Lots of animal shelters have a bad rap. Images of cramped and dirty quarters litter the Internet and pictures of animals who will no longer be with us pull at our heartstrings. But not every animal shelter is a filthy and unsafe place for stray pets to temporarily reside. There are those that are warm and caring places and today’s shelter spotlight is on the Richmond, Virginia SPCA.
Show me the Money
The biggest issue shelters have today is that they’re overcrowded and become more like animal warehouses than shelters. And those wonderful dogs and cats are eventually euthanized. But not all shelters euthanize animals.
There have been many grassroots campaigns lately sprouting up all over the country to insist on no-kill shelters being available. While many shelters still practice euthanasia for dogs and cats that have been living at the facility for a length of time, more and more no kill shelters are becoming available.
And it isn’t cheap.
For the Richmond SPCA, they made the no-kill shelter dream a reality after spending 7 million dollars to build a new no kill center. And thanks to a vigorous spaying and neutering program initiated by Robin Starr, the CEO of the Richmond SPCA, there were 50% fewer animals put to sleep last year.
Great Numbers
According to the Richmond SPCA blog, 55 animals were adopted out in a one week period from January 26 through February 1, 2015. Those are great numbers for dogs and cats.
Outreach
The Richmond SPCA utilizes something they call a Match Finder tool which allows people to get an automatic e-mail whenever a pet matching their desired criteria comes into the shelter.
This is a marvelous way to bring pet seekers back to the website without them having to pore through every potential adoptee for days, weeks or even months on end. It also keeps the Richmond SPCA front and center in a family’s mind as the best place to find their new furry friend.
Another wonderful outreach program is the SPCA’s support of cats at the Carytown Petco.
Alumni Updates
The shelter is always happy to hear about how the adoptees are doing and encourage pet parents to reach out with updates and photos.
Animal shelters are often the only places homeless pets have to go and a shelter like the Richmond SPCA is one place where they can be gently cared for without fear until they go to their forever homes.
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
