My Fair Lady, a 39-pound brindle mixed breed dog at the Richmond SPCA, doesn’t know anything about Hurricane Florence, but this laid-back lady will be helping dogs affected by the hurricane if she is adopted this weekend.
The Richmond SPCA is responding to pleas for assistance from animal shelters in hurricane-affected areas by taking animals that were already homeless and awaiting adoption before Hurricane Florence into its care. Many shelters in the Carolinas are trying to make room in their facilities to assist local residents in need of temporary shelter for their own pets.
The SPCA is receiving thirteen dogs and several cats today from the Darlington Humane Society. The organization, Florida Urgent Rescue, is transporting the dogs to the SPCA from Darlington.
In order to accommodate the dogs affected by the hurricane, the SPCA needs to clear as many cages as they can. “We are making room here by asking people to come in and provide loving homes for the dogs we do have in our care,” says Tabitha Frizzell Treloar, Richmond SPCA’s director of communications. “We have also made available nine cat cages. We have not heard how many cats may be on this transport.”
To prepare to take in animals from South Carolina, the Richmond SPCA is discounting all adult dog adoption fees by 50 percent from Friday, Sept. 21 through Sunday, Sept. 23.
Adoption hours this weekend are as follows: Friday, noon to 7 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
Many of the dogs coming to the Richmond SPCA today are heartworm-positive and will be given veterinary treatment for this life threatening condition before they are prepared for adoption to lasting, loving homes in the Richmond area.
“Because of our Cinderella Fund we treat more than 100 dogs that are heartworm-positive every year,” Treloar says. “We are well prepared to treat the dogs we are receiving.”
Dogs coming in that aren’t heartworm positive will be observed for any signs of illness that may not be apparent. If they are in good health, the SPCA will spay or neuter the dogs that haven’t previously been spayed or neutered. All of the dogs will be available for adoption after they are in good health and have been cleared for adoption.
My Fair Lady and the other dogs on the SPCA’s adoption list are ready to find their new homes. All pets at Richmond SPCA are spayed and neutered, current on their vaccinations and as an added bonus, anyone adopting from the SPCA can get low cost veterinary care at the Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital.
“You can see all the dogs we have available for adoption at richmondspca.org,” says Treloar. “We are asking the community to help us prepare for the rescue of pets in this emergency by giving a home to a dog already awaiting adoption at the Robins-Starr Humane Center.”
