Our Mascot

Every year at the Richmond SPCA’s Fur Ball, which benefits our Cinderella Fund for sick, injured and neonatal orphaned animals, we auction off the opportunity to serve as our mascot for the coming year.

This year, Arlo will represent the Richmond SPCA’s dogs and cats at Richmond SPCA events as well as helping promote our lifesaving work around town. We are so excited to welcome Arlo as our 2021-2022 mascot!

Arlo’s Story

Surrendered into the care of the Richmond SPCA in May 2021 as a sick 10-week-old puppy, Arlo had a rough start to his life. But when Richmond SPCA Board member Stuart Siegel and his wife Dawn met the adorable, fluffy pup with one floppy ear, it was love at first sight.

While Arlo recovered from his life-threatening illness, Stuart and Dawn excitedly awaited the arrival of their soon-to-be newest family member. Dawn was known to stop by the Richmond SPCA to visit Arlo – and of course, would bring him treats she’d picked up in our Lora Robins Gift Shop!

After spending a month in our care, Arlo had recovered! His new family enthusiastically rang our adoption bell in June, and brought Arlo home to meet his two new canine brothers, Oliver and Bogey.

Now welcomed into the Siegel household as a member of the family, Arlo’s personality began to emerge.

“Arlo believes he is a little dog. He thinks he is just like his small brothers,” says Dawn. “He tends to like tiny toys that are made for little dogs and he tries to fit himself into and onto spaces that suit smaller dogs. It’s very humorous and endearing to watch this giant muppet of a dog who is oblivious to his size.”

We look forward to celebrating Arlo’s mascot-ship this year – and we can’t wait for you to meet him!

• Arlo is very playful and mischievous. He’s infamous for bringing the outdoors indoors, which isn’t always fun. He is also infamous for digging up anything newly planted in the garden or rolling in stinky natural fertilizers – also not very fun. Luckily he doesn’t mind a bath!

• Before he made it into the care of the Richmond SPCA, Arlo somehow lost a large part of his right ear. This “imperfection” is part of what creates the adorable head tilted ear lifted photos. It’s turned into one of his cutest features. 

• Arlo’s brothers quickly trained him to bark at horses, dogs and other animals on television.

• Stuart and Dawn describe Arlo as an expert fetcher, a lover of all things water-related and that he loves to herd his brothers around the yard.

• Arlo has visited Topsail Beach, North Carolina, with his family, and loved the sand and the ocean – and loves car rides, too!

• Arlo’s family plans to give Agility classes a try, putting those graceful long legs to good use!

• Arlo loved new friends, and has never met a stranger – but Dawn is his favorite human. She describes him as her “shadow” – and that he’s almost never more than 12 inches away from her while at home.