Compassion in Action: October 2025

Fall is in the air as we kicked off October, the first month of our fiscal year. Our teams across the organization are feeling inspired by the generosity and commitment of the surrounding community. Compassion comes in many forms, and this was demonstrated clearly this month by incredibly generous donors, the support of local businesses, and a very kind-hearted fifth grader. 

The Richmond SPCA Pet Pantry is a free resource for pet guardians that relies on the community’s generosity to keep it stocked. Local fifth grader Roman set out to organize her very own food and supplies drive within her school and neighborhood to benefit the Richmond SPCA’s shelter and pet pantry. Roman thought of everything, from designing her own Halloween-themed flyer to collecting, shopping for and delivering the items to our humane center. After delivering her haul, Roman told our team she has big plans to host more drives and help more animals in need.  

On October 31, an incredibly generous donor who chose to remain anonymous contacted our advancement team to pledge a $10,000 donation specifically to the Pet Pantry. This unexpected gift will be the difference for many families in ensuring their beloved pets can remain in their homes. The gift will be used with the utmost care and intention to help the pantry stay stocked this coming year.  

In 2025, the Pet Pantry received and distributed more than 78,000 lbs. of donated items. That’s the equivalent of nearly 2,230 large bags of dog food or 5,200 15-lb boxes of cat litter. We know that when people are struggling so are their pets. Individual acts of compassion like these, no matter the size, make a huge impact. 

Next month, we’ll continue these efforts thanks to the support of local businesses across RVA that will host donation drives heading into the holiday season: Brambly Park, Fresh Market, Minglewood, Hardywood, Shields Market, Bbgb, Nates Bagels, and Made in VA.  

You can find more information on the Richmond SPCA Pet Pantry and others across Richmond at Pet Pantry – Richmond SPCA.  

Our full October report is found in the graphics below.  

78,407 lives saved since becoming no-kill in 2002

Data visualization by Laura Roose.