Outreach, education, advocacy, spay/neuter.

Spay/Neuter Resources

By spaying or neutering your dog, you can help address the root cause of overpopulation. In addition to the positive social impact, there are also numerous medical and behavioral benefits to spaying (females) and neutering (males) including:

  • Your female dog will live a longer, healthier life by helping to prevent uterine infections and greatly reducing the chances of breast tumors/cancer. Spaying your dog before the first heat provides the most protection from these conditions.

  • Neutering your male dog helps prevent testicular cancer, prostate problems, and decreases the likelihood of hernias.

  • Your female dog will not go into heat and you will not have unwanted/unplanned litters.

  • Your neutered male dog will be less likely to roam.

  • Making sure your dog is spayed or neutered helps to reduce some undesirable behaviors such as aggressiveness and spraying.

The following organizations offer free or low-cost spay and neuter services. Please note, there is often a waiting list of 1-2 months (or more) for appointments so please plan accordingly. If you live in the City of Richmond, please note the free spay/neuter options available through Richmond Animal Care and Control’s Kara and Eden Project at the end of this listing.

Richmond City Residents ONLY (proof of residency required). Do you have a dog or cat that needs to be spayed/neutered? The Kara & Eden Project can help with that at no cost to you! The following veterinary hospitals below are participating in this incredible program, so please reach out directly to them if interested.

*Please note: The City of Richmond has a breeding ordinance requiring all dogs over the age of four months to be spayed or neutered. If you do not have your dog spayed or neutered by this age, you are required to purchase a breeding license from the City. The cost of the license is $100 per animal, per year. Failure to comply with either of these regulations may result in a $100 fine per animal, per incident.

Low-Cost Veterinary Care

There are a number of low-cost veterinary options available, depending on the type of care/procedure your dog needs:

Free Vaccinations

  • Jones Veterinary Care offers free distemper/parvo vaccines for dogs on Fridays (starting 2/2/24) from 9:00 am to 11:00 am on a walk-in basis. No residency restrictions. 1217 West Leigh Street, Richmond, VA 23220; (804) 402-4883.

  • Richmond Animal Care and Control offers free distemper/parvo and rabies vaccines (cats and dogs) on Fridays from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm in their parking lot. No appointment necessary, but you must be a Richmond City resident. 1600 Chamberlain Ave, Richmond, VA 23222; (804) 646-5573. Check their Facebook page for any last minute cancellations for the regularly scheduled events.

Routine veterinary care

  • Goochland Pet Lovers’ The Good Neighbor Fund provides need-based financial assistance for non-emergency pet care at no cost to Goochland and Powhatan residents who reside at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

  • Jones Veterinary Care, 1217 West Leigh Street, Richmond, VA 23220; (804) 402-4883.

  • Kincheloe South at the Jessica Beath Clinic, 12300 Farrington Road, Ashland, VA 23005; 804-752-7729. Limited wellness visits are available for pets who are spayed/neutered; please check their Facebook page or call for the most current information.

  • Liz’s Place located at 16916 Hull Street Road in Moseley, VA 23210, offers a low-cost vaccination clinic on the second Saturday of each month from noon to 5:00 pm (pricing and services available on their website).  They reserve three sponsored appointments at each clinic for anyone experiencing financial hardship. To make an appointment and/or request a sponsored appointment, please email clinic@sanctuaryrescue.com.

  • Prevent A Litter Veterinary Hospital, 3421 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23221; (804) 359-6369. Routine vaccinations available on a walk-in basis; pets must be spayed or neutered.

  • Richmond SPCA’s Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital, 2519 Hermitage Road, Richmond, VA 232330; (804) 521-1330. Income-based assistance is available for routine veterinary care.

  • The Street Dog Coalition - Free quarterly veterinary clinics for pets of the homeless and those at risk of homelessness. Locations vary; please check the organization’s calendar for upcoming clinics.

Surgical Care

Dental Care

  • Helping Hands, 1605 Rhoadmiller Street, Richmond, VA 23220; (804) 355-3009. A full listing of procedures performed is available online.

Payment Options

  • CareCredit - A line of credit that can be used to pay for out of pocket medical expenses (including veterinary care). With instant online approval, CareCredit is accepted at many veterinary practices (and the majority of emergency and specialty practices). Many purchases are eligible for 6, 12, 18, or 24 months of interest-free financing.

Financial assistance

  • Compassion Animal Project is a nationwide nonprofit that provides financial assistance for life-saving treatments for pets.

  • Speaking for Spot provides an extensive list of organizations that may be able to provide you with some financial assistance paying for veterinary care. Many of them are specific in terms of the type of medical care they will cover, the state or region where you reside, family income levels, etc.  

  • Veterinary Emergency Treatment (VET) Fund - Veterinary Emergency Treatment Fund was founded to help prevent pain, suffering, and euthanasia of animals due to financial constraints. The nonprofit requires that all applicants upload verification of their annual income or proof of enrollment in federal or state assistance programs. Funding is currently restricted to the Central Virginia area (Charles City, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Hopewell, Louisa, New Kent, Petersburg, Powhatan, Richmond). Vet Fund does not pay for treatments that have been performed prior to submitting an application for assistance.

  • Waggle - Waggle is the only pet-dedicated crowdfunding platform that partners directly with leading veterinary providers, nonprofits and pet guardians to reduce economic euthanasia in pets, thereby giving options to pet guardians and second chances to the pets they love. All funds raised go directly towards the pet’s medical care.

Pet Food and Supplies

There are a number of pet food pantries in the metro Richmond area. Many animal control agencies also have food available - just reach out to your local shelter to see if they have any resources!

