Richmond SPCA Blog

Adoption Center News: Week of Feb. 20-26

We are pleased to report that we sent 23 cats and 25 dogs to loving homes last week! Our goal this week is to help 60 homeless pets get adopted. Help save lives by taking our "Meet Your Match" survey here, then go view a sampling of available cats and dogs on our website or come to visit our Robins-Starr Humane Center!

Adopting from the Richmond SPCA is always a great value with each adoption including the pet’s spay or neuter surgery, all age appropriate vaccinations and microchipping. Throughout the month of March take advantage of addional weekly discounts which will include 15 percent off all dog adoptions on "Waggin' Wednesdays" and 15 percent off all cat adoptions on "Feline Fridays." 

Off-site adoptions: There aren't any off-site adoptions scheduled for this week, but you can always find our cats awaiting adoption at the PETCO stores in Short Pump and on Staples Mill Road. 

Cats adopted this week: Alec, Mulder, Scott, Micke, Mercy, Aden, Ellery, Lizzy, Norah, Jillian, Manny, Marius, Moon, Colby, Lawrence, Roger, Dominic, Dillan, Gracie, Priscilla, Elizabeth, Figaro, Shadow, Viola, Kali, Smokey

Dogs adopted this week:  Lola, Walker, Fabricio, Biscuit, Rudolph, Adele, Emma, Cleo, Chuck, Courtney, Rocky, Ivy, Millie, Sable, April, Yasmine, Ripley, David, Izzy, Jordan, Artie, Rachel, Ethan

Adoption Center Hours: 
Monday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
Tuesday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m.

Adoption Center Location: 
2519 Hermitage Road Richmond, VA 23220

Adoption Center Phone Number: 804-521-1307

More ways to share: 
At the bottom of each of our blog posts is a footer with various sharing options. You're probably used to seeing the Facebook "like" button, and Google's +1. The newest addition is "Pin it," allowing Pinterest users to collect and share the things they find inspiring across the web. What's more inspiring than helping homeless pets? Find out more about Pinterest here. 

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To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

Richmond SPCA's head feline offers to host feline debate for VA Senate race

A cat named Hank has entered the Virginia Senate race, and he's making national headlines. 

The latest development is the Allen Campaign's introduction of Cisco, cat coalition co-chair. 

The Richmond SPCA offers to host a debate between Hank and Cisco. We're eagerly awaiting the Kaine campaign's announcement of its own feline representative. The debate will be moderated by Dumbledore Starr, who has overseen the Richmond SPCA administration and media relations for years. 

Dumbledore intends to include the following topics for debate: 

• The constitutionality of a requirement of an ultrasound before spay/neuter surgery
• Whether a bailout of the catnip producers was a wise move
• How to further reduce the cat unemployment rate and increase the amount of daily naptime
• Whether the tax rate on families with more than one cat should be reduced and whether the tax rate on families with dogs should be increased

We ask Hank and Cisco to give us their available dates as soon as possible. In the meantime, Dumbledore encourages you to like Hank for Senate on Facebook. 

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Update: We've gotten confirmation via Twitter that Hank will participate in the debate. (3:35 p.m, Feb. 29)

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Dumbledore Starr is chief of feline operations at the Richmond SPCA. His staff blogs and moderates comments for him without disturbing his naptime. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

Felix's tale of adventure has a happy ending thanks to a microchip

The cat pictured to the left is Felix. It is because of a tiny microchip, smaller than a grain of rice, that I know his name. Without that microchip, his story may have turned out much differently. 

I met Felix last Friday afternoon, but he had been missing from home for 11 days before he had the fortune to take up temporary residence near the WRIC 8 News studios, where he met with a few good Samaritans. It was at WRIC that three pet lovers showed this handsome black cat hospitality and compassion. It was reporter Kim Schumacher who discovered a lonely, friendly cat on Thursday, Feb. 23. Along with Kim, producer Jacqui Sweigart helped get him food, water and a bed for the night, and the next morning, anchor Amy Lacey called us at the Richmond SPCA for advice. 

