My experience at the Richmond SPCA was not a good one. I have two adopted animals and even had services for my pets at this location. I wanted to play with some of the animals that are caged and just wanted to put in some time in with them. I do not want to adopt. I was very rudely told that to put my hands on the animals I would need to be on the adoption list and it's going to be a long wait. Could someone please explain in a nicer way to me why animals have to be considered for adoption to be played with? I just don't get it. read more

Before I start, I must say that the staff were very friendly, but the experience I've had was very unorganized.About 3 1/2 weeks ago, a kitten came across me (yes..SHE came to ME).It was around 3am & really dark (also she was super tiny) so I took her in for the night.I grew attached to her, but my parents didn't want any pets in the house so I came here. Now, at first they told me that there wasn't anyone to take care of her.So I told them that it was fine I'll come back to get her (bcus I was only keeping her there for about 30 minutes due to an errand I had to run across town) Came back, they told me they found her a foster home.I was relieved, but at the same time I still wanted to know every detail of her (i.e who'd be taking care of her, if she did get adopted etc.) so I gave them ALL of the information, in which they'd say they'd FILE (& HEAVILY expressed my love for Hitomi ( which was HER NAME that I GAVE HER). I left the building, heavy heartedly, because I still wanted her, but she was JUST in foster care so I put ALOT of thought into it & came back the next day. I walked in around the same time I came in the previous day (around 12ish) & went to the adoption agency. When I came in, I saw a tiny kennel with the name TODAROKI on it. Now, I didn't think anything of it, but something TOLD me that it was her. (Should've went with my gut) kept walking, spoke to the lady with glasses & brunette hair who was there at the time. Explained to her what happened that previous day, explained to her that I wanted to adopt her, said I'd pay for her & EVERYTHING so she looked me up, couldn't FIND me, which was odd, so I had to describe her & sure enough she popped up with that name.. TODAROKI! So I looked at her confused & said that the kitten that just went passed me was her, & she said that she was going to Foster Care. (NO ONE called me telling me that she was being picked up!!!! I was HIGHLY UPSET about this but didn't express it because it was early & things happen... maybe it slipped their mind or something. ( Gave them the benefit of the doubt) ) I spoke with her still, she said that she'd put my name & number in "A file" & they'd call me or email me with every detail. So I walked out, thinking that everything would be fine. I kept in contact with them about her, I'd call every chance I get & EVERYTIME I did, they said that they'd put me IN A FILE stating that I'd expressed my interest for adopting her ( said they'd put me in to be the first option). Now about 2 weeks in ( she was about 4 weeks at this time) i called asking about the foster care, they gave me the lady's name & email. I emailed her that following day, she replied with a phone call, but I missed it. So I called back. She told me EVERYTHING that had gone on with her ( THEN ... which I was ANGRY about because NO ONE HAD CONTACTED ME ABOUT ANYTHING! )THEN she told me that the people who were fostering her had expressed interest.MY HEART SHATTERED, so I explained to her that I'd had been calling & expressing my interest in Hitomi for a while. She said... & I quote "This is my first time hearing of it when you emailed me." I paused, told her that they'd put me in A FILE saying that is called she apologized ,then said she'd put me IN A FILE saying that I called. ( -_- ) I hung up, angry & hurt because I went through ALL of that & NO ONE EVEN CARED to 1. inform me of anything that was going on with her 2. Every time I'd call, they put me " ON FILE" ( apparently a nonexistent one!!!) 3. They NEVER TOLD ANYONE ( the adoption staff) ABOUT MY INTEREST IN ADOPTING HER! & 4 again, I went through ALL OF THIS, JUST to be shut down & heart broken at the end. All in all, the whole point of me taking her there was ONLY to have them foster her until she was healthy enough for me to take her! But it seemed they didn't want me to have her because every time I'd call, they always put me in ON FILE... when apparently, THE FILE NEVER EXISTED BECAUSE THE LADY WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF HER ADOPTION NEVER GOT THE MEMO! This experience has left me heartbroken (because I still love HITOMI very much) , confused & angry! . read more

Richmond SPCA is a class act..The staff is amazingly wonderful...these folks really care about the animals, and go to great lengths to assure that you find the right pet. The young man who handled our adoption was excellent---he gave a full description of our pet's history, and what to expect....he spent a great deal of time with us, and answered all of our questions ... I was SO impressed with everyone I met at the SPCA. This is a talented group with great skills and high-level compassion !! read more

I was looking for a shelter to place 2 wandering pitbulls I had found. While they were unable to take them because I found them in Henrico rather than Richmond, the woman who helped me was very nice and the place looked and smelled clean. read more

