionally, the LDCRF has adoption events every weekend at participating PetSmart locations, as well as other kinds of adoption events put on with local organizations, businesses and such.
To further support the foundation, you can also donate or sign up for one of the foundation’s volunteer positions. There are options to work with either dogs or cats in particular, or to help out with daily tasks at the Rescue Care Center. For cat or dog volunteering, the minimum age is 14 years old, but those under 18 need to have a guardian. There are specific roles available for those under 18 as well.
There are also opportunities to get involved with the organization remotely in different categories such as marketing, digital communications, transportation and more. For these online options, volunteers must be over 18.
Lastly, the organization has a fun volunteer event called Dogventures, where you can register to literally take a dog out for an adventure. After registering online, and going through training if you’re new to volunteering, you can sign up to take a dog on an outing and/or spend time with them. The LDCRF reported that taking dogs out on Dogventures helps keep them in high spirits, as they’re able to connect with new people and also spend time in a new environment. There are FAQs available online to learn more about the process and how it works. For further information about the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation in general, you can head to the LDCRF’s website.
“For 25 years, our volunteers, foster, adopters, donors, staff members and community partners have stepped forward to give homeless pets the second chances they deserve,” Dawn said. “More than 50,000 lives saved is an extraordinary milestone, but it also inspires us to keep going and help even more animals in the years ahead.”
You can catch the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation at one of its weekend PetSmart adoption events or at an upcoming local event, such as its Lost Dog 5K and 10K in October.
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