Kriser’s Natural Pet, a pet store chain featuring natural food, treats and supplies, will open soon in the Mosaic District.

Sandwiched between Sweetgreen and Nordine Salon and Day Spa, the store will include a grooming area at 2905 District Ave, Suite 180.

Kriser’s offers a variety of food types and supplies available for cats and dogs, along with daycare, grooming and training services.

An employee at Kriser’s told Tysons Reporter that the soft opening is slated for April 13, followed by a grand opening on May 4 for the store.

Locals may have spotted the other nearby locations in Vienna at 144 Maple Ave W. and in Tysons at 7505 Leesburg Pike inside the Whole Foods shopping center.

The Mosaic District spot is also hiring humans —  furry four-legged friends need not apply.

“Turns out corgis are adorable but make terrible employees,” a sign on the storefront says.

It’s extremely cold outside, and the Fairfax County Animal Shelter has some advice for pet owners over the news few days of the Polar Vortex.

One of the most urgent warnings is to keep animals away from all of the types of dangerous chemicals that might be around to try to deal with the snow.

According to the shelter:

– If it’s too cold outside for you, it’s probably too cold for your pets, too. Pets left outside in frigid temperatures can freeze or wander away due to disorientation. Please bring your pets indoors!
– For free-roaming community cats, you can provide straw-filled shelters to give them a protected place to get warm.
– After walks, make sure to towel dry your dog, and wipe their paws and in between their toes to remove ice, snow, and salt. Keep antifreeze away from all animals!

If a pet is found outside in frigid temperatures, Animal Protection Police can be contacted at 703-691-2131.

As cold weather sets in, Fairfax County Animal Control urged residents to be mindful of warm areas around their house that wild animals can seek shelter in. Sgt. Alena Swartz, Animal Control Officer for Fairfax County, said conflicts can happen when wild animals come too close to homes.

While the types of animals are unlikely to change, Swartz noted that residents are still likely to see foxes, raccoons or coyotes throughout the winter.

Courtesy photo

Car Keys Stolen from Hotel Room — “8125 Gatehouse Road (Residence Inn), 01/22/2019, 10:36 a.m. A guest left their room unlocked and someone entered the room and took keys to a car belonging to the guest. When the guest went to look for their car, they noticed it was missing. The car is a black 2014 Honda Accord.” [FCPD]

Va. Minimum Wage Bill Defeated — “A local legislator’s efforts to give Virginia’s 133 cities and counties the power to set their own minimum wage has gone down, probably predictably, to defeat in Richmond.” [InsideNova]

Hedgehogs Now Legal in Fairfax County — “Despite strong opposition to hedgehogs as suitable pets, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved adding them to the list of commonly accepted pets, along with chinchillas and hermit crabs.” [Reston Now]

New Local Bank Launching in Tysons — “VisionBank aims to be Greater Washington’s next community bank — and it’s gathered a group of longtime bankers with plans to launch in Tysons later this year.” [Washington Business Journal]

If you’re a government employee with a pet at home, you don’t need to worry about affording food for your animal.

Kriser’s Natural Pet, a pet store chain featuring natural food, treats and supplies, is offering free food to furloughed government employees.

“As part of this community, we just couldn’t sit idly by and watch our friends suffer and stretch to make ends meet,” the store said in a press release. “If you have a pet and have been affected by the shutdown, come in. Show us your government employee ID and we’ll give you a comparable bag of food that your pet is eating for free.”

The store has a location in Vienna at 144 Maple Ave W. and in Tysons at 7505 Leesburg Pike inside the Whole Foods shopping center. There are also two locations in Arlington, one at the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center (2501 N. Harrison Street) and another in the Courthouse-Clarendon area (2509 N. Franklin Road).

Kriser’s has a variety of food types available for cats and dogs. While you’re there, if you’re looking for something to keep the pet busy over a snowed-in weekend, the stores also have a variety of toys and treats for cats and dogs.

Image via Kriser’s Natural Pet

It’s a new week with a new crop of job opportunities opening up in Tysons, with management positions available in everything from cybersecurity to opera.

The Taste of UrbanSpace food hall that opened last week in the Tysons Galleria is searching for an assistant food hall manager. According to the job posting:

We are looking for passionate and operations-savvy Assistant Manager to oversee A Taste of Urbanspace. You will be the [general manager’s] right hand, liaising with vendors and the rest of the in-house team to ensure a superior guest experience through smooth daily operation and quality facilities maintenance.

Applicants should have experience in food management, but most of the other requirements are along the lines of “a strong instinct for hospitality” and “a strong communicator and team player.”

For those looking for a different sort of management position, Capital One is looking for a manager in the Transformation and Optimization Team. This work would primarily involve handling security operations, engaging vendors, and working closely with the intelligence and security operations teams.

Applicants should have experience working in cybersecurity technology with either a bachelor’s degree or military experience and several years of experience in various IT or system analysis fields. An MBA or Master’s degree are preferred.

For those looking for a more artistic type of management, the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts is looking for an assistant director for artistic operations, particularly for opera and classical programming. The assistant director would help manage classical programming activities at the Filene Center as well as managing the opera operations, from auditions to managing artistic housing.

There’s several job openings related to animal care. PETCO in Vienna is looking for a dog trainer or dog trainer apprentice for those interested in enhancing communication and teamwork between dogs and their owners. An aquatics specialist is also needed to provide care and aquatic life education to prospective owners and to care for the animals.

