FAQ > Services
The R-H SPCA is dedicated to placing friendly, healthy pets into homes. Given that we are open admission, not every pet that arrives here fits those qualifications. Every incoming animal is treated as an individual, and staff takes the time to get to know each and every one of them to best serve not only the animal but also the community at large.
Pets with issues we are unable to handle in-house with our resources might be good candidates for a rescue group. Rescue groups are invaluable allies to us for these pets. Some of our pets may have a perfect temperament, but a worrisome tumor or an old injury that healed without proper treatment. We submit these pets for consideration to one of 60+ rescue group allies. Since many of these rescue groups are limited admission or breed-specific, they reserve the right to deny entry. However, we’re proud to say that a significant number of pets are transferred to rescue groups every year. In 2015 we were able to place 251 pets into rescue groups with more resources and foster homes to address health and behavioral issues, or are just in a location with more people looking to adopt.
When it comes to pets that are already in our shelter, we do the best we can. We also focus on pet retention in our own community to keep them from coming through the doors to begin with. We have comprehensive information available for basic training techniques to prevent or address behavioral problems in both dogs AND cats. Local CPDT and board member Karen Mast offers classes and home consultations for basic obedience or to address a specific issue. We are also happy to consult over the phone to help as much as possible with behavior that may cost a pet its home. Our Humane Education program teaches children and adults of all ages kind and responsible pet care. If we can improve the relationship between a pet and its family, we will try.
We also have a proactive spay/neuter initiative. In the state of Virginia, all pets adopted from an animal shelter are required by law to be sterilized. Part of our adoption fee functions as a deposit or “down payment” on a pet’s spay or neuter surgery, more info here. We are happy to provide a list of area veterinarians for newcomers to the area or people looking to find the right veterinarian. We distribute vouchers and special offers by area vet clinics for those who choose to adopt, those who bring us unwanted litters of offspring, those reclaiming a pet, and those who need low-cost options. Since we do not have a veterinarian on staff nor a clinic in which to perform surgery, we are happy to help people establish a relationship with a veterinarian.
Ultimately, regardless of how one feels about the limited admission vs. open admission strategies, what we can all agree on is an increase of spaying and neutering, pet retention assistance, and encouraging adoption instead of purchasing from a breeder or pet store is fantastic common ground to start from. Reducing the birth rate is a surefire way to reducing the euthanasia of pets, regardless of locality. Blaming animal shelters for pet homelessness makes as much sense as blaming recycling centers for landfills: neither place is to blame for what someone else has “thrown away.” Hopefully, we can work together to end pet homelessness at its source and refrain from a blame game that does nothing to prevent pet homelessness nor help animals find and stay in homes.
The R-H SPCA is dedicated to placing friendly, healthy pets into homes. Given that we are open admission, not every pet that arrives here fits those qualifications. Every incoming animal is treated as an individual, and staff takes the time to get to know each and every one of them to best serve not only the animal but also the community at large.
Pets with issues we are unable to handle in-house with our resources might be good candidates for a rescue group. Rescue groups are invaluable allies to us for these pets. Some of our pets may have a perfect temperament, but a worrisome tumor or an old injury that healed without proper treatment. We submit these pets for consideration to one of 60+ rescue group allies. Since many of these rescue groups are limited admission or breed-specific, they reserve the right to deny entry. However, we’re proud to say that a significant number of pets are transferred to rescue groups every year. In 2015 we were able to place 251 pets into rescue groups with more resources and foster homes to address health and behavioral issues, or are just in a location with more people looking to adopt.
When it comes to pets that are already in our shelter, we do the best we can. We also focus on pet retention in our own community to keep them from coming through the doors to begin with. We have comprehensive information available for basic training techniques to prevent or address behavioral problems in both dogs AND cats. Local CPDT and board member Karen Mast offers classes and home consultations for basic obedience or to address a specific issue. We are also happy to consult over the phone to help as much as possible with behavior that may cost a pet its home. Our Humane Education program teaches children and adults of all ages kind and responsible pet care. If we can improve the relationship between a pet and its family, we will try.
We also have a proactive spay/neuter initiative. In the state of Virginia, all pets adopted from an animal shelter are required by law to be sterilized. Part of our adoption fee functions as a deposit or “down payment” on a pet’s spay or neuter surgery, more info here. We are happy to provide a list of area veterinarians for newcomers to the area or people looking to find the right veterinarian. We distribute vouchers and special offers by area vet clinics for those who choose to adopt, those who bring us unwanted litters of offspring, those reclaiming a pet, and those who need low-cost options. Since we do not have a veterinarian on staff nor a clinic in which to perform surgery, we are happy to help people establish a relationship with a veterinarian.
Ultimately, regardless of how one feels about the limited admission vs. open admission strategies, what we can all agree on is an increase of spaying and neutering, pet retention assistance, and encouraging adoption instead of purchasing from a breeder or pet store is fantastic common ground to start from. Reducing the birth rate is a surefire way to reducing the euthanasia of pets, regardless of locality. Blaming animal shelters for pet homelessness makes as much sense as blaming recycling centers for landfills: neither place is to blame for what someone else has “thrown away.” Hopefully, we can work together to end pet homelessness at its source and refrain from a blame game that does nothing to prevent pet homelessness nor help animals find and stay in homes.
