Richmond SPCA Blog

You can make all the difference for pets at government shelters

Every Monday through Friday, we visit government shelters around the Richmond Metro area, bringing dogs, cats, puppies and kittens in need back to our Robins-Starr Humane Center where we deliver to them all necessary care, including crucial medical treatment, prior to adopting them to loving, permanent homes. 

As our resources allow, we travel to other localities within Virginia and also to other parts of the country in order to save as many precious lives as possible. And we are always met with gratitude from animals and humans alike. Those working in our rural partner shelters are often especially elated to see our transfer van arrive, knowing that we bring hope for animals who have limited chances for adoption in their own communities.    

One such dog is Jake. He traveled to Richmond a few weeks ago from Cumberland County, but it wasn’t until after he arrived at our Robins-Starr Humane Center that we learned what a heart-wrenching journey this dog had endured. Friends of Cumberland County Animal Control shared that until very recently Jake had a guardian who loved him very much. 

Jake has since been adopted into a home where he will spend the remainder of his life with people to love and care for him. Although they can’t all tell us their stories, we specialize in second chances for pets like Jake. Your monthly donation of $12, $20, $35 or $50 will allow us to travel to a Virginia shelter to return with dogs and cats whose dreams will come true at our Robins-Starr Humane Center, all thanks to your support. Will you help today by becoming a Transfer Pals monthly donor? You may make your tax-deductible gift securely online here or call us at 804-521-1308.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the love, safety and comfort you make possible for pets in desperate need of our saving.

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Tabitha Frizzell Treloar is the director of advancement 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 both your first and last name to be used as your screen name. 

Small adoptee makes big impact on lives of others

Cheryl Tankersley and Gracie enjoying a day at work together.

Despite weighing less than 5 pounds, Gracie is making an enormous impact on a great many human lives. She was adopted for all the reasons thousands of area families give homes to pets from the Richmond SPCA each year: love, companionship, comfort and friendship. But Cheryl and Mike Tankersley also adopted Gracie for another purpose, to provide solace to Cheryl’s special clientele at Planet Hair, the West End salon the couple own.

Cheryl specializes in fitting wigs for women undergoing medical treatments that cause hair loss, such as chemotherapy. One of her clients is Pat Manning, a member of our Board of Directors, and when Pat learned of Cheryl’s desire to have a small, calm dog who would sit with clients having their heads shaved and wigs fitted, Pat was certain that a perfect match could be found at our Robins-Starr Humane Center.

At Pat’s urging, Cheryl called Carly Sgueo, our senior manager of shelter operations, to begin looking for a candidate to adopt. Carly immediately knew that Wicket, a tiny terrier mix whom we had just brought into our care, would be a wonderful match for the Tankersleys and up for the job they had for her.

Wicket got her name from a Star Wars character, as did nine other dogs who came to us from the same crowded home. Their guardian suffered a medical emergency in late March, at which time it was discovered that she had more animals than she could care for responsibly.

Like many of her housemates, Wicket suffered hair loss from flea allergy dermatitis and had not been spayed, but in spite of this neglect, she was immediately friendly and affectionate with our staff and volunteers caring for her.  Carly described Wicket to Cheryl and Mike who were eager to meet the tiny 8-year-old dog immediately after her spay surgery. However, they would have to wait.

While she was performing the spay surgery, associate veterinarian Dr. Kristen Talbott discovered and removed a mammary mass. Carly anxiously shared this news with the Tankersleys as we awaited the results of the biopsy.

Rather than being discouraged by this news, they felt even more strongly that it indicated she was the right dog for them. All were overjoyed on April 20 when the biopsy revealed the tumor to be benign, and by the end of the week, she was a permanent member of the Tankersley family.

Another touching coincidence marked Gracie’s first day at Planet Hair. Cheryl asked a new client if she would like for Gracie to sit with her while Cheryl shaved her head and fit her wig. Gracie laid calmly in the client’s lap, and she asked to know more about the dog’s story. When Cheryl shared that she had just been adopted from the Richmond SPCA, the client, Jackie Woolfolk, revealed that she is a member of our Board of Directors.

Client, Gale, enjoys Gracie's company as Cheryl does her hair.

The consolation and reassurance Gracie provides to Jackie and other women who visit the salon is a wonderful illustration of the far-reaching impact of saving the life of a deserving animal.

Gracie will also become part of Cheryl’s volunteerism with hospice patients. In the coming months, they will work toward therapy dog certification through Paws for Health, the Richmond SPCA’s pet visitation program.