Since he had shown up at the station so abruptly, they assumed their new friend had been abandoned, and with a storm system moving in, they worried about providing the cat shelter for the night. We urged them to bring him to our Robins-Starr Humane Center so we could check for a microchip, which is what Amy did on Friday afternoon. Clarissa, from our admissions team, greeted Amy and took the cat (in a carrier on loan from Jacqui's cat). 

Our staff rejoiced after scanning him and finding a registered microchip, and they found from the database that the cat's name was Felix and that his owners did not live far from the WRIC station in northern Chesterfield County. Amy, Kim and Jacqui got to take part in a joyous reunion later on Friday evening. Amy reported, "His owner was practically in tears." After so many days away from home, they did not know if they would see Felix again. 

Microchips are essential. As part of our Dog Jog and 5K Run on March 24, we will host an affordable microchip clinic. For only $20, pets can be microchipped by staff from the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center at the Pet Wellness tent in our vendor fair. The chips will be registered with the 24PetWatch database, providing added reassurance to their families that shoud they ever stray, they can have the same happy ending as Felix. 

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Tabitha Frizzell Hanes is the director of communications at the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.  

Support for the Clinic for Compassionate Care

Editor's note: In addition to the wonderful comments on Tuesday’s blog, where we announced the March 5 opening of the Clinic for Compassionate Care, many of our supporters have emailed us, all conveying their enthusiasm for these much-needed new services. We wanted to share a few of those messages with you.

This is wonderful news. Our area desperately needs a low cost clinic for our loved ones in situations where money is limited. I am employed by a vet clinic and I will tell them about the new facility as we have clients who are financially limited and we often try to find a place for them to take their pets that is low cost.

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I would like to say thank you for all you do!!!!!!!!!!! I am on 100% disability and you have helped me before. I refuse to let any animal to be left behind.

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Thank you for providing this service. So many people have to decide if they can afford to keep their pets. During rough times our pets become more important for our own well-being.

I no longer live in your area. My vets have actually lowered their prices so their patients can afford to stay healthy.

When I lived in Richmond, for 18 years, all my big furry friends came from the Richmond SPCA – even the purebreds. Thanks for providing me with so much love.

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It’s such needed great news. My pet is getting older and vet costs have worried me. I feel for those who have lost their jobs or who have children to feed and educate. Now our best friends have a safety net and a promise for a longer life.

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My husband was out of work for a year and a half and he now has a very low paying job,(but it's a job). Because of this we are so far behind in our bills we have a hard time deciding what comes first. We have a Rottweiller mix we got there over 10 years ago that is now suffering with diabetes. I give him insulin twice a day, but due to our finances, we [have been] unable to keep him up with vet visits.

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I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your newsletters – I never cease to be impressed with the work you are doing. These communications are always so wonderfully well-written and to the point. I am proud to be a supporter of such a forward-thinking organization. Keep up the good work – YOU are the real heroes here. Many thanks!

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To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

Related links:
Clinic homepage
Qualifications to become a client
Meet the clinic staff
Contact the Clinic for Compassionate Care
Frequently asked questions

Adoption Center News: Week of Feb. 13-19

Although we will miss her, we are very happy to announce that this week one of our special needs senior pets, an 8-year-old maltese named Penelope, was happily placed in her new home after patiently waiting a long time to meet her soul mate! Overall, 57 pets – 33 dogs and 24 cats – each found loving homes this week! Our goal this week is to help 60 homeless pets get adopted. Help save lives by visiting our Robins-Starr Humane Center to adopt or by being an ambassador for adoption and spreading the word to friends and family about the wonderful pets here in need of permanent homes.

Adopting from the Richmond SPCA is a great value. Along with a lifetime of love and companionship, each adoption includes the pet’s spay or neuter surgery, all age appropriate vaccinations and microchipping. Take our "Meet Your Match" survey here, then go view a sampling of available cats and dogs on our website or come to visit our Robins-Starr Humane Center!     

Off-site adoptions: 
On Saturday, Feb. 25, the Tail Wag’N will be at the Kids Expo at the Richmond Raceway Complex from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and you can always find our cats awaiting adoption at the PETCO stores in Short Pump and on Staples Mill Road. 

