Richmond SPCA Blog: Adoption

We Were Adopted! (May 13-19, 2013)

We are thrilled to announce that our wonderful adoption counselors found loving homes for 45 pets last week! Our goal is to find homes for 56 orphaned animals this week. If you love cute pictures of pets and happy stories, be sure to look for our alumni updates on our Facebook and tumblr pages. Are you an Instagram user? Make sure to follow us there too!

Here are the cats who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Adelaide, Alexander, Anastasia, Andrew, Angus, Blynken, Ciara, Daphne, Doc, Hawkeye, Hickory, Laguna, Nod, Pan, Ruben, Saturnine, Selena, Uhura, Willow, Wynken.

Kitten season has begun! Over half of the cats adopted from our humane center this past week were under a year old. Many of these juveniles were part of our Meet the Fosters™ program before they became available for adoption. The Richmond SPCA is in need of kitten supplies to help support this lifesaving program. You can help by donating items on our wish list, or if you would like to provide monetary support to help us provide all of the medications, food and other essentials for the kittens that are being fostered, please click here.

Here are the dogs who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Alice, Bolt, Brutus, Buddy, Carlos, Carraway, Cashew, Cocoa, Daisy, Excelsior, Gatsby, Gertrude, Hugo, Jericho, Khaleesi, Korben, Logan, Mickey, Muriel, Nelson, Olga, Ray, Sonic, Tanner, Tess.

Cashew, the fun-loving jack russell terrier mix, found his new home after visiting our friends at Lite 98. Excelsior, the 3-year old cairn terrier mix, was adopted after being featured in a Paws for Pets segment filmed by CBS 6. Logan, the handsome shepherd mix, found a loving home after appearing on NBC 12.

Interested in adopting a pet from the Richmond SPCA?

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more. Thank you for choosing to adopt!

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption events

Please join the Richmond SPCA and Cooper Vineyards for our Ninth Annual Lucy's Weekend. This event will take place on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our mobile adoption vehicle, the Tail Wag’N, will be at the event for offsite pet adoptions. Other activities at the event include: wine tastings with Cooper Vineyards and James River Cellars, music by The Taters, crafts and pet vendors, and more! Lawn chairs, picnics and leashed pets are welcome. Click here for additional details.

Adoption specials

Seniors for Seniors is an ongoing adoption program. Adopters age 60 or older who adopt a cat or dog age 5 years or older are eligible for a $50 adoption fee. Adoption of a cat in this program will include a cat starter kit, cardboard scratcher and a toy. Adoption of a dog through this program includes a leash and collar, food and water bowl and a toy. You can learn more about the Seniors for Seniors program here.

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.

You can help spread the word about our available pets and more
by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on the following sites:

Posted by RichmondSPCA on May 21, 2013 at 10:16 AM in Adoption, Cats, Dogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

We Were Adopted! (May 5-12, 2013)

We had an wonderful week in our adoption center with 46 adoptions! Our adoption counselors found loving homes for 26 dogs and 20 cats. Our goal is to find homes for 54 orphaned animals this week. If you love cute pictures of pets and happy stories, be sure to look for our alumni updates on our Facebook and tumblr pages. Are you an Instagram user? Make sure to follow us there too!

Here are the cats who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Amanda, Andres, Asher, Ayden, Bastian, Cheerio, Freida, Gander, Goose, Gus, Jeffrey, Karen, Larry, Lenovo, Macintosh, Morris, Ranger, Ryder, Velasquez, Wynonna.

Morris, a 1-year-old orange tabby, was adopted after appearing in a Paws for Pets segment filmed by CBS 6.

Here are the dogs who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Adele, Annie, Barney, Bentley, Blanca, Brad, Buffy, Bunny, Candy, Daryl, Elmer, Elmo, Gage, Grover, Leah, Lexie, Madeline, Mischa, Petunia, Pumpkin, Roxie, Selma, Sidney, Sophie, Springsteen, Violet.

Elmer, the 7-year old beagle mix, was adopted after being featured on NBC 12. Sidney, a 104-pound retriever mix, was adopted after visiting our friends at KLR 96.5.

Shop to give

BarkBox, a company that aims to please dogs around the country, is now helping our organization raise funds to support our many lifesaving programs!

