66 pets were adopted this week, among them Breadstick!

Breadstick is a fighter. He came to us in August with a mild upper respiratory infection. Little did we know he was in the beginning stages of a potentially much more serious illness. Breadstick was sent into foster to treat his mild cold when his foster parents first noticed the ulcers. They reported back to us, and we examined him.

What started out as a mild cold had grown into a viral infection, that caused welts on his face, and loss of appetite. He was feverish, and we feared for the worst. FIP, also known as Feline Coronavirus is something we never want to see in the shelter. The disease is intense and while there have been advancements in treatment in recent years, it is still often fatal. We wanted to be sure Breadstick did not have it. Thankfully after further testing and observation, we discovered his feverish infection was just a bad case of Calicivirus, an oral upper respiratory infection. Even though his ulcers were more difficult to treat, we had all the tools and medications necessary to heal him completely.

Breadstick graduated from foster fully recovered 2 weeks ago, and this week found an amazing new home. Thank you so much to his adopters, as well as his fosters for caring for this deserving boy.

Pets that were adopted October 14th through October 20th.

Cats that were adopted:

Alexandria, Bastet, Breadstick, Bridget, Cable, Calliope, Canada Dry, Caribbean, Breeze, Charlene Wittstock, Concrete Blond, Diana, Dr. Bull, Eloise, Faron, Fedora, Hot Topic, Hugo, Isabella, Jet, Jiggy, Jubilee, June Bug, Kacey, Keko, Lorraine, Louie, Lyra, Megatron, Noir, Pandora, Paprika, Parrot, Pink Lemonade, Rainer, Rhaenyra, Ricotta, Shoshanna, Stimpy, Theodore, Tony Gambone, Tropical Paradise, Tulip, White Gummy.

Dogs that were adopted:

Amulet , Annabelle, Bambam, Black Panther, Black Widow, Daphne, Dee Oh Gee, Diego, Hulk, Iron Man, Jake, Jericho, Momo, Mr. Pickles, Otho, Ovaltine, Paprika, Parsley, Primrose, Scooby, Spider-Man, Takito, Tallulah.

After nearly 4 years in the shelter system, Ellarix was finally adopted!

Over the past few years, you may have seen Ellarix featured on our Facebook page and website. Ellarix was transferred to us in 2021 from Appomattox Animal Shelter with a leg injury, and over the years, became our longest-stay dog of over 1,000 days. Thankfully she’s spent most of those days in a loving #LHSfoster home.

Ellarix has always been a wonderful dog and her fosters can attest. After 2 years they learned she is a needy, snuggly baby. She loves booty scratches, tug-o-war, and a kong full of peanut butter. Ellarix is far from high maintenance as she spends most of her time sleeping in her bed, on her favorite couch, on her foster’s bed, or really anywhere that’s comfortable!

You’re probably wondering “Wow, she sounds great, why did it take her so long to find a home?” Well, when Ellarix first arrived she had a bad tear in her leg that needed surgery. These surgeries take time and the recovery process, even longer. Once her recovery was complete her fosters couldn’t bear returning her, and adopters just stopped asking about her. That is, until this week. Finally, someone saw her story on our page and was so touched, that he came to the Center right away. He was so smitten with her loving eyes and cute ears that he set up a meeting to adopt with her fosters. And that’s what he did. After 3 years in the shelter, and 2 years in foster, Ellarix finally found an adoptive home to call her own.

Out of the 87 adoptions done this week, this was truly the most special and we are so excited for Ellarix and her new family! Thank you so much to her adopters and of course, her amazing fosters who have cared for her these past two years out of the kindness of their hearts, and asked for nothing in return.

Adoptions like these wouldn’t be possible without our amazing community, and sponsors like Bank of the James, so thank you for your support!

Pets that were adopted October 7th through October 13th.

Cats that were adopted:

Aldo, Aretha, Audi, Bucky, Calibos, Caramel Brulee, Connor, Cowbell, Daenerys, Deku, Donny, Dragonfruit, Earl Grey, Eden, Eggs, Eliza, Green Day, Hera, Hibiscus, Hippogriff, Hollister, Jen, Jimmy Two Times, Jolly Rancher, Julep, Lady Grey, Larry, Leah, Leo,Lyra, Macadamia, Marissa, Millie, Morty, Mustang, Nimbus, Persia, Pink Floyd, Pomegranate, Poppy, Queen Charlotte, Rocky, Scamper, Shade, Silvera, Silver Chair, Sir Phillip, Siren, Solage, and Thunder.