Cats adopted this week: Weezy. Fallon, Selma, Martin, Barnard, Cersei, Venus, Callie, Reese, Lulu, Tatiana, Houston, Princess, Monty, Oswald, Grady, Mckayla, Keke, Glenda, Boots, Lucy, Claudia, Kara, Cindy

Dogs adopted this week: Nancy, CoCo, Penelope, Necie, Ralphie, Archie, Joelene, Blair, Alfonzo, Fonzie, Torch, Tilly, Zip, Serenity, Sonny, Molly, Cody, Carmen, Hattie, Ivy, Marley, Gander, Hollie, Tyson, Armani, Abby, Cooper, Domino, Horace, Cora, Candy, Bruce, Maya, 

Adoption Center Hours: 
Monday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
Tuesday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m.

Adoption Center Location: 
2519 Hermitage Road Richmond, VA 23220

Adoption Center Phone Number: 804-521-1307

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To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name. 

Clinic for Compassionate Care will offer pets affordable care they can’t afford to do without

Today we made an announcement to the media that we are very excited about, and I wanted to share this news directly with those of you who read our blog. The Richmond SPCA will open the Clinic for Compassionate Care on March 5, providing full-service veterinary care by appointment to the pets of low-income guardians, pets adopted from the Richmond SPCA on or after March 5, pets referred to the clinic by another veterinarian, and pets in government shelters on a low-cost, high-quality basis.

This is the most recent in the many groundbreaking advances for the well being of animals that the Richmond SPCA has made. Since our founding in 1891, we have always been on the forefront of positive change and have pushed both our community, and the animal welfare field nationwide, to adopt new approaches and to let go of outdated notions in order to save more animal lives. Playing that role is not always easy because ours is a field that resists change. Well, when you think about it, what field does not resist change? Maybe some high-tech fields do not, but most of them resist change because people resist change.

Offering low-cost, high-quality veterinary care for pets of low-income guardians is a new and novel approach that has not been done in our community or in many other communities in the US. We know that many companion animals desperately need us to do this for them. There are many of them who are beloved members of families that simply cannot afford to provide their pets with the veterinary care they need. The result is that many pets suffer and die needlessly and many people are faced with the misery of relinquishing or euthanizing a beloved pet with a treatable ailment. This has been confirmed in empirical research that was done for us by Alan Newman Research and in our own experience with the Wellness Clinic we have operated since 2009. We do not in any way fault the veterinary community for this circumstance because they must make enough to pay the expenses of their clinics and to provide themselves and their families with a reasonable living. Veterinary practices are regularly faced with the difficult situation of a pet in need of expensive treatment and a guardian who cannot afford it. The Clinic for Compassionate Care will provide them with an alternative to offer the guardian.

The Richmond SPCA’s role is to save animal lives, advocate for their well being and make sure that more cats and dogs find good homes where they will be loved. Our new Clinic will be a great tool in accomplishing these goals. Our Smoky’s Spay/Neuter Clinic will continue to do its great work providing sterilization surgeries for our pets available for adoption, feral cats, pets adopted from other shelters, and pets of clients of the Clinic for Compassionate Care. The reception office, which may be reached by calling 804-521-1330, will begin taking calls for appointments and other information February 27. In the meantime, please visit the Clinic for Compassionate Care website at www.richmondspca.org/clinic for more details.

We are proud to be that rare organization that does not see obstacles as insurmountable, is not mired in the status quo and does not fear forging a new way. We act with energy and guts because the animals count on us for their lives.

Robin Robertson Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

Alumni feature: Reba-Jane goes country, loving every minute in her new home

Editor’s note: Our adoption counselors call and send post cards to our adoptive families to follow up on how each pet is doing in his or her new home. We always love when we get detailed replies and wanted to share this one about Reba.

I received your postcard about my adoption of Reba and wanted to touch base with you concerning how things are going.