Your loving gift ensures that formerly neglected pets like Gracie have the opportunity for rehabilitation that enables them to reach their full potential. 

  

 

 

 

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Tabitha Frizzell Treloar is the director of advancement 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 both your first and last name to be used as your screen name. 

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Understanding dog communication is the key to preventing dog bites

Teach children to understand how dogs "speak"

Let’s review some facts regarding dog bites and children.

• 359,223 children between the ages of 1 and 14 were bitten by dogs between 2010 and 2012.
• Children are the most common victims of dog bites and are far more likely to be severely injured.
• The Centers for Disease Control reported that from 2003-2012, dog bites were the 11^th leading cause of nonfatal injury to children ages 1 – 4, 9^th for children ages 5 – 9, and 10^th for ages 10 – 14.
• Boys are bitten nearly twice as often as girls.
• 77 percent of dog bites come from a dog belonging to family or a friend.

Why do dogs bite? Is it because they are mean? Absolutely not! Dogs get irritated just as easily as people. I may raise my voice at someone because I’m having a bad day, but that doesn’t mean that I am generally a mean person. Here are some common reasons why a dog might bite:

• The dog is protecting something; this could be food, a toy, or even their space.
• The dog has been startled or frightened by something.
• The dog is having a bad day and has no patience for people, especially a small child.
• The dog might be sick or injured.
• You or your child are playing with the dog and it gets overly excited.
• The dog might be a herding breed and is simply doing a job, herding you or your child by nipping at your heels.

Remember when 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. used to be “Happy Hour” (pre-children)? This is now the most hectic time of a day in a typical household with children. Parents are tired, children are fighting or fussy, someone is trying to make dinner, the kids are chasing each other around the house, etc. Even if you don’t have children yet, this can be a time of day when you come home from work and perhaps have a headache or you are in a grumpy mood. This is a hectic time of day for anyone in the family…including the family dog!

I always tell children (and any adults that are present) that dogs have good days and bad days, just like us. The only difference is that dogs cannot use words to tell us when they need to be left alone. This is why their body language is so important.

There is a lot of information available to us regarding dog body language and behavior. You can start by watching one of our favorite videos:

This video is intended to first be watched by the adult and then watched by the adult and child together. Just remember: loose and relaxed is good; tense and stiff means you should give your dog some space. Dogs truly aren’t that different from us! We can easily read a person’s body language to tell if they are feeling good or if they are feeling stressed; apply this knowledge to a dog and you most likely will be able to determine how your dog is feeling.

Interested in more information? Attend one of our free dog body language and behavior sessions with your family (children included!) taught by Sarah Babcock, Chief of Education and Training at the Richmond SPCA on Wednesday, June 10 at 11 a.m. or 6 p.m. 

With all of the information available to us on a regular basis regarding dog bite safety and dog body language, how do we then take this information and teach it to children?

Simplify it! While there is a lot of information, we can easily break it down in a way that can be easily understood by children. For example, we know that when dogs growl they are warning you that your behavior is making them uncomfortable. To explain this to a child, you could say that a growl is a “no!” or a “leave me alone!” Your child might be too young to understand exactly how to read a dog’s body language, but if you simplify the warning signs and teach those to your child then you will likely decrease the likelihood of biting.

Make it relatable! I have never met a child who is completely happy when another child takes a toy away in mid-play. This scenario typically ends in tears and yelling. Use this situation to explain to children why they should never take a toy away from a dog!

I frequently use this method when speaking to preschool and elementary aged children about the importance of asking the guardian before petting a dog that they don’t know. One of my “go to” questions is “How would you feel if you were walking down the street with your mom and a random stranger walked up to you and put her hand on your head?” Since we typically teach children that they shouldn’t interact with strangers they almost always answer negatively, explaining that they would be scared. I ask them to tell me what they would do if this happened to them. Many of the kids say that they would yell, run away, call for help, tell the person to stop touching them, etc. These are great answers! I then follow up with this: “How do you think dogs feel when strangers walk up to them and starts to pet them without asking?” Now they are relating it to their own feelings – they will usually say that the dog might be scared, too. Then I ask: “How do dogs ask for help if they can’t use words? How do they tell you to go away if they can’t talk?” They will explain that dogs will growl, try to walk away, show their teeth, and maybe even bite.

