In just one day, seven animals entered the Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA: four stray dogs, two stray cats, and one owner-surrendered pet.
Though the numbers may seem simple, each represents a unique story and a new beginning. With every surrender or stray intake, the impact on our shelter, our team and the animals themselves is significant.
“Each animal’s journey to the RHSPCA is unique. Every surrender comes with a difficult backstory—loss of a job, housing challenges and other personal hardships,” RHSPCA Director of Operations Summer Dubois said. “We feel the weight of each story, knowing that it affects the animal, the owner, and our team.”
To meet the growing demand and help more animals find permanent homes, the RHSPCA is launching an ambitious “Home for the Holidays: 400 Pets in 40 Days” initiative. With the goal of placing 400 animals in loving homes by the year’s end, the campaign aims to give as many pets as possible a fresh start before the holidays.
“Whenever we reach out, the community of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County steps up,” RHSPCA Executive Director Huck Nawaz said. “We saw a greater number of animals this year with more advanced medical and behavioral needs and it took much longer to rehabilitate and find homes for them. If we can place 400 animals in homes, we will finish the year with a manageable number in care, ensuring every pet receives the highest level of care.”
Despite record-breaking adoptions in September and October 2024, the RHSPCA typically experiences a seasonal decline in placements during November and December. The goal of “Home for the Holidays: 400 Pets in 40 Days” is to reverse the trend and help ensure no
animal has to wait longer than necessary for a home.
To support the campaign, the RHSPCA offers various adoption promotions, including:
- A Buy-One-Get-One (BOGO) promotion on kittens from Nov. 18-30.
- Fee-waived adoptions for veterans, active-duty military, and first responders through
Nov. 30. - Fee-waived barn cat adoption fees through Thanksgiving.
- Fee-waived senior pet adoptions through Nov. 30.
- Bissell Foundation-sponsored fee-waived adoptions from Dec. 1-15.
- Cat adoptions in partnership with PetSmart.
“While our focus remains on maintaining high adoption standards, we want to make this process accessible for the community,” RHSPCA Director of Engagement Aaron Cleveland said. “We’re committed to finding secure and loving homes for each animal, and we’re confident that with community support, we can reach our goal.”
Share
Rebecca Barnabi