This is the most unattentive, unprofessional, and unknowledgeable group of "veterinarians and vet techs" i have ever seen... and just trying to get them on the phone is a nightmare. Do yourself a favor and take your furbaby someplace that actually cares. read more

RVA SPCA is the best! Thanks from our cat renamed Miroku (Momo) who was Titus at the SPCA. Birthday parties were actually kind of cool even for the adults. We went for my niece's 6th Bday. Though the poor girl who had to dress up as a dog could have used a little more enthusiasm when directing the games. The kids enjoyed it very much although I was the only one who took a new used pet home. Our adoption agent Miram was exceptional and couldn't have made it a better experience. Momo is a fat kitty and very happy with us and his friends. SPCA is a great place to go even if your not ready to adopt or already have a full house. Check out the gift shop for cute goodies for your family, or take a tour and give a few fuzzy things a pet. great place to bring out-of-towners who haven't the good experience our local SPCA offers! read more

I take my son here to get his fill of little furry critters. Sadly, we can't take any home because his dad is super allergic, to pretty much everything on the planet. We go here, pet lots of cats, feed the dogs biscuits and hope to see some puppies. Then we use lots o hand sanitizer and head home. The volunteers and staff here are great and treat the animals well. Go adopt a few for us! read more

4 years after losing our beloved Sparky, it was time to let a new four-legged tail waggger into our hearts. What better place to find a furry friend than the RVA SPCA? None. Hands down the absolute best shelter I have ever been to. The most useful service they provide is to actually spend time with the animals in their loving care to provide personality information about each one. I found a large, very handsome, older german shepherd mix on their website gallery who had a "Couch Potato" personality (what can I say, we're kinda lazy) & fell in love the moment we visited. HalJordan (Green Lantern for this sector of Mechanicsville) is absolutely awesome & sure enough, spends a lot of time "patrolling" the sofa. As everyone else has said, the facility is amazingly clean, spacious, and friendly. The multitude of services the SPCA provides is phenomenal: We use the clinic affordable veterinary care, they offer training for dogs (& owners) for everything from basic manners to agility competition, as well as classes on becoming visiting therapy teams for nursing homes, children's hospitals, etc. Children enjoy birthday parties, summer camps, and even some of the best volunteer opportunities around. Far beyond just cage cleaning and feeding, adult volunteers can choose to go jogging with a four-legged coach, foster tiny baby kittens and puppies (they even watch them for you while you're at work), help at some of the coolest special events in town... they even make washing giant bags of laundry fun! The point is, RVA SPCA is the total package when it comes to compassionate care for both animals and their humans. read more

I set up an appointment to meet a cat I was interested in adopting and paid the $30 hold fee. However, the night before my appointment my car and home were vandalized due to the riots that broke out throughout the city. I was forced to relocate for a week, but had expressed interest in taking the cat home as soon as I was back in Richmond (which would have been in 5 days). That wasn't allowed because another family might be interested in the cat while I'm gone. That's fine and I completely understand that. What I DO NOT understand is how I was treated by a shelter attendant. This woman had a hockey or sports team face mask on and hid behind it well as she mocked my situation. Instead of feeling any sympathy towards my situation she proceeded to shrug it off saying how her dog handled the riots better and to contact the shelter when I was in a "more stable place." I'm sorry, but I didn't choose to have my home or car broken into. I have been preparing to adopt a cat for about a month now and to be mocked by the attendant in such a way was really off putting. I'm still looking to adopt, but their process is super slow right now and unreliable. I'd suggest waiting until the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted so that you're able to visit more animals and interact less with rude staff or visit another shelter. read more

I just wanted to add to my previous review to give a glowing recommendation of this place as a shelter. I tried to volunteer here, but simply didn't have the time. Still, I was very impressed with the care they give the animals there, and I love that you can visit with the cats in "cat-illions" (living room-type playrooms for the kitties), which is a great alternative to rows of cages. Happy, healthy animals and happy caregivers. What a great place! :) read more

