Richmond Animal Care and Control


Our Dogs! * Our Cats! * Our Small and Furry Friends! * Our Rabbits!





Click here for a detailed description of our application and adoption procedures.


Or find out how you can help a homeless pet today!




Now Available


"Got Mutt?" Gear!!!





We are now offering RAC&C gear featuring our shelter mascot Platypus and "Got Mutt?" logo in our Adoptions Lobby at the shelter
in exchange for a donation towards the Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation
where proceeds go directly towards the animals in our care.



Available items are:

Heavyweight Hoody Sweatshirts - $20 Donation
100% Cotton B+W T-Shirts - $15 Donation
3/4 Length Black & Red Ladies Fitted Raglan T's - $15 Donation
Short Sleeve Black & Pink Ladies Fitted Raglan T's - $15 Donation
Small Dog & Even Smaller Dog Hoodys - $10 Donation

Call 646-5575 to check on size availability before you stop in as supplies are limited!
Don't worry though, we're getting more!




Featuring our RAC&C Shelter Spokesdog Extraordinaire "Platypus"!



Special Announcement:

Go Silver For Seniors!
***Free Adoptions Promotion***





We have found the purrfect combination - Senior Cats (age 6 and over) and Silver adopters (age 60 and better)!

These cute kitties haven't lost a step. And they bring love, companionship, and daily cuddles to their new forever homes! If you are a potential adopter who is 60 years of age or better, we have some wonderful "senior" kitties looking for new warm and loving retirement homes. And we'd like to make the love connection with no adoption fees attached! Just look for the SFS! symbol next to the cat's names on the website for eligible felines!

Residents of the City of Richmond are still required to pay a $10 licensing fee for their new feline friend.

Come get your Kitty Fix today!!!


Click here to see our Happy Tails of dogs who have found their "FUREVER" homes!!

Click here to see our Happy Tails of cats who have found their "FUREVER" homes!!




Coming Soon To Your Neighborhood.......





Richmond Animal Care & Control is branching out and taking our dog and kitty show on the road! Thanks to our Street Team Volunteers, you can now meet some of our available furry friends right in the luxury of your very own Supermarket aisles. Our Street Team goes out every other weekend with some of our favorite adoptable pals and works to find them new warm and loving forever homes.

The upcoming events are:

***“Christmas On Macarthur”!!!***
***Macarthur Avenue In Northside***
***Between Bellevue and Laburnum in front of Once Upon A Vine***
***Saturday, December 12th!!! 10:00am to 2:00pm***




We Want Your Happy Tails!!!






Thanks to a wonderful donation from some of our incredibly generous donors, Richmond Animal Care and Control has recently begun showing educational pet-ownership videos in our lobby. We also show a Happy Tails/Success Stories video of former RAC&C pets in their forever homes. If you have adopted a companion from us and would like to show off your beloved pet in a future Success Stories video, please e-mail your favorite picture to richmondanimalshelter@hotmail.com. Be sure to include your pet's name (and "Shelter name" if possible) and date of adoption. What a great way to celebrate your best furry friend!!!

Who We Are

We are the Division of Animal Care & Control for the City of Richmond, Virginia.

Come Visit Us!

We are located at 1600 Chamberlayne Avenue on the northside of Richmond.
You can get driving directions from MapQuest. Come see us and find the newest member of your family!

Adopting a Friend

Our adoption hours are 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm on Tuesday thru Friday and 12:00 pm to 3:30 pm on Saturdays. We are closed to the public on Sundays and Mondays. No appointment is necessary to come visit the pets available for adoption during our normal public hours.

The Shelter will adopt animals outside of the city and state as long as the family is willing to make at least two trips to Richmond. One trip will be to meet the pet and complete the adoption paperwork. If the application is approved, the next trip will be to pick up the pet up from it's sterilization appointment and take it home. The Shelter is unable to ship animals to new homes.

We do have a pre-screening procedure in order to ensure that you find the pet that is just right for you. Once you find a pet you are interested in adopting, you will complete an application.

Adoption Applications are available online by clicking here: *Adoption Application* Please fill the application out completely (including the animal's name and Shelter ID# in the box marked "For Shelter Use Only".... we won't hold it against you!) Then fax the application directly to the shelter at 804-646-5586 and call during business hours to confirm that we received it. Please note that we are unable to "hold" a pet that you may be interested in; the only way to "claim" a pet you may want to adopt is to submit an application. Applications are accepted and screened on a first come, first serve basis; the Shelter will accept up to three applications per pet. As part of the application process, we ask that you bring all members of your household (including children and other dogs) to the Shelter to meet the prospective new pet.

Your application will be carefully screened and, if it is approved, you will pay an adoption fee of $75 for a female puppy/dog, $70 for a male puppy/dog, and $65 for a kitten/cat. The adoption fee includes spay/neuter surgery (for those not already sterilized) and shots to date. Cash (exact change only, please!) or personal checks are accepted forms of payment. We are unable to accept debit/credit cards.

When you complete the final paperwork, a Shelter staff member will help you schedule an appointment for spay/neuter surgery at one of two vets in Richmond. The pet will stay at the Shelter until the surgery date, the Shelter will transport the pet to the vet, and you will pick your pet up from the vet and take her home! Therefore, adoptions do not take place immediately; depending upon availability of vet appointments, it usually takes about 5-6 days from application to approval to home. Please understand that it is Shelter policy that all animals are sterilized and current on shots before they may go to a new home. If you have further questions on the adoption process, please call (804) 646-5573. <

How You Can Help. . .

Our shelter is always wanting to improve in every way -- whether it be to enhance our pet quarters, to purchase pooper-scoopers for our dog walkers, or to pay for that necessary surgery to fix a cat's broken leg. Cash donations are the means in which we are able to do these things that cannot be covered with normal City operating funds. It is through kind donations like yours that we are able to make our shelter a better place for animals and people alike! If you would like to donate, please make your check payable to Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation and mail it to 1600 Chamberlayne Avenue, Richmond, VA, 23222. Please check out "Popeye", now "Patches", to see what your donated funds can do!

Wish List

The doggies could really benefit from leashes and collars of all sizes, towels, biscuits, and toys--especially new or gently used Kongs and tennis balls! The kitties love soft beds and toys, too! Your donation will immediately benefit the dogs and cats at the Richmond Animal Shelter. Thank You!

Donate a BedWe use Patented Kuranda Dog Beds because they are durable, chew proof and easy to clean. If you would like to donate a bed to us, click here.


Our dear Porky was the first recipient of a donated Kuranda Dog Bed. As you can see, he has given it his full seal (and yawn!) of approval. He would love to see more of his buddies be able to enjoy this comfort too!

Please Spay or Neuter Your Pet!

Spay/neuter is the single most effective way to reduce the number of orphaned pets. All pets adopted from the Richmond Animal Care and Control are sterilized before they are allowed to go to their new homes. There are several low-cost spay/neuter facilities in Richmond, including Prevent A Litter and the Richmond SPCA. Please call them today and schedule to have your own pet spayed or neutered. You will help ensure that one day all pets have a place to call home!

Pet Friendly Housing

If you're thinking of moving in the near future, find out what pet restrictions there are first. Visit the Richmond SPCA's site for Pet Friendly Housing in the Richmond Metro Area to find out weight restrictions, breed restrictions and additional fees for apartments in the area.
http://www.richmondspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=newpetfriendly



Richmond Animal Care and Control
1600 Chamberlayne Avenue.
Richmond , VA 23222
Phone: (804) 646-5573
Fax: (804) 646-5586
Email: richmondanimalshelter@hotmail.com

Click here for a list of pets at this shelter


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