Article by Gwen Jones, Department of Family Services
(Posted 2026 August)
Today, if you visit one of Fairfax County Animal Services’ two shelter locations, you will find bright and cheerful facilities where pets receive the care and treatment they need while waiting to be adopted. Twenty-one years ago, the reality was quite different. At that time, there was little budget to treat animals with medical issues, so many pets were euthanized. Change came in 2005 when Evelyn Grieve and Karen Diviney founded the nonprofit, Friends of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter (FFCAS). As president of FFCAS, Grieve’s leadership has made it possible for FFCAS to pay for the medical treatment of thousands of pets, giving them the opportunity to find their forever homes and live happy and healthy lives.
Evelyn Grieve was born in Queens, NY, and grew up in Bellmore, located on the south shore of Long Island. Her family enjoyed living on the water and had many pets over the years, including hamsters, cats and dogs. Evelyn’s mother also enjoyed feeding the local Mallards and Evelyn remembers the ducks pecking at the back door if they weren’t fed by a certain time. Her mother’s care for the ducks went beyond just feeding them. “At times, we took a duck who had an issue and put them in the tub. My father wasn’t thrilled,” Evelyn says.
When she was a young woman, Evelyn moved to Alexandria to be closer to her sister, who lived in Annapolis, MD. Evelyn attended Northern Virginia Community College to earn a degree in horticulture but decided not to pursue it as a career. Instead, she worked in the human resources department for the City of Alexandria, doing payroll. Recognizing her skill with computers, Evelyn’s supervisor sent her to Strayer University to get an IT certificate in computer programming.
After eight years working for the City of Alexandria, Evelyn began working for Fairfax County, starting with the Department of Management and Budget before moving to the Department of Human Resources. In her late 30s, Evelyn decided to return to school and get her degree. After three years of attending night and weekend classes at Strayer, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.
In 1988, Evelyn met her future husband, Bill, while attending a Bob Dylan concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion. The couple got married in 1993. Over the years, they’ve fostered and adopted many pets, including Eddie, a Cairn terrier who would go on to become the mascot of FFCAS. Their current dog is Ginger Rogers, who ended up in the shelter after being abused by her owner’s boyfriend. Evelyn and Bill fostered the four-month-old puppy after surgery to repair her shattered leg, then decided to adopt her.
While working for Fairfax County HR, Evelyn became close friends with her coworker, Karen Diviney. Like Evelyn, Karen loved animals. She also dreamed of working with them, so in 2004, she accepted the job of director of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. At that time, the shelter’s live release rate was 46%, which meant that over half of the pets in the shelter were euthanized. Because the shelter’s annual discretionary fund was only $10,000, they couldn’t cover the cost of all the pets’ emergency medical care. Knowing that many of the pets’ conditions were treatable, Karen wanted to find a way to pay for them and give the pets a chance at life in a good home.
In 2005, Karen invited Evelyn and Michelle Hankins, the shelter’s community outreach manager, to her home to discuss creating a nonprofit friend group to help the shelter. After listening to Karen, Evelyn asked how she could help. Karen asked her to be the president and help start the group. More members were recruited to join, and each wrote a check for $150 to open a checking account and create the 501(c)(3) paperwork. “Luckily, someone came and volunteered at the shelter who was a CPA and knew how to get the paperwork done,” Evelyn recalls.
The FFCAS was founded with a clear mission that hasn’t changed over 20 years – caring for the pets in the shelter. “One of the things we realized is you have to have a mission, you have to clearly state your mission, and you can’t deviate. People have to know what the money is coming in for and how it is being spent. We’re very much into that,” Evelyn says.
FFCAS hosted their first fundraiser in May 2006. The event, named Cinco de Meow, took place at Evelyn’s neighborhood clubhouse, and featured Mexican food, margaritas, and both a silent and live auction. “We brought our microwaves to cook the food and we raised $10,000,” Evelyn recalls. Excited that they doubled the shelter’s discretionary budget with a single event, the group continued to strategize how they could raise more money.
Year after year, the money FFCAS raised for the shelter increased; so did awareness of the nonprofit and their mission. Donations come from all over, even out of state. A group in Texas that raises money for animal shelters sends FFCAS $5,000 every year. A FFCAS handout that is sent with Fairfax County’s dog license renewals is also an effective fundraiser. “People can donate one dollar. There were over 90,000 dog licenses last year and we made over $90,000,” Evelyn says. Donors learn about the group from friends, family and shelter staff.
Along with encouraging owners to make arrangement for the care of their pets if the owner dies first, FFCAS also shares information about how to include FFCAS in your estate plan. In 2014, they received their first bequest of $115,000 from a man named Rick Collins. “Since then, bequests have been coming in steadily. It really adds up,” Evelyn says. A few years ago, they received their largest bequest to date – almost $400,000.
Since it was founded, FFCAS has given almost $3 million to the shelter. While the programs and services they support varies over the years, their mission has remained the same – caring for pets in the shelter. Early on, they covered primarily medical care for pets, including the spay/neuter of rabbits. One early program they also supported was trap, neuter and release of community cats. In addition to medical care, some of the services FFCAS currently supports are microchipping, parasite prevention, and free collars, tags and leashes for adopted pets.
Because senior pets stay in the shelter longer than younger animals, FFCAS wanted to help. Two years ago, they created a program where adopters of eligible senior pets are given a $500 voucher for veterinary care. Evelyn says that this incentive has proven useful. “So far, most of the seniors haven’t come back to the shelter,” she says.
Although Evelyn retired from Fairfax County in 2014, she continues to work full-time for FFCAS. She runs the organization like a business, overseeing daily operations while devising new ways to raise money for the shelter. She is especially interested in community outreach and networking with larger groups. Her work is supported by the board members of FFCAS, a group of motivated animal lovers who want to make a difference.
In 2025, FFCAS celebrated their 20th anniversary by inviting donors to tour the Michael R. Frey Animal Shelter. Every Monday in June, donors enjoyed food and mocktails in the training room at the shelter before taking a tour. It was an opportunity for them to see firsthand the animals who were helped by their generosity.
In 20 years, FFCAS has had a dramatic and lasting impact on the lives of shelter pets in Fairfax County. One example of this is the shelter’s live release rate, which has gone from 46% to over 90%. Evelyn also credits Fairfax County Animal Services for the turnaround. “The beauty of the shelter – the employees and volunteers – is they want the best for the pets. They’ll do whatever they can to help the pets and get them care,” she says.
Evelyn believes that the success of FFCAS is also due to a changing society, where pets are now considered members of the family. “People used to just open the door and let their pets out. People didn’t take them to a vet. There weren’t rescue groups. There weren’t places where if you couldn’t afford medical, you could apply for funding. I think the whole world has changed,” she says.
To learn more about FFCAS, Fairfax County Animal Services, and how you can get involved:
- Visit FFCAS website to read success stories, donate, and learn how you can help.
- Visit Fairfax County Animal Services website to view pets available for adoption and learn about volunteer opportunities, including fostering.
- To hear more about FFCAS in Evelyn’s own words, watch “What Youth Sports Can Learn from Pet Rescue Nonprofits,” a recent episode of the Sideline Podcast, produced by the Chantilly Youth Association: bit.ly/3R7dFc2.
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).