The big question then becomes: “So, if you are a stranger and you walk up to pet a dog without asking first and the dog gets scared and tries to bite you, whose fault is it?” I would say 90  percent of the time you can actually see the facts clicking as the kids think about the answer to this. Almost always the kids will say that it is their own fault. This is the “Ah ha!” moment that I love to see.

Use fun pictures and posters! Sometimes pictures really are worth a thousand words. There are so many fun infographics available for download (and for free!) on the internet. Many of these are geared toward children and use images and a small amount of text to explain how we should behave around pets. I have included a few of my favorites into this blog post, but there are others out there! Find a few that your kids might like, print them out, read over them with your kids, and then hang them up where they will be seen on a regular basis! There are also some really great videos available that will help teach kids about how to behave around pets.

Please click the thumbnail to visit the websites where each poster is available to download.

Practice makes perfect! Encourage your child to practice appropriate behavior around dogs both around the house and out in public. If you are walking down the street and you see neighbors walking their dog, take your child over and have him ask the guardians if he may pet their dog. If the answer is yes, then remind your child of the rules for petting a new dog (let the dog come up to you, hold your hand out flat for a sniff, and pet the dog slowly under the chin) and let them pet. If the answer is no then use this as a new learning opportunity! Ask the dog’s guardian to explain to your child why he can’t pet their dog. Most dog owners will be more than happy to help you teach your child about meeting new dogs.

Set the example! Let’s face it – even adults make mistakes when it comes to practicing good behavior around dogs. Make sure that you are setting a positive example for your kids (or the kids around you). Fight the urge to just reach out and pet that adorable puppy – ask the guardian first! 

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Kari Hosack is the manager of humane education for 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.

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Paws for Health illuminates the power of good company

There are few things in life that can bring more immediate joy to a person than love from an animal. Bringing delight to the people who need it most is the focus of the Richmond SPCA’s Paws for Health program. Paws for Health is a volunteer-based pet visitation program in which trained volunteers and their own carefully screened pets visit local hospitals, nursing homes and retirement communities.

As we celebrate our volunteers during National Volunteer Appreciation Week, it should be noted that not all of the Richmond SPCA’s volunteers spend their time inside the Robins-Starr Humane Center – some give their time on behalf of the organization by carrying our mission to the community. A special group focuses their attention on how the sunny dispositions of therapy dogs can brighten the days of those going through difficult times.

The Paws for Health program has been in existence for more than a decade and was created by Dr. Kevin Connelly, former Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at MCV, in alliance with the Richmond SPCA. In developing the program he spent a year reviewing research, learning about other pet therapy programs, and creating strict guidelines for safety, health maintenance and risk reduction to exceed hospital standards. In combination with the vibrant volunteer corps of the Richmond SPCA and training services we offer, Paws for Health has thrived.

Our therapy teams are so consistent in their volunteering that they become staples in care facilities. For instance, Brenda Bracheau and her dog, Benny, frequently visit St. Joseph's Little Sisters of the Poor as a part of the Paws for Health program. Residents mark their calendars and await Brenda and Benny’s visits with great enthusiasm. Thanks to training from Brenda, Benny knows exactly how to interact with elderly residents no matter their limitations. Benny greets each resident with a balance of gentleness and enthusiasm, and for that moment, Benny is all that matters. His company never fails to bring up stories of family pets, laughter over his tricks and kisses and something to look forward to in the near future. Some residents even keep dog treats in their rooms just for Benny’s visits.

Besides the joy Paws for Health brings to residents in our community, the program also creates all sorts of connections. To become a part of the Paws for Health program, volunteer handlers and their canines complete a number of requirements including a therapy dog certification, an application process and multiple shadowing visits, allowing both guardian and dog to better understand one another. Once the duo is officially a Paws for Health team and can visit care facilities on their own, an entirely new level of connections begin to form as the volunteer teams interact with residents in the community. With the company of a dog, anxieties over health and life melt away and volunteers and residents become quick friends. Like Brenda and Benny, these volunteer pairs become familiar faces at the facilities they visit, bringing happiness into the lives of those who need it, and embodying the mission of Paws for Health.

For more information about Paws for Health, please visit www.richmondspca.org/pawsforhealth.

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Abbey Howarth is the Richmond SPCA's communications specialist. 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.

