Transfer Support Fundraiser: Your donation to our disaster relief efforts will be DOUBLED
While the Richmond SPCA’s greatest lifesaving impact takes place in Virginia, over the last week we’ve been hard at work coordinating the transfer of 43 animals from out-of-state shelters in areas recovering from the impact of a particularly devastating hurricane season. Thanks to the wonderful folks who have recently adopted pets, our humane center has the capacity to temporarily house homeless pets who have been evacuated from Puerto Rico and Florida in the wake of hurricanes Fiona and Ian.
On October 6 our transfer team gathered at Richmond Jet Center to greet 10 dogs from Puerto Rico, flown by Petco Love and Wings of Rescue. The following day 12 cats from Florida were delivered onboard an Animal Rescue Corps van, and Friday we returned to the airport to welcome five dogs and 16 cats on a flight coordinated by the HSUS from Florida. All of these pets were already awaiting adoption in local shelters before the storms impacted their communities. Moving them to safer locations allows those shelters to be better able to respond to the needs of local families and pets.
Every pet that passes through the doors of our humane center receives a full medical exam, treatment for existing conditions, a sterilization surgery (for those arriving intact) and vaccinations from our compassionate veterinary staff. After an observation period of 7-10 days, our precious travelers are becoming available for adoption — look for the Puerto Rico and Florida flags that are added to their photos on our website.
Our day-to-day work to save the lives of homeless pets here in Virginia goes on in earnest even as we are coming to the rescue of pets in the path of disaster. In addition to our team at the airport today, we also had a transfer team at Amelia County’s municipal shelter. Emergency relief efforts and local transfers alike are only possible due to the commitment of the friends of the Richmond SPCA to save the lives of pets in need.
When you make a donation to support transfers today, your gift makes lifesaving partnerships like this possible. Thanks to an anonymous donor, all donations received in support of disaster relief will be matched, up to $2,500.