  • Atlantic Outreach Group offers dog and cat food on Wednesdays and Fridays from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm or at their weekly mobile pantry on Tuesdays starting at 12:30 pm. Please visit their website for more information or to schedule an appointment.

  • Furbish Thrift, located at 2833 Hathaway Road in Richmond, has a small pet food pantry outside the store during business hours.

  • Richmond Animal League’s Pet Food Pantry is open 7 days a week from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. The Pet Pantry is directly outside the Judith Talley Secor Adoption Center, located at 11401 International Drive Richmond, VA 23236 (2nd building on the right when you turn onto International Drive). Please do not take items out of the bin marked “Donations.”

  • RVA Free Pet Pantries are small, community supported pet pantries whose motto is give what you can, take what you need. Locations include:

    • 1126 N. 31st Street in Church Hill in Richmond (look for the tall, yellow and white cabinet)

    • 1800 block of National Street off of Creedmore in Fulton Hill/Montrose Heights (look for the orange cabinet)

    • 3613 Meadowbridge Road at Meadowbridge Community Market (look for the blue and yellow cabinet)

Virginia Laws and Animal Control Agencies

Virginia’s law requires that owners provide adequate care for companion animals (e.g., dogs, cats) including:

  • Adequate feed;

  • Adequate water;

  • Adequate shelter that is properly cleaned;

  • Adequate space in the primary enclosure;

  • Adequate exercise;

  • Adequate care, treatment, and transportation; and

  • Veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering or disease transmission.

If you are concerned about an animal’s living conditions or care, please contact your local animal control agency. While Salem’s Light can help improve the living conditions of a dog, we rely on the owner’s cooperation/approval and do not legal enforcement authority.

If you suspect dog fighting activity, please report your concerns to your local animal control agency and also to the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force at (888) 848-8311.

Adopt. Don’t Shop.

According to the ASPCA, 3.3 million dogs enter shelters each year in the United States. In 2017, over 100,000 dogs came into Virginia shelters and rescue organizations. Of those, more than 10,000 were either euthanized or died while in custody. If you are considering adding a four-legged friend to your family, we encourage you to adopt, rather than purchasing a dog from a breeder or pet store.

You can find dogs of all ages, breeds (including plenty of purebred dogs), sizes, and temperaments in shelters and rescue groups. If you’re looking for a specific dog, chances are you can find one to adopt!

Reasons to adopt include:

  • You will save a life. The number of dogs euthanized could be drastically reduced if people adopted rather than buying a dog.

  • You will get a great pet. Animal shelters and rescue groups are full of amazing dogs. Most dogs in a shelter/rescue ended up there because of a human issue like a move or divorce, not because there is anything “wrong” with them. Many dogs in shelters/rescues are already house-trained, have basic skills, and are used to being a part of a family.

  • It will cost you less. Usually when you adopt, the cost of spay/neuter and first vaccinations (and often microchipping) is included in the adoption fee. Purchasing a dog from a pet store or a breeder is often significantly more expensive than an adoption fee and you are still responsible for the initial, out-of-pocket veterinary costs.

  • Adoption helps more than just one dog. When you adopt, you’ll save the life of your new family member and open up shelter/rescue space for another dog who might desperately need it. Not only are you giving more dogs a second chance, but your adoption fee goes directly towards helping those shelters/rescues continue to provide for the animals in their care.

  • You’ll change a homeless dog’s life.

“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.”
— Karen Davison

Adopt Locally

The Truth About Pit Bull Type Dogs

If you have visited one of metro Richmond’s animal control agencies, you probably noticed that a vast majority of the homeless dogs are “pit bull type” dogs. With challenges like unfair breed restrictions in housing and breed-specific legislation is some areas, pit bull type dogs often account for the highest rate of euthanasia.

While pit bull type dogs can make amazing family and therapy dogs, there are numerous myths and stereotypes about pit bull type dogs that are either anecdotal and misleading or entirely false, often propagated by the media or special interest groups.

There are 4 widely recognized pit bull type breeds by AKC/UKC breed standards: the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The term "pitbull" or "pit bull" is not a breed, but instead a term used to describe a type of dog based solely on physical appearance. 

  • More than 20 breeds have “pit bull type” physical characteristics. A recent study found that pit bull type dogs are misidentified by shelter staff 60% of the time.

  • Media reports on bite-related incidents are prone to significant breed identification error rates of over 40%.

  • While many pit bull type dogs are subjected to mistreatment and abuse, pit bull type dogs continue to achieve excellent temperament scores – scoring in the top 23% of all breeds.

  • There is no such thing as a “locking jaw” – a common misperception of pit bull type dogs. The jaw of pit bull type dogs is anatomically the same as all other breeds and they do not bite any differently than other dogs.

  • The factors associated with irresponsible ownership (e.g., the dog was unstable, untrained, unsocialized, abused, running loose, or otherwise neglected) were the primary cause of dog bite related fatalities - breed is not a factor.

“[A] review of the ongoing public health records shows that dog bite-related fatalities remain extremely rare and new research has uncovered co-occurring factors in these events that are under the control of dog guardians. None of these factors relates to the demographics of the dogs.”
— Animals and Society Institute

Breed-friendly Apartments and Homeowners Insurance

When renting, many dog owners are faced with the difficult task of finding an apartment without restrictions on certain breeds including pit bulls, German shepherds, Rottweilers, and dobermans. The following apartment complexes in the Richmond area are pet-friendly and do not have breed restrictions (contact the office directly to determine if you are eligible and to confirm pet policy):

The following insurance companies offer homeowners coverage without breed restrictions (contact the carrier directly to determine if you are eligible and to confirm coverage):

While we strive to keep this information updated, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the content. Please contact the organizations/businesses listed directly for additional information or to confirm current policies/availability. If you know of additional resources that should be added to this page, please contact us!