I can't say enough how great this place was. I pulled up expecting to find animal shelters like I had seen in the past and I was very pleasantly surprised. The facility is gorgeous and it is so clean that it is hard to believe they have any animals at all in there! It smells fresh and clean and the atmosphere is warm and bright. The staff were all exceptionally helpful and friendly and really contributed to making my adoption experience a truly positive one. They are also honest and trustworthy about the animals. We first expressed interest in adopting a cat that we saw online and the young man was was happy to let us meet with her in a private room but professionally disclosed that the cat had been returned a few times before for the same issue and that we should consider the issue in our decision-making to make certain this cat was best for our family and other pets. It was also clear that he had the cat's best interest in mind, as well, since he wanted to make sure that the cat went home with someone that was well aware of the issues she presented, and committed to being her family to avoid additional returns to the shelter. We did end up deciding that that particular cat wasn't best suited for our particular home environment and probably wouldn't be compatible with our dog, but the young man working there helped us to find a cat that was more compatible and we absolutely love this cat. This cat was the perfect addition to our family and the Richmond SPCA couldn't have made me feel more comfortable about my decision to adopt him. I was also amazed and in love with their veterinary care and I plan to take my new cat AND his dog brother to their veterinarian in the near future for all preventive care. Wonderful place and wonderful experience. I feel 100% confident that the Richmond SPCA wouldn't let you walk out with an animal that wasn't right for you and your family just for the sake of getting animals into homes. They truly understand that it is more important to find the RIGHT home for all parties involved. I would certainly visit and consider adopting from them in the future. read more

Richmond SPCA - Our new cat adopted from the Richmond SPCA getting along perfectly with our dog within hours of meeting. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I adopted my cat from the SPCA a month ago. I visited a couple times before and several times since. I love their personality matching system, and the adoption was easy. It is also super convenient having the gift shop right there. You also get access to the low cost vet, which is awesome. Everyone there is super friendly and helpful. read more

Amazing place! I adopted both of my babies (a dog and a cat) from here. The adoption counselors are very knowledgeable and love what they do. It's also a great place to go to even if you aren't looking to adopt. Everyone is welcome to walk around and visit with all the animals. They also love getting updates on your pets & always respond to update emails! read more

By far one of the best animal shelters I have ever come across.The facility is comfortable and very clean.The staff is super friendly and actually take time out to get to know each individual animal.They like to match the animal up with the proper owner and let you know of their personalities and characteristics.I had the pleasure of working with Matt who was fun and truly cared about the animals.He made the adoption process fun and painless.They make sure the pets are going to a great home and truly care about the animals..If I decided to adopt again this is my go to shelter. read more

We adopted our new dog today from this facility. The service was impeccable. The staff was kind, patient, and knowledgeable. Jessica helped us yesterday and we did most of the paperwork then. We put the dog on hold and came back today to do a meet and greet for our older dog. My husband and I could not believe how the place looked and smelled! It was very very well maintained. No nasty smells there! (maybe a bit of dog breath) Also a variety of ages/sex/breeds. It was nice to see so much variety, I'm sure that changes but I loved that we had choices. Oh and the woman that helped us today also helped us fit both our dogs' collars. They go above and beyond. read more

If you fall in love with a new friend... Check your animal for fleas. We brought our kitten home and 5 days later we had FLEAS! Not cool!

So this was my first time adopting a pet and I didn't know what to expect, but I am SO impressed. The place is so clean with such friendly staff who really care. Jessica and Rebecca were extremely thorough helping to fully explain our new pup's history and personality. He had been there for about 6 months and had clearly been treated well. They provided us with a ton of information and sources to help train and give him a happy home. Comprehensive medical records as well, meticulously dated and initialed. All the animals I saw were well cared for and clean. The Richmond SPCA is clearly a top-notch organization. read more

We visited to think about adopting a second cat today. We had a very positive experience. Since we had our first cat(who was not adopted from SPCA)fixed at the SPCA it was our first choice to visit. We had a short wait. We then got a chance to meet with Jessica and a cat of our choice. Jessica was very informative about introducing a new cat to our current cat. We really enjoyed our visit and hope to give a loving home very soon! read more

So you want a pet, but aren't sure where to start. Or you know exactly what you want and just need to find it. Either way, the Richmond SPCA is the place to go. First of all, the facility itself is gorgeous - no sad shelter feeling at all. You can just tell the animals are loved. Families bring their kids to visit and even have birthday parties and such - it's that happy a place! Secondly, the staff is phenomenal. The kennel staff keeps the place glowing. The adoption staff work with you one on one. They'll chat with you to get a sense of what you're looking for and help you find potential matches. They even have a neat system for matching your personality with the pets' - you should give it a try. All pets are checked out and cared for by their in-house vets, spayed/neutered, microchipped, and up to date on shots. The pets also come with a month of free pet insurance. When you adopt from the Richmond SPCA, you automatically become a client of their vet clinic, which is super affordable and provides great care. They have tons of resources like training classes and a behavior helpline to help your new and/or existing pets with anything you can think of - their team knows a ton. They also have a gift store right inside with all the supplies you could ever need. Basically, it's a full-service, one-stop shop, if you will, so if you're looking for a place to go to adopt a pet or entertain the one you already have, check them out. Surely beats any breeder or pet store. The Richmond SPCA will not only be with you through the process of finding a good match for your family, but they remain a resource for your new life together. Although I've now moved to DC after living in Richmond all my life, I'd drive down in a heartbeat to adopt another animal from this shelter. (You don't have to be local to adopt a pet!) They will always have my support. Even if you're not looking for a pet, still stop by for a visit, look into volunteering, or consider donating. This is a great, great organization that works to improve Richmond in many ways. In turn, there are many ways for us to give back. read more

