Thursday, March 20, 2025

Tail-wagging Tuesdays? Here you go

Kelly Wells, senior forensic scientist with the Newport News Police Department, with Starlight at the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter. He has since been adopted. (WYDaily/ Courtesy of the Newport News Police Department)
Kelly Wells, senior forensic scientist with the Newport News Police Department, with Starlight at the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter. He has since been adopted. (WYDaily/ Courtesy of the Newport News Police Department)

The Newport News Police Department uses social media as a way of communicating with the public.

From community forums and Facebook Live chats to crime updates and #9PMRoutine reminders, the department promotes and posts a variety of content —daily.

Another thing the department has been promoting?

Tail-wagging Tuesdays.

“Tail Wagging Tuesdays is basically a partnership between us and the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter,” said Brittany Lewis, an officer with the NNPD.

Since Feb. 26, the department’s social media pages have been posting weekly photos featuring an employee and either an adoptable dog or cat, said Jamie Bastas, spokeswoman for Newport News Police.

Lewis came up with the idea to have a social media campaign promoting animal adoptions and together with Bastas — the pair created a program working with the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter.

“All but four animals have been adopted,” Lewis said. “We only try to get animals that have been there for a long time.”

Both women are animal lovers and Lewis actually adopted one of her dogs from the city’s shelter in 2009.

The NNPD plans to have dog ride-alongs with patrol officers to socialize them and get them out and about.

But for now, the department will continue to posts on adoptable dogs and cats from the PRAC and jobs with the police department.

At this time, the Hampton Police Department does not plan on promoting animal adoptions or dog ride-alongs.

Julia Marsigliano
Julia Marsiglianohttp://wydaily.com
Julia Marsigliano is a multimedia reporter for WYDaily. She covers everything on the Peninsula from local government and law enforcement agencies to family-run businesses and weather updates. Before WYDaily, she covered Hampton and Newport News for WYDaily’s sister publication, HNNDaily before both publications merged in December 2018. Julia was born in Tokyo, Japan and moved to Long Island, New York in 2001. A true New Yorker, she loves pizza, bagels and good Chinese food. Send comments, tips and other tidbits to julia@localvoicemedia.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @jmarsigliano

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