KING GEORGE, Va. —
Lucia Craven didn’t know what to expect when a colleague told her about an “aggressive” dog under a car at Caledon State Park in King George, Virginia.
Craven, a park ranger, decided to investigate the animal only to learn they were less misbehaving and more misunderstood.
“I could see that [the dog] was trailing a leash he was wearing a harness and a bandana that said adopt me,” Craven said. “So that was my first clue that was not actually aggressive. He just needed some help.”
But Craven did much more than just help, she decided to adopt the dog. “He made his needs known and I was there to meet his needs,” she said.
Craven named the dog Woody in honor of the Flowering Dogwood, Virginia’s state tree. He had escaped a group of dog walkers from the Old Dominion Humane Society in Fredericksburg.
Woody came into Craven’s life a few years after she lost her daughter, June, due to a rare tumor.
“There’s no perfect solution for all of life’s heartbreak, but animals certainly help,” Craven said.
Craven believes her daughter helped bring the unexpected gift of Woody into her life. Since she adopting him, Craven has also adopted another dog from the same humane society.
“It really just expanded the love in our house,” Craven said.
This story is part of WUSA’s “The Heart of It” series featuring uplifting and emotional stories. Do you have a story suggestion for Sean Martinelli? You can email TheHeartOfIt@wusa9.com with your idea.
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