Where do I start. Let's start by saying the Spca in Richmond has changed for the worse. In 2002, I bought my best friend from the SPCA and was blessed for about 11 years. I got him when he was about two years old. Perfect dog and great in every aspect. In 2002, the staff seemed professional and gave me all the information on my dog, such as birthday , previous owners and health status. They also gave me his breed and knew the mix of the dog. All information was given and accurate. Anyway, throughout the years, I've donated money annually to the organization. Back early this year, 2013, mu dog develop some health issues. I took him to faculity next door, better known as the compassionate care unit of the SPCA. More like inferior unit for animals. They stated they do blood panels and x-rays for the animals on there listings on the net. Also stating they do affordable care with state of the art equipment. Just to find out the complete opposite was true when I took my dog in to be diagnosed . FALSE ADVERTIZING AT IT'S BEST!! Dr. Angela Ivey, head vet there told me that they didn't do blood panels and x-rays. They only did basic diagnoses , but said she would look at my dog. My question to her was simple. If you don't do blood work and x-rays, which is paramount to basic procedures, then what in the heck do you do? Very condescending and abrupt, said 'if you don't like it you can take animal else where'. I said, what is the purpose then being funding and taken donations if you can't get the proper equipment to treat the dogs coming in. When in noting and saying it or the net and finding out the exact opposite.,Also when their sister organization does all the treatment and have the equipment to proper diagnose the animal at affordable cost, in Virginia Beach, but they don't. Absolutely amazing in my eyes. That's only half of it, after the initial visit , I had another question for the doctor and ask the orderly name Gayle to tell the doctor to call me. I had a few more questions to be ask. Then she told me point blank, "the doctor has nothing more too say to you". ' She has done all she can" . Really now?? I said you just have your doctor call me and she said no I wont. Totally unethical and unprofessional and I told her so and said I would report her and the doctor. This all happen in January. I then dealt with the emergency animal vets on carytown. Had to pay more, but they were more compassionate and knew their craft whole lot better than the SPCA COMPASSIONATE CARE. PLEASE, just as compassionate about burglar breaking in a building. I've had every intention to report them and now more so now. On April 30th, I had to put my dog to sleep due to seizures that he had and no help from the compassionate care unit. Just today, May 21st, I went to the adoption unit of the SPCA to look around for another dog. Staff there now didn't seem too know much of anything pertaining to the dog's birth, records and etc. Didn't see a match. Fair to poor representation compared to their staff in 2002. Now to add insult to injury, two hours after I left the place I was called on the phone saying I was ban from being on the property, due to the incident that happen in january with the orderly on the phone. The lady wouldn't listen to my side of story, just to close the phone down on my face. Well, maybe this just rare incident, but I say it's not and I 'm going to stop all donation to this organization and I'm going to the board of directors against the these asshats and let my disgust to be know. Get your animal from other shelters, but stay away from this one. read more

I have adopted a cat here and plan to make another adoption soon! I am not an expert in animal shelters but the Richmond SPCA is a very impressive pet operation. They take excellent care of the cats and dogs, yes, but the point I would make is that they are also attuned to the needs of the many *people* who come to them to consider adoption or just look at the beautiful animals. Adopting is both an exciting and stressful event, and what I found in my own experience is that the Richmond SPCA staff handles adopters, potential adopters, and "drop-ins" with the same skill and aplomb that they display in caring for the cats and dogs in their care. This is truly a first-rate organization. read more

I volunteered here over the summer working with cats and dogs and have to say this has got to be the best animal facility in va. They take excellent care of the animals and staff is passionate about the mission of protecting and placing them with the right owners. If you're looking to adopt, I'd start and end my search right here. read more

The people at the Richmond SPCA are absolutely awesome! One volunteer (Brianna) took time to introduce me to my new best friend a few weeks ago. They have great people, a wonderful area to meet with animals, and everything is kept really clean. Great job! read more

They have so many discounts and lovable animals! The staff are all so nice and I'll always go there to pick out my new pets. They even have surveys to find your perfect pet. read more

I been taking my puppy pepe to the SPCA now and I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it. the staff is very friendly, my doctor is great with pepe and the nurse staff is awesome! Thank you guys for making us part of your family! read more