If a pet guardian subscribes to BarkBox, his or her dog(s) will receive a monthly package with lots and lots of goodies inside! Goodies include all-natural treats, interactive toys, and high-end hygeine products. Each box containers 4 to 6 items. How cool is that?

If you use the code "RICHBBX1" during checkout, you will recieve $10 off your subscription and BarkBox will also donate $10 to the Richmond SPCA. If you would like to learn more about BarkBox, please click here. If you would like to see pictures of what is in the box (and the happy dogs that received them), visit BarkBox's Facebook page.

There are several other ways you can shop to give to support the Richmond SPCA. Please consider supporting these pet-friendly organizations when making your purchasing decisions. These organizations support the Richmond SPCA by making donations when items are purchased or services are utilized.

Interested in adopting a pet from the Richmond SPCA?

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more. Thank you for choosing to adopt!

Adoption events

The Valentine Richmond History Center invites you (and your dog!) to participate in a walking tour of Church Hill on Saturday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to noon. A Richmond SPCA representative will be attending the event with a dog available for adoption! Space is limited and reservations are required. Click here for more details.

Bring the whole family out to The Shops at Willow Lawn this weekend for the Fifth Annual Imagination Richmond. This free, kid-friendly event will be held on Saturday, May 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Our Tail Wag'N will be there for off-site adoptions.

Adoption specials

Seniors for Seniors is an ongoing adoption program. Adopters age 60 or older who adopt a cat or dog age 5 years or older are eligible for a $50 adoption fee. Adoption of a cat in this program will include a cat starter kit, cardboard scratcher and a toy. Adoption of a dog through this program includes a leash and collar, food and water bowl and a toy. You can learn more about the Seniors for Seniors program here.

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.

You can help spread the word about our available pets and more
by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on the following sites:

Posted by RichmondSPCA on May 13, 2013 at 06:04 PM in Adoption, Cats, Dogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

We Were Adopted! (April 29-May 5, 2013)

We had an excellent week in our adoption center with 37 adoptions! Our adoption counselors found loving homes for 27 dogs and 10 cats. Our goal is to find homes for 57 orphaned animals this week. If you love cute pictures of pets and happy stories, be sure to look for our alumni updates on our Facebook and tumblr pages. Are you an Instagram user? Make sure to follow us there too!

Here are the cats who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Dory, Kipper, Kittles, Leyland, Merrick, Phoebe, Pilot, Rhett, Scarlet, Tracey.

Scarlet and Rhett, both 2 months old, were the youngest cats adopted. Kittles, at 9 years old, was the oldest cat adopted.

Here are the dogs who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Ariadne, Ashley, Bambi, Buckley, Chandler, Cliff, Cornelius, Cubby, Delilah, Eleanor, Excelsior, Figgy, Garrison, Gideon, Ginger, Heron, Horton, Inky, Jean, Lilyanna, Merle, Orchid, Samantha, Seamus, Stark, Stout, Trevor.

Seven-month old Ginger was the youngest canine adopted this week. At 7 years old, Lilyanna, a sweet tricolor beagle mix, was the oldest dog who found a home.

Training classes

Dogs who are Richmond SPCA alumni receive a $10 discount when registering for our training classes. We offer a wide range of classes, and new sessions are starting this week. Visit https://www.richmondspca.org/training to sign up with your dog!

Interested in adopting a pet from the Richmond SPCA?

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see the dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer and more. Thank you for choosing to adopt!

Adoption events

This weekend is PETCO's National Adoption Weekend! To celebrate, our Tail Wag'N will be at the PETCO in Carytown on Saturday, May 11 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. for off-site adoptions.

Adoption specials

Now is a wonderful time to come to our Robins-Starr Humane Center to meet your perfect match! It is "Be Kind to Animals" week! You can take advantage of 25 percent off all adoptions May 6-10.

In addition to the adoption special described above, we have our ongoing Seniors for Seniors adoption program. Adopters age 60 or older who adopt a cat or dog age 5 years or older are eligible for a $50 adoption fee. Adoption of a cat in this program will also include a cat starter kit, cardboard scratcher and a toy. Adoption of a dog int his program will also include a leash and collar, food and water bowl and a toy. You can learn more about this program here.

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.

