RICHMOND, Va. -- It was a stellar week for Richmond Animal Care and Control, and for all the pets who found new homes.
The organization waived all adoption fees from April 15-April 19, in conjunction with National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week.
It was the first time RACC went with an extended promotion like this, and at the end of the stretch the group was jubilant. They created a video to show their appreciation, and to illustrate just how many dogs and cats were adopted over four days.
The video is staged inside one of the wards at the shelter, which was emptied out by Monday. That's no small feat for the shelter, they said.
Fans and frequent lurkers of the organization's adoption page celebrated that long-time tenants like "Alyssa Milano" finally found their "fur-ever" homes.
Last week before the promotion, there were over 76 pets to be adopted. By Monday morning the website showed just over 30 in-house. The agency will release the totals later today.
Usually, the adoption fee for dogs is $100. It's not really a source of revenue for the organization, who said they barely break even once care and necessary medical services are fulfilled (including spay/neuter). The adoption of so many animals winds up -- in dollars and cents -- as a bonus for the agency.
But it's more than that at the end of the day. There is something to celebrate when their live-release rate continues to remain high, they said.
“We are committed to saving lives and that’s the route we can go," Christie Chipps Peters, who heads the department, said of the promotion. “We are blessed that the city supports us.”
The shelter is located at 1600 Chamberlayne Avenue in Richmond. Adoption hours are Wednesday through Friday 1 - 7 p.m.,
Saturday noon - 5 p.m. and noon - 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The pets looking for homes can be found here. The agency also now offers a service for missing and found pets in the city. Click here to use the service.