You had asked if we stayed with our "Wild West" theme in naming her. Well, we have Wyatt Earp (a Shih-Tzu) and Annie Oakley (a Himalayan), and as for Reba, we officially named her Calamity Jane, but we're actually calling her Reba-Jane (could she sound any more country?! haha).  Poor little thing, I know she was found in the city, but we're country-fying her quickly!  She seems quite taken with sitting in the window seat watching the chickens, roosters and guinneas in the yard, so I think it's going well. :)

I've attached some pictures. The first one is of her under my bed where she likes to go when she's unsure who's around. The second picture is of her playing with the laser light (you can barely see the red dot on the bed) with Annie (this is how my husband got them to be friends). The third picture is of her on the cat play land my husband built.

Reba-Jane is an absolute doll baby! She's still unsure about the other pets in the house because she doesn't trust them – can't blame her considering that Annie treated her pretty badly the first couple of days she was home. They still swap an occasional hiss and smack, but they also lie around the house together and work their chorus of meows when it's feeding time.

She loves a lot of attention and will let you pet her forever. She loves for someone to rub her between the eyes and stretches her neck and closes her eyes when you hit the "right spot.”  Every night she gets in bed with my husband and me and she does some kind of suckling and kneading thing – first on David's arm and then on mine. David looked this behavior up online and read that it means she's accepting us as "parents." If that's the case, wonderful!

Thank you so much for a wonderful adoption experience.  Everything from the facility (which is WAY cool) to the staff (who could not have been kinder) was absolutely perfect!!!  I appreciate the honesty, knowledge and expertise offered every step of the way.

I look forward to adopting with the Richmond SPCA again and have recommended you guys to everyone I know.

Tina Pollard and her family adopted Reba (aka Calamity Jane) on Dec. 16, 2011. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name. 

Adoption Center News: Week of Feb. 6-12

What better timing than Valentine's Day to report that 42 of our pets -- 27 dogs and 15 cats who were formerly homeless -- now have loving homes to call their own? Last week was great for adoptions, and we are eager to top it with another successful adoption week. We want to see 70 pets meet their soul mates at our Robins-Starr Humane Center this week!

Adoption special:
Be Mine: Find Your Soul Mate! All adoptions are discounted by 25% through Friday, Feb. 17. There's no better time to find true love in a new four-legged best friend. All pets go home spayed or neutered, microchipped and up to date on age-appropriate vaccinations. View a sampling of available cats and dogs on our website or come to visit our Robins-Starr Humane Center!  

Meet Your Match:
Last week we told you that our highly successful "Meet Your Match" adoption program had received national coverage. The Associated Press story has since been picked up by Jezebel and USA Today, and locally by WTVR CBS 6. You can find our "Meet Your Match" survey here.  

Off-site adoptions: 
There are no Tail Wag’N events planned this week, but you can always find our cats awaiting adoption at the PETCO stores in Short Pump and on Staples Mill Road. 

Cats adopted this week: 
Vincent, Blackberry, Hayden, Lyla, Tommy, Jupiter, Oreo, Benny, Dandy, Allie, Bernie, Drake, Cassidy, Becka, Midas

Dogs adopted this week: 
Neville, Hillary, Eleanor, Arnold, Savannah, David, Mell, Jasmine, Olivia, Cash, Gibson, Lilo, Amanda, Gavin, Ruby, Daniel, Maddie, Delia, Bridget, Trixie, Miley, Noble, Molly, Bernstein, Sam, Clay, Zora

Adoption Center Hours: 
Monday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
Tuesday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m.

Adoption Center Location: 
2519 Hermitage Road Richmond, VA 23220

Adoption Center Phone Number: 804-521-1307

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To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name. 

"Teamwork" is the name of the game at the 10th annual Dog Jog and 5k Run

My family and I have been participating in the Richmond SPCA Dog Jog for several years now.  It is one of our favorite events. What could be better than hundreds of dogs and their humans proudly taking to the streets of Richmond?  While this event is always a blast, it is even more fun when you join a team!  We formed our team “Nemo’s Brat Pack” in 2008, and it has been going strong ever since.

I know creating a team sounds daunting, but it is not!  Not only is it easy, but you can put your creativity and passion for animal welfare to good use. There are groups that have drawn inspiration from the Richmond SPCA itself, such as Team Lottie, which is made up of Richmond SPCA alumni. Teams formed by employees of a single organization like Team Bank of America are a great way to get your coworkers involved. There are also teams dedicated to the memory of a loved one, like Team Johnny Birkitt.  Teams don’t have to be animal related either. Sports teams and social clubs can also put together a group, like the River City Roller Girls has done for the second time this year.