You can help spread the word about our available pets and more
by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on the following sites:

Posted by RichmondSPCA on May 07, 2013 at 05:45 PM in Adoption, Cats, Dogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

The truth about the American Kennel Club is exposed on the Today Show

The Today show recently aired a news piece that I hope everyone who cares about animals will watch because it exposes the truth about the American Kennel Club and its actual activities, or lack thereof to adequately inspect and responsibly regulate its registered dog breeders.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

We have long known that an AKC registration of a dog or puppy provides absolutely no reliable representation of the conditions that the dog was bred in or the physical or emotional health of the pet. But, unfortunately, many members of the public think that an AKC registration is some sort of seal of approval about health of the puppy they buy and the conditions in which that puppy was raised. In fact, one would hope that the AKC would help and support the work that the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA have done to address the dreadful conditions in puppy mills but, in truth, they actually have worked to resist standards of care and conditions being placed on breeding operations.

After being rescued from a puppy mill, a dog is evaluated by Richmond SPCA Chief of Education and Training Sarah Babcock.

The Richmond SPCA has worked with the HSUS and the ASPCA to break up heart-breaking puppy mills in Virginia and other states in which innocent animals were being subjected to horrifying conditions all for the financial gain of the heartless people in charge. As a result, we know first-hand the serious need for the imposition of standards for the safety, health and cleanliness of these breeding operations. For that reason, we worked hard a few years ago to urge the members of the Virginia General Assembly to pass a bill that would have placed reasonable requirements on commercial breeding operations in Virginia. That bill was strongly and vocally opposed by the AKC.

The bottom line is that, if you really care about the welfare of the wonderful dogs and cats that share our world, then you should always find your new family member at a shelter. When you adopt a dog or cat from the Richmond SPCA, it allows us to immediately go save another deserving pet from a shelter where his or her life may be at risk. You will not only have a wonderful new best friend but you will also sleep well knowing that you saved a life. That sure beats supporting the sorts of horrifying breeding operations that are documented in the Today segment.

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.

Posted by Robin Starr on May 01, 2013 at 04:12 PM in Adoption, Animal Welfare Philosophy, Current Affairs, Dogs, Video | Permalink | Comments (1)

We were adopted! (April 15-21, 2013)

Last week was a fantastic week in our adoption center as we united 69 pets with loving families. Our goal is to find homes for 55 homeless pets in the current week. If you enjoy flipping through adorable pictures of pets and reading adoption updates, be sure to look for our alumni features on our Facebook, tumblr and Pinterest pages. If you're a fan of Instagram, you can find us there, too!

We have some exciting offsite events coming up! On Friday, April 26, the Tail Wag'N will be at James River Cellars for Fridays on the Patio from 6:30 - 9 p.m. You can also celebrate National Adoption Weekend with the Richmond SPCA! Our Tail Wag'N will be at the Petsmart in Shortpump on Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Here are the dogs who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Achilles, Adonis, Annie, Apollo, Bagheera, Baloo, Balsam, Blaze, Bluebird, Calypso, Cardinal, Cher, Chiclet, Daffodil, Daisy, Duck, Ethel, Finch, Flora, Gabriella, Genevieve, Georgie, Hank, Hazelnut, Horace, Howie, Inga, Isis, Jewel, Kaa, Keith, Ladybug, Louie, Mars, Mowgli. Musketeer, Myrtle, Obie, Raksha, Rhubarb, Rolonda, Sonny, Sparrow, Swan, Templeton, Trixie, Wayne

Here are the cats who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Bella, Buttons, Cameron, Carolina, Dorothy, Goose, Juliet, Kenneth, Madison, McKenna, Memphis, Morpheus, Pocky, Pretzel, Sedona, Shila, Sprinkles, Tallahassee, Tiffany, Tootsie, Veronica, Winnie

Interested in adopting a pet from the Richmond SPCA?

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see many of the wonderful dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer and more. Thank you for choosing to adopt!

Adoption specials

Celebrate Earth Day with our Every Life on Earth is Precious adoption special! All adoptions will be discounted by 25 percent through Friday, April 26.

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.

