A Historic Milestone for Virginia Shelters

RAL’s Executive Director Larry Eason was happy to attend this event, along with Richmond SPCA’s CEO Tamsen Kingry, and founder and Executive Director of Homeward Trails, Sue Bell.

Last Friday (February 14, 2025) marked a groundbreaking achievement for animal welfare in Virginia. Richmond Animal League (RAL) was honored to stand alongside fellow shelters, legislators, and advocates at the Virginia State Capitol to celebrate an unprecedented lifesaving milestone. Hosted by Best Friends Animal Society, the event recognized 80 Virginia shelters that have reached or maintained a 90% live release rate—a key benchmark in the no-kill movement. With this achievement, Virginia has become the largest state in the country to reach this level of lifesaving progress.

The event took place during Virginia’s General Assembly

While this milestone is worth celebrating, the work isn’t done yet. To achieve a true no-kill statewide status, nearly 10,000 more dogs and cats still need loving homes. This event served as both a recognition of progress and a reminder of the continued efforts needed to ensure every pet in Virginia has a chance to thrive.

How RAL Has Helped Lead the Way

Since our founding in 1979, RAL has been dedicated to saving the lives of homeless pets. As the area’s first nonprofit shelter committed to no-kill principles, we’ve worked tirelessly to ensure animals receive the medical care, love, and second chances they deserve. Over the past 45 years, we’ve been a leader in Virginia’s lifesaving movement, working with shelters and rescue partners to reduce euthanasia rates and increase adoptions.

Our impact goes beyond numbers—it’s about making a lasting difference in the lives of pets and people. Through strategic partnerships, community programs, and ongoing advocacy, we are helping to pave the way toward a future where no adoptable pet is needlessly euthanized.

RAL’s Role in Virginia’s No-Kill Success

Achieving no-kill requires more than just good intentions—it demands collaboration, resources, and community support. Here’s how RAL contributes to this lifesaving effort:

🐾 Shelter Partnerships: We work with over 50 municipal shelters and rescue groups, transferring pets into our care when they are at risk due to overcrowding or medical challenges. By providing a safe space for these animals, we help reduce euthanasia rates across the state.

🐾 Spay/Neuter Initiatives: Since 2010, RAL’s Loving Spay & Neuter Clinic has performed over 80,000 surgeries. Preventing unwanted litters is a crucial step in reducing shelter intake and keeping pet populations under control.

🐾 Community Support Programs: Our free pet food pantry, available on-site and through local food pantry partnerships, helps families keep their pets even in times of financial hardship. Supporting pet retention is a key part of reducing shelter intake.

🐾 Strategic Growth: With our newly completed strategic plan, we’re excited to expand our services to better support pets and their people across Virginia, ensuring more animals have access to the care they need.

How You Can Help

While we celebrate this incredible milestone, there is still work to be done. Virginia is close to achieving no-kill statewide, and you can help make it happen.

Here’s how you can be part of the solution:

🐶 Adopt: Give a homeless pet a loving home and be part of this historic movement.

🤝 Volunteer: Lend your time and talents to help animals in your community.

🏡 Foster: Provide temporary care for a pet in need, opening up space in shelters for others.

💙 Donate: Support our lifesaving programs, from medical care to adoption services.

✂️ Spay/Neuter: Help prevent overpopulation by ensuring pets are sterilized.

Virginia’s progress in the no-kill movement shows that when communities, shelters, and policymakers come together, real change happens. By working together, we can continue building a future where every pet has the opportunity to thrive.

Join us in this lifesaving mission! Learn more about how you can support RAL under our Support Tab.