Animal Brigade service club gets students involved as young advocates

Our volunteers are as unique as the animals awaiting adoption at our humane center. At the Richmond SPCA, it is refreshing to see youth volunteers who have shown an interest in animal welfare at such an early age. Some of our youngest volunteers participate in a service club called Animal Brigade, which provides an opportunity for middle school students to learn the significance of volunteers to organizations like the Richmond SPCA and the importance of humane education in the community.

Each Saturday, students between 6^th and 8^th grade from all over Greater Richmond come to the Richmond SPCA to volunteer and learn about animal welfare. The students participating in Animal Brigade meet on alternating Saturdays to volunteer in several capacities. They often clean areas in our humane center,  like the Track and Training Center, where training classes are held, and our Catillions, where some of the cats awaiting adoption at the Richmond SPCA reside. Animal Brigade students also lend a hand in our laundry and grooming rooms as well as in kennel areas.

These students quickly recognize the amount of the hard work that goes into maintaining facilities at the Richmond SPCA. A favorite task among the students involves cleaning our living rooms, which house dogs (and sometimes cats) awaiting adoption. Although cleaning isn’t always a glamorous job, these young volunteers find fun in being part of the animals’ daily routines and contributing to the great care they receive while awaiting new homes. After cleaning the rooms and picking out clean bedding for the animals, they enjoy playing with the dogs and cats, who are delighted to have such enthusiastic and helpful visitors.

In addition to the cleaning and organizational assistance provided by these students, the Animal Brigade participants also create fliers, posters and brochures to promote the livesaving services provided by the Richmond SPCA bringing attention to  adoption, animal welfare andand the services of our Clinic for Compassionate Care. Throughout the semester, these students learn the role of  these services in creating a more compassionate community that values animal lives.

Many of our Animal Brigaders even assisted at the Richmond SPCA’s 13^th Annual Dog Jog and 5K run. Before the event, the Animal Brigade students created uplifting posters to go along the course for the 5Kdesigned to cheer on the runners. Some Animal Brigaders also contributed as cheerleaders and course marshals.

The Richmond SPCA is lucky to have such an enthusiastic group of young volunteers who are not only passionate about helping the animals in our care, but also informing their peers about the importance of animal welfare.

For more information on our Animal Brigade program, please visit richmondspca.org/animalbrigade.  

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Shane Clements is the Richmond SPCA's volunteer and programs assistant. 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.

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SB1381: Governor's signature establishes private animal shelters must have purpose of finding adoptive homes

When Napoleon entered our care he was nearly blind and suffering complications from untreated diabetes. After surgery for cataracts and 7 months of rehabilitation, he was adopted and became a beloved member of the Butler family.

I, along with many other deeply committed Virginia animal welfare professionals, worked very hard to persuade the General Assembly to pass Senate Bill 1381, patronned by Senator Bill Stanley, and we were thrilled when it did pass by a large margin. Recently, Governor McAuliffe signed that bill into law, thereby ensuring that private animal shelters in Virginia will have to be “operated for the purpose of finding permanent adoptive homes.” This is a standard that I believe almost all private shelters in Virginia meet and that the public expects all of them to meet. However, the outlier is the facility in Norfolk operated by the ironically named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). That facility is licensed in Virginia as a private shelter but has for many years killed about 90% of the unfortunate dogs and cats that enter it. Recently, PETA workers also stole Maya, a young healthy Chihuahua, from the porch of her own home after many efforts to lure her off the porch had failed (all this is captured on video the veracity of which has never been challenged by PETA). They killed her that very day along with several other apparently young and healthy dogs and cats they took from the same housing area.

Despite the fact that PETA spent a great deal of time, money and effort fighting Senate Bill 1381 tooth and nail, the votes were not even close: 95 to 2 in the House and 35 to 1 in the Senate. PETA continued, after the bill’s passage in the General Assembly, to try to get the Governor to veto the bill but failed at that effort as well. Considering their vast financial resources and extensive connections in this state, it is quite a statement that they lost their efforts by such enormous margins.

The Richmond SPCA took Scarlet into its care when her guardian passed away. After stabilizing her insulin levels to manage diabetes, we found her a wonderful home with the Evangel familly.

So, now it gets interesting. PETA, which saw the bill as a big enough threat that they fought it desperately, now is saying that it makes no difference as a law. They and many of their advocates are arrogantly claiming that they will do nothing differently. The new PETA party line is that they have always tried to get animals adopted but, as they are quoted in the Huffington Post, “PETA will also continue to serve those most in need in our community—the old, sick, and injured animals, who comprise most of those PETA takes in when no one else will.” Note the telling use of the word “also” which makes clear that they see old, sick and injured animals as not being among those that they will get adopted. It would appear that what PETA believes that these groups of animals “in need” are actually in need of is death.