You can help spread the word about our available pets and more by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on the following sites:

Posted by RichmondSPCA on April 23, 2013 at 03:40 PM in Adoption, Cats, Dogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

We were adopted! (April 8-14)

While we did not meet our adoption goal, last week was a great success as we united 39 pets with families. Our goal is to find homes for 78 homeless pets in the current week. If you enjoy flipping through adorable pictures of pets and reading adoption updates, be sure to look for our alumni features on our Facebook, tumblr and Pinterest pages. If you're a fan of Instagram, you can find us there, too!

We have some exciting offsite events coming up! On Saturday, April 20, the Tail Wag'N will be at the Collegiate Village Green Faire from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you're fascinated by Richmond's rich history, the History Hounds tour on April 27 is the event for you! One of our adoptable dogs will join the walking tour of Hollywood Cemetary.

Here are the dogs who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Abigail, Abraham, Alvin, Ares, Ariel, Athena, Bonnie, Cadpig, Celia, Clyde, Cooper, Damien, Dill, Duke, Ellie, Eva, Gage, Gideon, Gidget, Marley, Millie, Othello, Pip, Roxy, Smooch, Snickers, Sophie, Willow

Here are the cats who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Allison, Arizona, Cheddar, Harley, Mack, Madeline, Rosaline, Shooky, Snuggles, Tanya, Trixie

Cheddar charmed everyone at WRIC 8 on Friday and quickly found her new home! Shooky made his first on-air appearance at NBC 12 and was united with his new family soon after!

Interested in adopting a pet from the Richmond SPCA?

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see many of the wonderful dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer and more. Thank you for choosing to adopt!

Adoption specials

April is a great month to come to our Robins-Starr Humane Center to meet your perfect match! Take advantage of 20 percent off all adoption fees every Tuesday in April. Our adoption counselors can't wait to help you meet your new best friend!

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.

You can help spread the word about our available pets and more by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on the following sites:

Posted by RichmondSPCA on April 16, 2013 at 05:14 PM in Adoption, Cats, Dogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

We were adopted! (April 1-7, 2013)

We are thrilled to announce that our adoption counselors united 62 pets with families last week! Our goal is to find homes for 62 homeless pets in the current week. If you enjoy flipping through adorable pictures of pets and reading adoption updates, be sure to look for our alumni features on our Facebook, tumblr and Pinterest pages. If you're a fan of Instagram, you can find us there, too!

Love dogs and art? Our Tail Wag'n will be at John Tyler Community College on Saturday, April 13, for the "Fool for Art Festival" from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Here are the dogs who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Ally, Champ, Cherry, Claire, Clyde, Demetre, Dino, Doogie, Edgar, Faith, Gabby, Heinz, Horatio, Horton, Iggy, Juliet, Kelly, Kitana, Mabon, Malone, Marsha, Mary, Max, Mila, Mimi, Octavious, Orin, Phoebe, Pollyanna, Princeton, Ralph, Roo, Sarah, Shanti, Sherlock, Shiloh, Sierra, Spencer, Steinbeck, Tegan, Truffles, Tucson

Steinbeck was adopted after being featured on WRIC 8 News on Friday. Cherry, Horatio, Pollyanna and Ralph were adopted after coming all of the way from Pasadena, California to find their new homes!

Here are the cats who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Allegra, Althea, Amadeus, Aurora, Bonnie, Glinda, Jane, Lou Lou, Marcus, Merriweather, Mozelle, Nixon, Norton, Paisley, Primrose, Priscilla, Shadow, Spaghetti, Ted, Toulouse

Interested in adopting a pet from the Richmond SPCA?

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see many of the wonderful dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer and more. Thank you for choosing to adopt!

Adoption specials

April is a great month to come to our Robins-Starr Humane Center to meet your perfect match! Take advantage of 20 percent off all adoption fees every Tuesday in April. Our adoption counselors can't wait to help you meet your new best friend!

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.

You can help spread the word about our available pets and more by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on the following sites:

Posted by RichmondSPCA on April 11, 2013 at 12:09 PM in Adoption, Cats, Dogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

We Were Adopted! (March 25 - 31, 2013)

We are so happy to announce that our adoption counselors united 47 pets with families last week! Our goal is to find homes for 55 homeless pets in the current week. If you enjoy flipping through adorable pictures of pets and reading adoption updates, be sure to look for our alumni features on our Facebook, tumblr and Pinterest pages. If you're a fan of Instagram, you can find us there, too!

