Pets bring so much joy to many households all over the world. There is an abundant number of animals across the world in shelters waiting for a loving family to come and bring them home with them. Some people prefer adopting from a shelter to help the animals who need a home before turning to a breeder, and one place that people can turn to in order to find a new furry friend is their local SPCA (Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals).

The Fluvanna County SPCA (FSPCA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1989 on South Boston Road. All SPCAs across the country have a “no-kill” policy for their mission to save the animals.

The FSPCA has found many homes for many pets since its founding. FSPCA manager Jessy Shifflet works hard to help these animals to find their permanent homes. “The numbers range widely based on the year, but for an example, in 2019 we adopted out a little over 300 animals. I would say, on average, we adopt out 300-400 animals yearly,” she said.

As of April 23, the center has the least number of animals that they have had in a long time, with a total of 23 cats and dogs. The animal that has been there the longest to date is “Joe-Joe” the cat. He has been there since December 2020.

As perhaps the best-known shelter in Fluvanna County, the FSPCA shelters many cats and dogs throughout the county who are in need of a new home or have been abandoned. They are limited to only taking cats and dogs into their shelter, due to them being a county shelter. One service they provide is getting the animals spayed or neutered before adoption.

The FSPCA does not have the equipment needed to perform these procedures at their own shelter. Instead, the FSPCA will send the animals to other clinics to have the procedures done before adoption.

Sophomore Brayleigh Campbell adopted her two beagles, Max and Donnie, from the FSPCA about three years ago. They are both around four-years-old and, according to Campbell, are still living a very happy life in Campbell’s home. She felt as though her experience with adopting her dogs from FSPCA was a pleasant one. “They have been very supportive and they treat the animals amazingly. I saw a lot of animals getting attention and love from the workers which has made my personal feelings a lot stronger, because these workers care for the animals and want to find them their forever home,” said Campbell.

As a non-profit organization, the FSPCA is in need of various different donations to help tend to the animals. Some of the most-needed donations are:

• Cat and dog food (Purina Dog/Puppy Chow, Purina Cat/Kitten Dry Food, canned cat/kitten food, and canned gravy food for dogs)
• Kitten milk replacement (KMR)
• Heating pads for kittens and puppies
• Cleaning supplies (13-gallon trash bags, laundry detergent, gloves, protective gowns, Lysol Wipes, paper towels, etc.)
• Office supplies (stamps, printer paper, pens, notebook paper, and sticky notes)
• Martingale Collars – These are limited-slip dog training collars which can be found here. (they are mostly in need of medium-sized but also in need of small and large sizes)

There are many animals out there who aren’t given the chance to experience unconditional love from a family. The next time you are looking for a loveable addition to your family, consider turning to your local SPCA to give an animal a FURever home.

Editor’s note: Caring for Creatures is another Fluvanna County shelter you can contact if you have an interest in adoption a pet. You can learn more about them here.