I find this appalling. One of the richest animal organizations in the world is saying that old, sick and injured animals cannot be adopted and must be killed. That certainly is not our philosophy here at the Richmond SPCA and is not a philosophy that is acceptable today given the enormous progress that we have made in saving homeless animals from death.

Stark (formerly Maestro) was adopted by the Roberts family after the Richmond SPCA brought his seizure condition under control and performed lifesaving surgery to remove his spleen.

The PETA statement that no one else takes in old, sick and injured animals is simply a lie. The Richmond SPCA accepts into our care many senior pets and we see age as no impediment to their being adopted. We also take in thousands of sick and injured animals annually and provide veterinary treatment and rehabilitation to every one of them whose condition is treatable (which is almost all). If PETA’s statement is suggesting that they do not and will not provide such veterinary care and rehabilitation, then they need to make that position clear to the public and own it. They need to explain publicly why an organization operating on annual budget in excess of $35 million is not willing to treat and rehabilitate the sick and injured animals in its care but rather has killed and intends to continue to kill all of them.

When PETA spokespersons are asked by reporters and others to clarify what are their health and behavioral standards for determining that an animal should be killed and who exactly is making that determination, they never will give an answer. If, as it would appear, they are killing all of the elderly, sick and injured animals that come into their care and spending none of their many millions of dollars in assets to treat those that are treatable and save their lives, there is just one word for that. Reprehensible.

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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 both your first and last name to be used as your screen name.

Q&A with a top fundraiser: Dana Taylor, Running Buddies team captain for the 13th Annual Dog Jog and 5K Run

Our Dog Jog and 5K Run is so successful at providing vital support for the homeless animals who rely on the Richmond SPCA to save their lives largely because of peer-to-peer fundraising. Our 13^th annual event will be presented by Holiday Barn Pet Resorts on Saturday, March 21, but the fundraising got started many months ago. Participant fundraising efforts have been streamlined this year with a new online platform that makes it even easier to share your involvement on social media. There is still time to register (and take advantage of early bird pricing through Friday, March 6) and get started asking your friends and family for their support of your participation in this great community event. Top fundraisers are eligible for great prizes, and all who raise $500 or more in donations will receive a special gift that will be awarded at the Invisible Fence® Brand Awards Ceremony at the event’s conclusion. See how our top individual and team fundraisers are doing at richmondspca.org/race – we so appreciate all of their remarkable support of homeless animals through their tireless fundraising! 

Dana Taylor, back right, and a few of her Running Buddies team members at last year's event

We recently talked with Dana Taylor about how she got involved in fundraising for the Dog Jog and 5K Run. Dana is currently in second place overall, having raised $1,545 as the captain of our Running Buddies team, which is made up of volunteers who provide regular enrichment and exercise to the more active dogs in the care of the Richmond SPCA by taking them on runs. The Running Buddies program is generously sponsored by The HelpDesk Company.

Q: Which event are you registered for, the leisurely 1-mile Dog Jog with your pet, or the competitively timed 5K Run?  

Some Running Buddies participate only in the Dog Jog with the dogs from the Richmond SPCA, but there are several of us that run the 5K too.  There’s a nice 30-45 minute break in between that allows us to finish the 5K and get our Richmond SPCA dogs ready with their “adopt me” bandanas before the Dog Jog actually begins.

Q: When did you first participate in the Dog Jog and 5K Run? Did you fundraise your first year?

This is my third Dog Jog as a Running Buddy, and it will be my second 5K.  There are some Running Buddies that have done this for many more years!

Q: Was there any specific inspiration that led you to get involved in raising funds for the Richmond SPCA?

Dana, right, and Running Buddies teammates at the 2013 Dog Jog

This event is great for the Running Buddies, as we are already running with dogs who are available for adoption up to three times a week. That lets us get to know them pretty well.  It’s an event that allows us to combine our love of running with our love of animals. We get to see all the great work being done at the Richmond SPCA, so of course we love to raise money for the organization. We’ve had several long-term residents who ran with of us get adopted recently.  We fall in love with these dogs and are so thrilled to see them get forever homes.  We want to help in any way we can to support the mission of the Richmond SPCA, including outreach and education. It’s really amazing what we learn about these dogs and the attitude and beliefs of the community on our 3 mile runs.

