Animal shelter's longest resident finds new home after two years
- Sofia M
- Oct 9
- 4 min read
By Sofia Montoya-Deck
Published in the Frederick News-Post on June 12, 2025
The Frederick County Animal Control and Pet Adoption Center’s longest resident, a dog named Evan, has been adopted by a former animal control officer.
On May 2, after over two years at the shelter, the 7-year-old pit bull terrier mix found his forever home with the McVey family.
“He’s a great dog,” Rachel McVey said. “He’s very sweet, very affectionate and he listens extremely well.”
According to McVey, Evan loves playing with his toys, and particularly enjoys destroying anything that squeaks.
McVey’s husband, Dan, nicknamed him “The Evanator.”
Rachel McVey worked as an animal control officer for 14 years before starting at the Maryland Department of Agriculture, where she now works at the animal health lab next to the shelter.
Given the proximity of her workplace to the shelter, McVey often saw shelter dogs outside on their walks and was familiar with Evan before adopting him.
“I just thought that he was a very cute dog,” McVey said. “And I’m very partial to pit bulls.”
“He is a dog that is very smart, you can train him, and it’s fun to teach him things,” Bethany Davidson, the shelter’s humane educator, said.
Evan was taken in as a stray in March 2023. He was adopted briefly in December 2023, but returned to the shelter in February 2024.
At first, McVey’s husband was not ready to get a new dog. The couple’s last dog, who was also adopted at the Frederick shelter, died two years prior.
After seeing Evan, however, Dan McVey’s mind was changed.
“He figured out an older dog might be a good fit for us,” Rachel McVey said. “I already knew pretty much everything about [Evan] because I saw him almost every day, so I brought my husband down to the shelter to meet him, and it was kind of instant.”
Now, Dan McVey and Evan enjoy playing tug-of-war and sitting out on the deck to watch birds together. “I think Evan is one of the best dogs,” Davidson said.
Despite having never taken a dog home before, Davidson fostered Evan on two occasions — once to help him recover from an exploratory abdominal surgery and again on Thanksgiving to be able to give potential adopters an accurate description of his at-home behavior.
Davidson and Evan initially grew a bond as partners-in-training. The shelter partners with a local dog trainer, Peaceable Paws, to offer training academies.
While Davidson was attending the academy, Evan showed signs of resource guarding, so Davidson chose him to accompany her to training.
“I picked him because he had a need and then we kind of became friends over that weeklong period where we were working together every day,” Davidson said. “We worked a lot on his issue and we were able to successfully help him become a recovering resource guarder.”
Davidson stays connected to Evan through updates from McVey. In late May, the pair reunited for a hike at Strawberry Hill.
“Working in the shelter, one of the hardest things is when you get attached to them and you have to let them go,” she added. “Some people say bittersweet. I say happy-sad because you’re super happy they get to have that home they deserve, but you’re sad because they’re not going to be a part of your life anymore. In this instance, I still get to be his friend, so it worked out for everyone.”
On March 24, Evan participated in the shelter’s groundbreaking ceremony by showcasing his “dig” command.
The capital improvement project will provide the shelter with approximately 8,000 square feet of new space, according to Division Director Dave Luckenbaugh.
The shelter’s renovations are geared toward improving animal health and happiness. “Animal enrichment is a big emphasis for us,” Luckenbaugh said. “While the animals are here, we want to keep them active and we want to lower stress and anxiety.”
Renovations were briefly delayed in May due to rainy weather. Now, construction is moving forward to the start of Phase 1, which is the addition of a new section that will include indoor and outdoor dog kennels, an education room, a dog playroom, a visitation room for dog adopters, administrative offices and general facility improvements.
The project is expected to be completed by October 2026, according to Luckenbaugh.
Services at the shelter will not be impacted by the ongoing construction. “Our officers are still here providing field services and call response out to the public, so we are fully operational,” Luckenbaugh said.
Although the shelter recently celebrated Evan’s adoption, many other animals are looking for homes. According to signage at the shelter, the animal population as of June 3 was 93, and there is no shortage of long-term residents.
Harley, a 4-year-old terrier mix, has been at the shelter almost two years. Taz, a 3-year-old terrier pit bull mix, is coming up on one year.
The shelter is also preparing for high season during the summer months due to an increase in cats and kittens, as cats are seasonal breeders. In addition to dogs and cats, the shelter houses rabbits, guinea pigs and a hamster.
Adoptable animals can be found on the Animal Control and Pet Adoption Center’s website at frederickcountymd.gov/114/Adopt.
Comments