25 Years of Saving Lives: Go inside Henrico Humane Society's Pet Expo

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- The Henrico Humane Society celebrated a milestone 25th Pet Expo at Richmond Raceway Complex on Saturday, drawing hundreds of attendees for contests, adoptable pet showcases and fundraising to support the organization's rescue mission.

Melissa Golden, who works with Henrico Humane Society, said the event serves a crucial purpose beyond entertainment.

"We have everything going on today... from 70-plus vendors," Golden said. "We have contests, we have puppy races, we have a lure course, we have a dog treadmill, we have an auction with over 250 items. Everything to raise money to support our life-saving work."

Supporting animals in need

The all-volunteer organization has been rescuing dogs and cats across central Virginia since 1991, with most animals coming from shelters before being rehabilitated and adopted to permanent homes.

"We take them in, save their lives, rehabilitate them, care for them medically if they need it, and then adopt them to permanent loving homes," Golden said.

The funds raised at the Pet Expo directly support the organization's rescue efforts.

"Many of them are healthy when we rescue them from a shelter, but some of them are critically ill, and some of them need some rehabilitation and some training. Our adoption fees do not cover those expenses, so the money raised at our largest fundraiser today is going to carry us through months of medical care," Golden said.

This financial support allows the organization to rescue animals that other groups might not be able to help due to cost constraints.

"We can rescue those animals and bring them in," Golden said.

Community partnerships and success stories

The event showcased the collaborative effort between various animal welfare organizations.

"We partner with local shelters and we partner with them so that they can bring their dogs and we do a parade of adoptable dogs that's Henrico Humane Society, and we also have three shelters today to highlight their dogs as well," Golden said.

Among the day's winners was Kirby, a corgi who took home the "Best Eyes" award in his first Pet Expo appearance. Owner Sam Newlin said it was a tough competition but expressed excitement about the win.

"This is actually our first one," said Ted Whitlock, Kirby's co-owner. "We have an older dog who doesn't do social events all that well. We're trying to see if he'll do a little bit better, and he seems to be adjusting pretty well."

The pair is already looking ahead to future competitions, with Whitlock joking about potentially working their way up to "the big globa" shows.

Business community support

Kelly McIntyre, CEO of The Dog Stop Richmond, a veteran and military-owned boarding and daycare facility, emphasized the importance of community events like the Pet Expo.

"The Pet Expo is the beginning part of the year where all of the vendors come together," McIntyre said. "It's the start of all of the vendors doing something monthly. For the Henrico portion, the Pet Expo is for us... to give back to the dogs who need assistance for medical treatment, need adoptions, rehoming — any assistance we can do..."

McIntyre, a retired military veteran with 32 years of service, opened The Dog Stop in 2020 as a way to give back to the community, particularly supporting veterans, firefighters, police officers, and healthcare workers.

"It's very important for the community. We're helping the dogs that are on the street. We're helping the people, us humans, if we're unable to take care of our dogs, we have a place we can go to ask for assistance," McIntyre said.

Evolution and growth

Over its 25-year history, the Pet Expo has evolved significantly while maintaining its core mission. Golden noted several changes that reflect the organization's adaptation to modern technology and changing needs.

"We used to be in the Showplace and now we're at the Raceway Complex. We used to have an agility course with mats. Now we have an electronic lure course. We used to have a paper silent auction and now we have an online auction. So we are growing with the tide," Golden said.

"We're taking advantage of technology to give the people that come to our events something new and fresh all the time," she added.

Making a difference

For attendees like Amani Thomas, who came as a surprise visit, the event serves an important community function.

"It helps spread the word about dogs that need help and that are full of love and deserve a home," Thomas said, adding that while she couldn't adopt that day, she had already seen "a lot of cool dogs that I really want."

Golden emphasized that the ultimate goal remains finding homes for needy animals.

"The reason that we do this is for animals to find their forever home and to know that this event would have any kind of an impact on finding even one of those dogs a home, and we have cats as well. That's why we do this. We're a volunteer-run organization. We work very hard throughout the year and especially to put this event together, and we do it so that these animals can find homes. That's why we're all in it," Golden said.

WTVR CBS 6's Greg McQuade has been serving as the Pet Expo's emcee for two decades. He also adopted his pup Lola from the organization.

The organization saves hundreds of dogs and cats every year. To make a donation or learn more about the Henrico Humane Society, visit their website.