 

Q: What have been the most effective tools in asking friends and family for support?

Speaking for myself, it’s social media.  I’m shameless.  Last year, I used pictures of my Richmond SPCA alum, Joey.  Anyone who knows me knows Joey, but not everyone knew his life had been at risk in a rural county shelter before he was rescued by the Richmond SPCA.  This year, I started earlier, and I think some folks are ready to pay me to stop posting about my fundraising efforts!  Around December 27, I started posting links to my fundraising page and told folks they could have a last minute tax write-off and help animals. That was wildly successful!  I also used pictures of Altro, a dog that I’d been running with and working with as a Green Team member for over 6 months.  I posted a lot of pictures of Altro during our time together, and my friends felt like they knew him.  One friend even posted that her donation was for my Running Buddy Altro.  All that said, I think if you believe in the cause and in helping animals, your message from the heart that will appear on your page is enough.  You don’t have to work with a homeless dog or have adopted an animal from the Richmond SPCA – as long as your request is heartfelt, it’s enough.

It’s also important to use the email tool and not ignore the one-on-one requests.  Not everyone likes using social media, and I know several Running Buddies just approach their friends and family about supporting their fundraising efforts.

Q: What’s your best tip for someone who is registered but might be hesitant to get involved as a fundraiser?

I know that it’s hard to ask for money, so on social media, I post the link to my page and type a pretty general message asking for support.  I also let people know about all the great programs that are available at the Richmond SPCA and what a great resource it is for our entire community.  Again, I think if it’s a cause you believe in and you let your friends and family know that, they will give to support you.  I surpassed my first goal of $500 around January 1 and got to $1000 by asking folks to give $5-10.  I reached that goal and have increased my goal once again.  The point is you don’t have to raise it all at once or try to raise thousands of dollars.  The way I see it, every dollar counts!

Q: What are you looking forward to most on March 21?

We all love seeing the community support for the Richmond SPCA.  The love of the organization is so evident on that day.  Of course, the Running Buddies love to run too, and seeing all the dogs out there for the Dog Jog is so uplifting.  (PS – if you’ve adopted from the Richmond SPCA, we love to see our furry friends again!)

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Tabitha Hanes is the director of advancement 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 both your first and last name to be used as your screen name. 

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Guest blog: Animal welfare issues before 2015 General Assembly include protections for puppies and primates

As the new Virginia state director for The Humane Society of the United States, I’m proud to have been introduced to humane advocacy by the wonderful people and pets at the Richmond SPCA. For six years, I’ve been a member of the Fur Ball Committee supporting the Richmond SPCA’s Cinderella Fund. Now, I’m hoping you’ll join me to advocate for animals in every Virginia community, including Richmond.

We’ve made incredible strides through the legislative process to protect animals in Virginia, but there is so much more we can do to advance our shared mission of compassionate treatment of all creatures. Be it companion animals, farm animals raised unethically for consumption, or wild animals kept inhumanely in the confines of roadside zoos and menageries, our journey toward a more humane Virginia must continue.

As the General Assembly convenes in Richmond, I want you to consider two issues I know you’ll care about: 

1) Prohibiting the sale of dogs in Virginia pet stores who have been bred inhumanely in other states

Over the years, Virginia’s legislature has advanced laws to protect puppies and shut down the cruel puppy mill industry that have become models for the nation. The HSUS ranks Virginia in the top ten states in the nation for animal welfare in part because of our no-tolerance approach to the inhumane breeding and selling of puppies. However, the laws that protect puppies bred in Virginia have had an unforeseen consequence: Virginia pet stores are buying and selling dogs bred in other states, often in horrible conditions.

A November 2014 investigation by The HSUS into 18 Virginia pet stores revealed that at least 12 of the stores were selling dogs bred in out-of-state puppy mills, many of which had been cited for violations of the Animal Welfare Act; most of the other stores wouldn’t reveal their sources at all, in apparent violation of state law. The investigation also found many of the stores were even buying from puppy mills that had been listed by The HSUS in a report highlighting 101 horrific puppy mills in the country.

SB1001, sponsored by Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Glade Hill, Galax, Martinsville, Danville, will prohibit the sale of puppies in Virginia pet stores if acquired from breeders that don’t meet Virginia’s kennel standards, or that have violated the Animal Welfare Act in the preceding three years. It will also ban the sale of dogs at flea markets. Of course, this will not apply to Virginia’s wonderful shelters that adopt many pets into loving homes at outdoor events.

