Shelter offers reduced adoption fees for animals most in need of a home
By Heather Michon
Correspondent
Call them the hidden gems of the Fluvanna SPCA: a group of dogs and cats that have been at the shelter for six months or more.
They’ve been dubbed the “Hopeful Hearts Club.”
“They have a bad connotation because people are wondering why they haven’t been adopted,” said Diana Galarreta Aima, president of the FSPCA board.
It is, however, a false assumption. These dogs are no different from others that pass through the shelter. Like all potential adoptees, they have been spayed or neutered, have all their vaccines and medical checks, “so they’re ready to go,” she said.
All that’s missing is their forever family.
Harder to place pups
There is a hierarchy to shelter adoptions. Kittens and puppies go faster than adult cats and dogs. Calico cats are often snapped up while black cats linger. Pitbulls and hounds are harder to place than smaller breeds, as are older animals or those with medical conditions.
And since all animals have their own needs and personalities, it can take time to find the right fit. “Large, strong animals, or animals that need to be the only pet or the only dog in the home,” she explained.
Then there is the photogenic factor.
Many of the FSPCA’s adoptions begin online. A good photo, one that truly captures the animal’s personality, can make a significant difference – and some adoptees are just hard to capture in those Instagram-worthy poses.
The first meeting can also be crucial. “Some animals don’t show well,” said intake and placement manager Caroline Jones. “They might be barking or stressed, and that makes it harder.”
But not always. “We do same-day adoptions. They meet, vibes are good – you go home with a dog,” said Galarreta-Aima.
The team works to make sure each potential adoption is a good fit. “We’ll ask, ‘what’s your household like? Do you have kids? Do you have other pets?’ And try to steer them towards dogs that would be a good fit,” Jones said.
Members of the Hopeful Hearts Club would follow the same process, but at a reduced fee.
Facility needs
Moving as many pets as possible into homes is always essential, but is especially critical at a time when the shelter is facing overcrowding and a lack of resources.
“We really need a new building,” said Galarreta-Aima. They have long outgrown their current facility.
The biggest issue at the moment is that they can only have space for one isolation room, which must accommodate both cats and dogs. “That is just so wrong,” she said. “The main stressor for cats is dogs.”
She said they need more funding from the county, more donations, and more grant money.
Another need? Volunteers and foster families. “For everything we do, we need volunteers. We don’t have the capacity to have enough staff, so we need people,” she said.
But there is a reward for volunteering to help these animals. “You get calm when you get all sorts of love.”
To see a full list of the Hopeful Hearts Club and all the animals currently for adoption, visit fspca.org