Once you have created your team, it’s vital that you begin recruiting members and fundraising. While it may seem difficult, social media and email make it easy for you to spread the word about your team and recruit like-minded members. Your team’s website can also be customized to draw people in and get them excited about the event. Check out our team website here.

The Richmond SPCA’s race registration pages make it easy for you to send professional emails for recruitment or for fundraising. As a team captain, you will be alerted when someone joins your team or you receive a donation. It’s always a good idea to send out a thank-you email to anyone who joins or donates. Other great fundraising ideas include hosting bake sales and car washes. But don’t get bogged down with the usual fundraising techniques. Get creative!

It gets even better! Top team fundraisers can win some great prizes including 25 tickets to a Flying Squirrels game!  There is also the coveted Johnny Birkitt Award, which is the highest honor presented annually at the Dog Jog and 5K Run to the person or team that shows the most spirit and dedication to the cause. This award is accompanied by a special certificate, recognition at the awards ceremony and an engraved plaque in the lobby of the Robins-Starr Humane Center.

One question remains: Why join a team if you can just participate as an individual? While we welcome individual participants, this event is a celebration of the dog-lovers in our community and the Richmond SPCA's lifesaving mission. What better way to celebrate than with friends, family, coworkers, teammates and pets? 

On behalf of Nemo’s Brat Pack, I hope we see all of you at this wonderful event!

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Allison Drezek is a member of the Dog Jog and 5K Run committee. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

Adoption Center News: Week of Jan. 30 – Feb. 5, 2012

Although we did not meet our goal of 74 adoptions, we are very glad to report that in the last week 54 pets met their match, including 16 cats and 38 dogs. Our goal for next week is 72 adoptions. Please share, visit and encourage friends to make the Richmond SPCA their first stop when looking for a new addition to their family!

Help save lives by visiting the Robins-Starr Humane Center to adopt or by being an ambassador for adoption by spreading the word to friends and family. Each pet has been spayed or neutered, has recieved all age appropriate vaccinations and has been microchipped.

Upcoming Events:

Bring your favorite canine companion to our Tenth Annual Dog Jog & 5K Run on Saturday, March 24! The event features a sanctioned 5K Race (for people only) at 9:30 a.m. followed by a leisurely 1-mile dog jog/walk at 11 a.m. A vendor fair takes place in the parking lots from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and includes activities for dogs, kids' crafts, music, food, giveaways from local businesses and much more. For complete event details, visit our race page online, where you can register, learn how you can raise pledges for homeless animals and form a team of your own!

Meet Your Match:

Our highly successful "Meet Your Match" adoption program has recieved national coverage! The Associated Press recently ran a story highlighting our increased adoption numbers since we implemented this program. The article features an interview with our CEO Robin Starr. You can find our "Meet Your Match" survey here.

Off-site adoptions:

There are no Tail Wag’N events planned this week, but you can always find our cats awaiting adoption at the PETCO stores at the Short Pump and Staples Mill locations.

Cats adopted this week:
Bailey, Bobby, Muffin, Estelle, Kat, Thomas, Lauren, Barry, Sara, Cosby, Mable, Vicky, Siam, Julie, Mariah, Dahlia

Dogs adopted this week:
Hope, Billy, Fry, Heidi, Amy, Tate, Ralphie, TeeJay, Rosa, Landon, Larry, Mason, Marcus, Carl, Faith, Nevaeh, Casey, Doug, Taylor, Damon, Joy, Damian, Zack, Sherlock, Leopold, Hester, Julep, Delilah, Sapphire, Misha, Austin, Danika, Emma, Brownie, Hudson, Evan, Akira, Copper

Adoption Center Hours: 
Monday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
Tuesday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m.

Adoption Center Location:
2519 Hermitage Road Richmond, VA 23220

Adoption Center Phone Number: 804-521-1307

   
  
  

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To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.