An animal shelter employee’s lunch order led to an incredibly happy ending for one patient rescue dog.
On Saturday, February 10, Grubhub driver Alan Moncayo delivered lunch to the Fairfax County Animal Shelter’s Lorton, Virginia campus manager.
When he entered Moncayo he saw a dog in the front window staring right at him.
“It was love at first sight,” Moncayo, 51, tells PEOPLE. – He looked at me, and I looked back at him.
Since it was the weekend, the single father had his five-year-old daughter Sabrina with him.
“My daughter has been asking me for a puppy for the longest time,” says Moncayo. – She wanted a dog so much.
He asked if he could meet Jihoo, a 65-lb. a black and white pit bull mix that he saw in a shop window.
He and his daughter were playing catch with the dog. “It was amazing,” says Moncayo. – We hit it off with him from the very beginning.
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Alan Moncayo and Jihoo.
Courtesy of Alan Moncayo
The average length of stay for dogs at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter is 24 days. Jihoo has been at the shelter for 240 days since his owners surrendered him.
“Our staff really loved him,” says Rebecca Cavedon, communications manager for the Fairfax County Animal Shelter Department. “He went for walks, visited different parks, loved playing with all the squeaky toys. He even spent the day at our reception desk greeting visitors — and it was the best day ever, because he was so lovely with everyone who came in. He jumped would get on the counter and wag his tail. He was just perfect.”
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In celebration of Super Bowl weekend, the shelter hosted an Adoption Bowl” event for large dogs, waiving all adoption fees for pups over 45 lbs.
Thanks to the lunch delivery that led to this chance encounter, Jihoo was one of 20 dogs adopted that weekend.
“His adoption is so special. Bringing people and pets together is really at the heart of our mission – there is so much love and joy in adopting a pet,” says Cavedon. “To see a pet that our entire community has loved so much thrive with its new family means everything to us.”
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Moncayo was thrilled that the shelter not only waived the adoption fee, but also sent him home with a brand new crate, leash, toys and food.
“He’s so gentle, so loving,” Moncayo says of his new pet. “He’s such a perfect fit for our family. We love him so much, it’s a true blessing to our hearts.”
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Source: HIS Education