We have some exciting off-site events coming up! On Friday, April 5, the Tail Wag’N will be at the Children’s Museum of Short Pump for “Spring Break” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring the whole family for a day of fun and make sure to stop by to see our pets that are looking for loving homes. On Saturday, April 6, the Tail Wag’N will be at James River Cellars for “April Fools Festival” from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Here are the dogs who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Amos, Antoinette, Beau, Bucky, Chili, Cupcake, Darlene, Delora, Dexter, Diego, Erin, Greta, Gus, Heidi, Icarus, James, Jezebelle, Kayleigh, Lady, Macbeth, Manu, Marilyn, Marshall, Mulligan, Nana, Otis, Phil, Raven, Remy, Rio, Sarsaparilla, Sebastian, Stout

Amos, a handsome beagle, was adopted after are visiting Lite98, 96.5 KLR and NBC12! Phil and Chili were adopted after coming all of the way from Pasadena, California to find their new homes!

Here are the cats who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Baker, Diamond, Homer, Jasmine, Linguini, Marina, Mikey, Missy, Moo Moo, Murdoch, Pebbles, Tommy, Toto

Diamond was adopted last week after being featured on NBC 12's News at Noon and becoming an Instagram sensation. Moo Moo charmed everyone at WRIC Channel 8 on Friday and quickly met her perfect match!

Interested in adopting a pet from the Richmond SPCA?

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see the dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer and more. Thank you for choosing to adopt!

Adoption specials

April might be the perfect month to find your new best friend! Take advantage of 20 percent off all adoption fees every Tuesday in April. Our adoption counselors can't wait to help you meet your match!

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.

You can help spread the word about our available pets and more
by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on the following sites:

Posted by RichmondSPCA on April 01, 2013 at 04:46 PM in Adoption, Cats, Dogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

We were adopted! (March 18-24, 2013)

We are thrilled to announce that our adoption counselors united 34 animals with families last week! Our goal is to find homes for 61 homeless pets in the current week. If you enjoy flipping through adorable pictures of pets and reading adoption updates, be sure to look for our alumni features on our Facebook, tumblr and Pinterest pages.

Here are the dogs who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Angelica, Annie, Capri, Cocoa, Connor, Cricket, Darla, Grace, Guinness, Indiana, Juliet, Molly, Orin, Pepper, Pibb, Sandy

Here are the cats who were adopted this past week:

From top left to bottom right: (pets not pictured are italicized) Apricot, Becky, Chaz, Daryl, Dory, Ellwood, Excalibur, Gwen, Jupiter, Kathy, Luanne, Marie, Patrice, Penelope, Sabrina, Saturn, Tamara, Wendy

Interested in adopting a pet from the Richmond SPCA?

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see the dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer and more. Thank you for choosing to adopt!

Adoption specials

This is the last weekend to take advantage of our March adoption specials! This Wednesday is the final Waggin' Wednesday: all dog adoptions are discounted by 20 percent. Additionally, this Friday is the final Feline Friday: all cat adoptions are discounted by 20 percent. Hurry in to meet your match!

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.

You can help spread the word about our available pets and more
by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on the following sites:

Posted by RichmondSPCA on March 26, 2013 at 01:00 PM in Adoption, Cats, Dogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fall in love at the Richmond SPCA

Today's guest post was written by Tommy DeSanto, one of our wonderful adoption counselors. As you can see, our staff members get to know the animals in our care well. When you visit the Richmond SPCA, a member of our team will gladly help you meet your match!

This is Blake. Blake is an amazing dog. Look at those eyes. I bet you can already see just how sweet he is. Keep looking at those eyes. Do you see how full of love he is? Look back into those eyes. I bet you like him already.

I've been working at the Richmond SPCA in the adoptions department since October. I have loved every animal that I have met since I have been here. However, there have been a handful that have made a special impression on me. Blake is one of them. Everyone should experience that feeling. Once you connect with an animal in a way where your souls align perfectly at a specific point in time — from then on, you are bound together. It is usually the slightest act that does it to you. It could be something as simple as the way a dog places his head on your kneecap, or how a cat curls up in your lap and falls instantly asleep. That's when you know.