Meanwhile Dogtopia in Tysons is looking for a general manager, a front desk coordinator, sales manager and canine coach. Among the job benefits are that dogs are always allowed to come to work.

Other jobs around the area this week include:

• Babysitter — A sitter is needed for morning work in Vienna from 6-9:15 a.m., Monday through Friday with every other Friday off. The job would include getting a 2 and 8 year old dressed and ready for school, making breakfast, cleaning dishes, light room cleaning and driving the children to school. The job would pay $15 per hour and starts in early January.
• Pilates Coordinator — Equinox is looking for applicants to help manage pilates sessions at their studio in Tysons Corner. Applicants must be certified in Pilates training and have experience in customer service.
• After School Chess Instructor — Chess Wizards in Vienna is looking for tutors to teach elementary school students the fundamentals of the game. The work is part time, paying $60-65 per hour with between 1-5 one-hour classes per week. Instructors will need experience in maintaining an organized and ordered classroom and an ability to make chess fun.
• After School Minecraft Instructor — Fairfax Collegiate is offering courses teaching students basic engineering and programming, either through Lego robotics or Minecraft. Instructors in these classes should have at least one year of college experience, experience in the course material, and ideally experience in handling younger students. The job is part-time and pays $45-50 per hour.

Additionally, several of the Alarm.com jobs from last week remain open to applicants.

Fairfax ICE Arrests Higher Than Some States — “More than 12,000 Fairfax County residents are facing deportation proceedings, surpassing the number of cases in other major localities, including Manhattan, N.Y., and Philadelphia, Pa., and even states like North Carolina and Louisiana, a new report says.” [Fairfax Times]

Officials: Avoid Va. Travel Today — If you had been planning on driving to parts of central, western or southern Virginia today, VDOT and Virginia State Police want you to consider delaying your travel due to snowy conditions. [VDOT, InsideNova]

Hedgehogs May Be Legalized in Fairfax — “Chinchillas, hedgehogs and hermit crabs are one step closer to legalized pet status in Fairfax County. The Fairfax County Planning Commission [on Thursday] approved changing the definition of commonly accepted pets to include all three.” [Reston Now]

Many people like the taste of bacon, but sometimes bacon likes the taste of people.

According to the monthly Vienna Police highlights, last Friday (Oct. 19) at noon, a woman on the 600 Block of Tazewell Road reported that she had been bitten by her pet mini-pig.

Vienna Animal Control Officer John Barker said the pig was taken and placed on a ten-day quarantine, where it currently remains. Barker said the homeowner was trying to clear something from the pig’s mouth when the animal bit down.

Barker said pet pigs are not prohibited in Vienna provided they are not being raised for a commercial use. Though somewhat outside the array of typical household pets, pet pigs are not unheard of.

This summer, the Fairfax County Animal Shelter found a new home for a pet-pig named Roger abandoned outside the shelter. While pigs can bite like any animal, the shelter described other pet pigs like Roger as smart and loving.

“He’s clearly been a pet since he knows how to wear a harness and walk on a leash and generally just be super friendly and sweet with everyone he meets,” the shelter said in a Facebook post. “He’s young and still has some growing to do, and is 100 percent a pet pig. Pigs are just as smart as dogs and love to root around, eat all kinds of tasty snacks, and snuggle up in a comfy cushy bed when it’s nap time.”

Photo via Flickr/Cloudtail the Snow Leopard

Wolf Trap Animal Rescue is hosting its last adoption event of October tomorrow (Saturday) starting at 11 a.m.

The event will be held in the Tysons Petsmart (8204 Leesburg Pike) with 16 puppies, 15 kittens and two adult dogs.

The team will start collecting names at 7:30 a.m. Adoptions are on a first-come, first-serve basis in order of check-in, so those hoping to bring a furry friend home are encouraged to come early. Adopters must file an application online.

According to the event page, all of the pets are spayed/neutered, have their age appropriate vaccines, dewormed, and available to be taken home that day.

The next adoption event will be on Nov. 3, with a special National Adoption Weekend event planned for Nov. 10 — both also at the Petsmart.

Volunteers are also needed to help set up and manage adoption events on Saturdays between 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Volunteers must have an application on file with the organization.

Photo via Facebook

Painted Benches Coming to Vienna — “In honor of the Vienna Arts Society’s upcoming 50th anniversary in 2019, artists from the group will decorate 41 wooden benches that will be placed around the town for six months next year.” [InsideNova]

Free Lyft Rides for Halloween — “Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the 2018 Halloween SoberRide program will be in operation beginning at 10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27 and continue until 4 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28, as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk holiday.” [McLean Connection, Washington Regional Alcohol Program]

Macy’s Hiring for Holiday Season — “As the Christmas shopping season approaches, Macy’s will be hiring seasonal staff at the two Tysons Corner locations. Hiring events will be held from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18.” [Patch]

Fairfax May Legalize Hedgehogs — “Having a chinchilla, hedgehog or hermit crab in Virginia’s Fairfax County makes you a scofflaw, but that could soon change. The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to advertise a public hearing on changes to the definitions of ‘commonly accepted pets’ that can be kept without special, individual permission from zoning authorities.” [WTOP]

VA-TF1 Hurricane Deployment Update — “On October 14th the team was relocated to Jackson County, approximately 40 miles north, northeast of Panama City where they continue to work today. The team is conducting wide-area searches including detailed searches of damaged structures.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]