2) Restricting the private ownership of primates

Did you know that you can legally keep a primate of any size as a pet in Virginia? The state restricts the private ownership of several wild animals including big cats, bears, and many reptiles, but it does not prohibit the private ownership of primates like chimpanzees, baboons, macaques, and others. These animals pose a serious risk to public health and safety and in private hands, they are typically denied mental stimulation, sufficient exercise, proper diets, interaction with others of their kind, and the ability to express natural behaviors.

SB1315, sponsored by Sen. Lynwood Lewis, D-Accomack County, would restrict the private ownership of primates as pets and at roadside zoos. It will also prohibit the breeding and sale of these animals in Virginia.

If you think these issues are important—and I know you do—I hope you’ll join me for Humane Lobby Day on Thursday, January 22, at the General Assembly Building in Richmond to lobby your legislators and illustrate for us the enormous grassroots support that exists for the humane treatment of animals.

You can register for Humane Lobby Day at http://action.humanesociety.org/site/Calendar?id=114041&view=RSVP&s_src=em_sd_hld_2015.

I hope to see you there.

Guest blogger Matthew Gray is the Virginia state director for The HSUS. Stay tuned for further General Assembly updates this week detailing additional bills of importance to 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. 

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Looking back on 2014: Richmond SPCA Annual Report

Looking back on 2014: Richmond SPCA Annual Report

As we turn our calendars to 2015, this is our opportunity to share with you an overview of our most recently ended fiscal year with specific information about the quantity and quality of the work we did for animals. These acheivements happen because of our compassionate community of supporters, and we want you to know exactly what we have accomplished together.

Please visit richmondspca.org/annual-report to see the statistical results in our FY 2014 Annual Report and read a synopsis from our Chief Executive Officer Robin Robertson Starr.

There is much important work ahead of us in 2015, and we count on your support to build upon the animal lives saved, the people served and the progress toward a more humane and compassionate Virginia.

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To read the biographies of our other 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.  

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Priority Automotive sponsorship: A welcomed surprise for many

Robert makes himself at home in the Surma household

For a fourth year in a row, Priority Automotive has teamed up with the Richmond SPCA to ensure that dogs and cats in our care find lasting homes in time for the holidays. From Dec. 4-19, Priority is covering the cost of adoption fees for all animals. In the first five days, Priority has sponsored adoption fees for more than 115 pets! While this is not the first year this partnership has occurred, the news came as a pleasant surprise to some adopters.

Take Bonnie Surma for example – this mother was looking for a kitten as a holiday gift for her two children. “I was really grateful that I did not have to listen to a list of electronics and games this year, so a little kitty seemed perfect,” Surma explained. Her family came across a 3-month-old tabby kitten named Robert on the Richmond SPCA website. A few days later they piled in the car and came down to the Robins-Starr Human Center, elated to find that Robert was still available for adoption.  Not having heard about our adoption promotion, Surma was delivered the news that Robert’s adoption fee had been paid for by Priority Automotive. “Thanks so much to Priority Automotive for making this donation… It was truly a blessing at a perfect time.” With the money the family saved from the adoption fee, the Surmas purchased essential items for Robert at our Lora Robins Gift Shop.

King and Duchess explore their new home thanks to Caroline Lamberti

Similarly, Erica Saunders had been searching for a new canine companion to join her family. She met a Chihuahua mix named Rascal at our humane center and fell in love. Like the Surma family, Saunders was shocked that Priority Automotive had covered the adoption fee. With the unexpected extra money, Saunders decided to make a donation back to the Richmond SPCA “to help in the process of finding other pets their lifetime homes.”

Testimonials from other recent adopters have followed suit. Caroline Lamberti adopted two cats now named  King and Duchess and used her adoption fee money on cat essentials and plenty of treats and toys.

Andrew Scott with his new addition, Kipling

Andrew Scott and his new cat, Kipling, are using their saved funds to pay off some bills before the holidays. Brittany Lowman adopted Squirtle, a kitten she fostered for months. She used the money to add Squirtle onto her apartment lease and to save for any medical care he may need in the future. Lowman explained, “I want to thank not just Priority Automotive but every Richmond SPCA employee and volunteer who helped take care of Squirtle and helped me not only transition myself to owning my very first cat, but to adding a new member to my family.”

 

 

Priority Automotive will be covering adoption fees for all cats and dogs through December 19.

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