I have seen this phenomenon happen many times right in front of my face. It's beautiful. I take a family, a couple, or an individual into a visiting room, and I get to observe the exact moment they fall in love with their future pet — the one they will feed, house and love every single day. I watch the connection form right in front of my eyes. This is one of many reasons why my job is wonderful.

Blake has been at the Richmond SPCA for a little while now. Long enough for me to form a very serious emotional attachment to him. When he first became available for adoption, he had his own living room near the main lobby of our humane center. I didn't meet him the first day he had his room, but every time I walked past his door, he was just sitting there, looking out the glass window at me. He didn't bark. He just sat there (with those eyes you see in the picture above) wagging his tail.

It actually took one of my coworkers telling me how sweet he was before I went into Blake's room and met him for the first time. I walked in and sat down. I tried to toss his rope toys around, but he wasn't interested. Blake just walked up next to me and sat down on his red doggy bed. He stared up at me and let me pet him. He eventually let out a grunt and fell asleep with his head on my leg. That's the greatest kind of dog to me—one who just wants to sit around and cuddle. I rubbed his belly for a little while and eventually left to go do some work in the adoption lobby. This went on for days.

I'll be honest: many mornings I come into work and I'm still tired. I'm not a morning person. I haven't had my coffee yet, and I'm not feeling that great. But each day I came into work for those few weeks after meeting Blake, I went into his room after morning duties were done and just sat around with him. He eventually grew more comfortable with me and started playing with his toys while I was around. He'd bring them to me like they were some sort of gift he was offering up to me. Blake is a very special part of my tired mornings.

I remember vividly the moment I was bound to Blake. It was the first time I showed him to a potential adopter. I sat down on the floor of his room as I do during the counseling process — dogs like it when you get on their level. I was asking the family exactly what kind of temperament they wanted their dog to have. Blake walked over and sat down in my lap. He didn't move from that spot for most of the counseling process. I felt kind of bad honestly, because he wasn't interacting with the folks who were looking to adopt. But he had chosen me, because he knew I had chosen him to be one of my best friends. I had put the time in to show him that I loved him. I told them exactly what I am about to tell you: I have no doubt Blake will choose anyone, fall for them, if they will take the time to get to know him well and treat him with the love he deserves.

I try to get as many people as possible to meet with Blake, but I don't think his forever home has walked into our humane center yet, so I try to love him as much as I possibly can while he is still living at the shelter. I visit him when I have free time and feed him treats through the door of his kennel. Sometimes I crawl in there with him for a couple minutes and he sits in my lap.

There is no doubt that when he is finally adopted, it will hurt my heart that I will no longer be able to see him five days a week. There is also no doubt that when he is finally adopted, I will be very happy that he has found a home that can love him as much as I have while he was here. I can say with confidence that he will be the perfect family dog. If I lived alone, I would have already adopted him.

I guess I'm putting this here because I feel like everyone should know what an amazing dog he is — especially since many of you will not have the opportunity to meet him in person. He has been a dear part of my life that I want you all to know about. He has affected every day I have had since meeting him. That's another wonderful part of this job. It has taught me that dogs can have just as deep an impact on human lives as us people can. They can bottle you up with joy. They can make you frustrated. They can show you how much love creatures are capable of experiencing. They can break your heart when you have to say goodbye.

Some of you might not think this is a very profound realization. Some might not even agree with this. But it's something I realize more and more every day I come to work at the Richmond SPCA. These guys are so full of love and show me more of myself every day.

If any of you are ever interested in hanging out with this wonderful dog, please stop by the Richmond SPCA. If you know someone who has been looking to adopt a dog, please let them know about Blake.

Tommy DeSanto is an adoption counselor 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.

Posted by RichmondSPCA on March 20, 2013 at 10:41 AM in Adoption, Dogs | Permalink | Comments (2)

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May 21, 2013

We Were Adopted! (May 13-19, 2013)

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We Were Adopted! (May 5-12, 2013)

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We Were Adopted! (April 29-May 5, 2013)

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April 23, 2013

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April 16, 2013

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We were adopted! (April 1-7, 2013)

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We Were Adopted! (March 25 - 31, 2013)

March 26, 2013

We were adopted! (March 18-24, 2013)

March 20, 2013

Fall in love at the Richmond SPCA

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