It’s not every day that Lucia Craven, a park ranger/education support specialist at Caledon State Park in King George, falls in love while she’s on duty at work. But, that’s just what happened when a report of a dog hiding under a car in the parking lot came in on June 13. She responded to the call and met Maliki, a rescue from Old Dominion Humane Society (ODHS).
“I received a report of an aggressive dog under a vehicle in the parking area, and I approached with caution,” said Craven, of Fredericksburg. “I could see he had a leash on and wore a bright “Adopt Me” bandana, which is a great signal that all shelter and rescue dogs should wear. I knew right away he probably wasn’t aggressive, but a rescue dog who was likely scared and stressed.”
Craven proceeded to speak to Maliki in a soothing voice, asking if she could help him and offering some water. She treated the rescue like any park visitor in need—this one just happened to be a canine. It took less than a minute for the dog to stop growling, and he soon started wiggling excitedly. He came out from under the car, let Craven pick up his leash, lapped up some water and allowed her to scratch his belly. Speaking to him calmly, she told him she knew he was scared and hot, but it was okay and they were going to be friends. The two bonded in the shade for about 20 minutes waiting for the ODHS volunteers and rescue dogs to return from their hike.
By the time the volunteers returned to retrieve Maliki, it was a match made in heaven and Craven was smitten. She said Maliki was super affectionate, grateful and loving. He behaved so well on the leash and became delighted when he saw the volunteers and his dog friends return.
“That cemented it for me,” said Craven. “I have three kids and a puppy at home—a six-month-old rescue--and my kids have been begging to get a second dog. Right there while I held onto his leash, a half hour after I met him, I got on my phone and put in an application and adopted him.
Craven wasted no time in integrating Maliki into a park ranger’s life. He attended his first staff meeting and became Caledon State Park’s unofficial mascot that day.
Craven said she teaches her children to “adopt, don’t shop” and how rescue dogs can suddenly come into your life and bless you when least expected—they have a super power. As in the case of her previous rescue dogs, Craven said it just feels like fate.
Maliki’s name was changed to Woody, because Craven felt that was appropriate considering how they met. When the bandana saying “Adopt Me” was taken off, the rescue dog promptly chewed it up like a toy, somehow knowing that it did its job and won him the prize.
It’s a win-win situation for all parties. Craven’s kids adore Woody, and the puppy at home is excited to have a big brother that models good behavior for him. He doesn’t sleep in a kennel anymore, either. Instead, he snuggles on Craven’s daughter’s bed, where he’s content to be part of the family.
“He’s brought so much love into our house even though it was already full of love,” she said. “He’s settling in just perfectly.”