Three Loudoun County Programs Earn State Honors, Recognized As Models

ASHBURN, VA – Three Loudoun County programs were among the 40 that received Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) 2026 Achievement Awards, which recognize excellence in local government programs.

This year’s honors bring Loudoun’s total awards in the 24-year history of the competition to 37, making it the third most-honored county in the state, behind Chesterfield County with 63 and Henrico County with 53.

Two of Loudoun County’s award-winning programs involve animals: the Adult Detention Center Service Puppy Program and the “Tag! You’re Home!” program by the Department of Animal Services. The third Loudoun County program awarded was the county’s Locational Clearance Review Mapping Tool.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office’s Adult Detention Center (ADC) Service Puppy Program supports incarcerated people as they help train service dogs for children with special needs. The program is conducted in partnership with the nonprofit Heeling House Inc., which connects children with special needs with therapy and service animals.

According to the county, there is value in giving incarcerated people responsibilities beyond correctional programming. “The handlers are entrusted with the daily care and training of a service animal, which requires discipline, accountability and consistency. The program also benefits the community by contributing to the development of highly trained dogs with special skills.” So far, 13 program participants have helped train more than 20 service dogs, the county says.

Loudoun County’s Department of Animal Services (LCAS) created the “Tag, You’re Home!” to help keep the county’s free-roaming cats out of shelters and with the families that love them. The program scans found cats for a microchip, cross-checks those cats against lost pet reports, and puts the cats back where they were found with a collar engraved with an LCAS mobile number. The cats are monitored for 5 days and, if not claimed, are taken to the county shelter.

The program increased the county’s return-to-owner rate by nearly 10 percent in its first year, the county says, from 29 percent to 38 percent. This means cats more cats stay with their families and cats in shelters have better quality care and euthanasia and illness rates are reduced.

According to the county, its third award program, the Locational Clearance Review Mapping Tool, streamlines permitting for small residential projects like building sheds and pools. The application allows applicants to digitally draw any structures they want to build directly onto their property within the county’s mapping platform. The county says the tool makes the process more transparent, accurate and efficient.

Read more about Loudoun County’s awarded programs here and about all the VACo 2026 Achievement award winners here.