there should be an option for no starts given as there is definitely no f's given by this kill…read moreshelter DO NOT RECOMMEND DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR PETS UNLESS YOU DONT MIND THEM BEING UNALIVED went to get a friends pup surrendered less than a week ago, waited an hour for my friend to get there to claim her dog and gift him to me. was told numerous times the dog was there.... my friend gets there only for us to be taken to a room and told the dog was euthanized, he didn't thrive.... DO NOT TAKE YOUR ANIMALS THERE

Did you know that the SPCA accepts old bedding, blankets and towels for their animals?…read more They have bin in the front of the building to drop off any donated food, toys, crates and cages.

Grubb Grove Farms is a wonderful place for horseback riding lessons. My daughter took lessons here…read morefor three years, and the instructors were patient, knowledgeable, and truly invested in helping her grow. The horses are well cared for, and the farm has a peaceful, welcoming atmosphere. We will definitely be going back. One thing worth noting is that the ranch could use more diversity. The quality of instruction is is great, the representation matters especially for kids. Overall, Grubb Grove Farms is a great place to learn and build confidence around horses. We had a positive experience and look forward to returning.

I signed my child up for summer camp under the beginner class. Very calm horses but it is NOT ok to…read morewear bike helmets instead of proper riding equipment! At the time she was quite new to horseback riding and had only ridden a few times before along with a few other kids in the camp, according to her everyone was nice but I think it was a little advanced for a beginner class considering that they asked kids who had never ridden before to trot on the 3rd day. Overall I think it would be a great camp for riders with some experience but if you're not comfortable with taking things quickly and haven't been riding for a while don't go here! Also, DO NOT wear a bike helmet it's not safe to do!

Park is disgusting, and isn't very clean. Got told to leave due to lack of a membership. Not only…read moredo you have to pay but you have to go all the way to city hall to get access to a park full of feces, old abandoned toys and cases of "water" (That may have parasites or be nasty due to being left in the sun...)? How about they use that money from the memberships to actually make it worth the visit.

A simple dog park with just one giant pipe for the dogs to run through. The separation between…read moresmall and big dogs is nice and lets owners feel at ease. However, I've never heard of paying to use a dog park. Especially not one as simple as this. Had a Park Ranger tell us we weren't allowed to use it unless we had proof of membership. Then proceeded to tell us we're allowed to roam the actual park surrounding it no problem. Seemed a bit contradictory. If you wish to visit be aware of the membership. If you pay for the membership, I'd advise you'd put the money towards improving the dog park making it worth a membership.

Living in Newport News, trail walking has been a great hobby for myself. Checking out local nature…read moretrails has been one that I'm trying to upgrade. And it looks like I found a brand new one to add to my locations. Riverview Farm Park is located by Menchville High School. It has a playground area and soccer field for kids to play. They also have group shelters reserved for large picnics. For you trail lovers, they have a 2-mile loop where you can walk, jog or run. Some can even ride bikes. There aren't many trees around so walking during the summertime may not be your cup of tea. But it was really nice to take a morning stroll here with friends, even during cold weather. Everything was paved, which helps when your avoiding water puddles and such. Also, there is a separate trail located by the park visitor center where you have a view of the Warwick River. We didn't get the chance to go that route but will check it out when the weather becomes warmer. Again, this trail gets a thumbs up from yours truly and my friends. Till next time :)

This is a beautiful park with walking trails hills and plenty of room for skating or biking…read more There is even a small Skate park The playground is very big and fenced in they have a butterfly garden with beautiful flowers as well There is a dog park located on the far side of the park Close to the gymnastics studio my kids love this park because they have so much space to hang out and run and play. I love the fitness aspect

This dog park opens sunrise to sunset everyday. It's located at next to the tennis court…read more It's a nice huge dog park. My dogs enjoyed going there a lot. It's usually not packed at all. Sometimes your dogs get to meet many dogs like 7-10 at the park(after 4pm~).

Beautiful, fully fenced, with dog obstacle course and benches to relax. Recently mowed and well…read morekept.

My daughter wanted a sunset horseback ride on the beach for her 13th birthday. Virginia Beach…read morehorseback riding had great communication and emails and detailed instructions from where to park, what to wear and more. My daughter,, her dad, and her two were paired with Horses. The staff were best suited for them. Although it was cold, they had a wonderful time and a smooth ride! Thank you so much!.

The ride was perfect for my horse happy bunch. We got matched to horses with our skill level,…read morelearned their names, were given a run down on stop/go/turn and then we were off to enjoy the walk/trot on the beach - both through the sand and through the waves. The head guide was very warm and did wonderfully with my younger, greener daughter while the second guide let us have some independence but still kept us feeling safe and, well, guided. Definitely worth doing!

Stopped in to pick up the Christmas light tickets for this year and the visitor center part opens…read moreat 9:00. The park itself opens at 8:00 but this was such a cool little office visitor Center and they were so wonderful. So go in and get your tickets. I've honestly only been through the park for the Christmas lights so I do need to go back and check it out for a good hike

A lovely gem of a park that is kind of tucked away and would be easy to miss when in the area, that…read morewould be a shame, so do make a point of checking it out. Good for bikes, hikes, walking, running, dog walking, fishing, birding, etc. Plenty of parking is available and trails are well marked.

I was excited when I saw a new small business, Kidcreate Art Studio was opening in the spring '21…read morein Newport News. I signed my granddaughter up for every activity in her age group. Each class is very affordable! The studio is in a strip mall on Warwick Blvd near Yates Elementary. It is a bright space with a variety of art supplies available to purchase for children, and a bright, colorful creating space with tables and stools. Some little kids fall off the stools but there are chairs available if desired. Ms Karen is the owner and she is delightful. She is very friendly and accommodating, but not overly so. The studio offers classes for children as young as 18 months, and as there is a wide variety of personalities and abilities, some children take awhile to get comfortable and some take to the structure right away. However there is no judgement or pressure for any child who may be having a melt down, and some do, or children who want to put project elements on upside down, or children who would rather sit on the floor or visit the caged birds that live at the studio. Some projects are very difficult for the younger children, but the age range for the classes my granddaughter attends is 18 months to 6 years, so there is quite a bit of adult involvement with the much younger children. The somewhat older children can attend on their own and parents can come back for them. Most projects have messy elements, and one of their "rules" is to have fun and get messy. Child height hand washing sinks are located close by, thankfully! I found a couple of projects too messy for my liking, but then, I'm about 60 years older than the kids the projects are designed for! As with any new business there are learning curves for the instructors who are likely getting all the elements together for a project they have never taught before. However the instructors generally are very hands off and let the children do what they feel comfortable doing while providing everything for a finished project. I look forward to supporting this business for several years to come, as long as my granddaughter is enjoying it.

My daughter has been very anxious about going out of the house because of covid, but with school…read morestarting soon, she needed to "get her feet wet," so I took her to KidCreate Studio to take a camp. She was nervous and cried every day at drop off, but everyone was very kind and redirected her. She trusted them and it got better and better every day. There was no judgment of her or her tears, just compassion. Even the other kids were kind and helpful. She's slowly getting ready for school and I just signed her up for her next week of camp. We'll do at least two more before school starts. Thank you all for being so good to my nervous kiddo!