Dogs that were adopted:

Alfie, Banana Pudding, Bettlejuice, Boney Maroney, Cherry Pie, Chive, Chocolate Croissant, Cosmo. Dill, Draco, Ellarix, Freya, Froggy, Garlic, Gilly, Harmonica, Hibachi, Ichabod, Jasper, Kazoo, Kuzco, lady Bug, Martha, Miso, Miss Jiff, Nutmeg, Porky, Ramen, Saucy, Shiloh, Tracy, Truman, Vivian, Vulcan, Yankee Doodle, Zamboni, and Zorro.

We rescued 5 dogs from North Carolina last week. All but one have found loving homes!

We know many of you have been curious about whether we are able to help pets affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. While we are low on space ourselves, thanks to our wonderful fosters and adopters, we were able to take in 5 dogs and 10 cats from Rockingham County Animal Shelter. We’ve reached out to other organizations in need, and have also offered our building as a resting point for other rescue organizations transporting pets long distances.

Of the five dogs we took in last week to make space in Rockingham County shelter, three were adopted in just a few short days. Kuzto the Husky mix was nervous and overwhelmed by this displacement. Luckily, our team was able to find him a foster home to decompress, and now they plan on adopting! That leaves only one dog from the transfer left, Blondie, a 10 month old medium sized Husky mix, and we hope to find her a home fast!

We will keep you updated on the adoptions to come, and whether we take in more pets from North Carolina shelters to help free up space for more pets that need sanctuary from the terrible flooding.

Thank you so much for all the support, and shout out to our adopters as well as our sponsors at Bank of the James for supporting us this month.

Pets that were adopted September 30th through October 6th.

Cats that were adopted:

Alanis, Augustus Gloop, Baela, Batty, Bigfoot, Chai, Chimera, Cobain, Coven, Dorothy, Elle, Fairy, Froppy, Galileo, Helena, James Bond, Kelsea, Laverne, Lightning, Lime, Lion, Mage, Mickey, Omen, Oolong, Oslo, Pepa, Pepper Jack, Phineas, Ramsey, Raviolo, Ruby, Sahara, Salt, Smokey, Squeaks McGee, Tony, Toyota, and Whatchamacallit.

Dogs that were adopted:

Aaliyah, Autumn, Booger, Bowie, Candy Corn, Creek, Curly, Daffodil, Happy, Igor, Lady, Lando, Luna Tuna, Mocha, Molly, Monkey, Nessie, Nutella, Peanut, Prancer, Sid, Starr, Stuart, and Vivica.

Our longest stay cat, Pinhead, finally found a home!

We are so happy to report that our longest-stay cat of four years, Pinhead, has finally been adopted! You may be thinking, four years is way too long for a cat to be in the shelter. Don’t worry, Pinhead had a devoted foster who cared for him for the better part of those four years.

Pinhead was found as a kitten, he was sick with a cold and had diarrhea, which our medical team treated routinely. While we were able to get Pinhead’s respiratory problems under control, his digestive problems continued for months despite treatment. Our staff was perplexed but continued to search for a resolution. Finally, four months later, our medical team discovered Pinhead had megaesophagus. Megaesophagus is a condition that makes it difficult to get food down to the stomach.

This diagnosis is what kept him in our care for so long. At the beginning of his foster journey, he was on a liquid diet and needed to be fed at an angle until he was able to swallow. It took a lot of trial and error before he was healthy enough to be adopted, and after all that time, his foster couldn’t dream of bringing him back to the shelter. He was a second choice for many people, until this week.

A sweet girl saw him on our page and reached out. She got to meet him and speak with his foster, and she fell in love. After one more meeting to get them acquainted, she took him home last Tuesday.

Pinhead has come so far, and is practically eating like a normal cat! He still needs a soft diet and a stool to eat, but his new mom is prepared and willing to take on whatever’s to come. We are so grateful for Pinhead’s foster for caring for him for all those years, and his new adopter.

If this story speaks to you, and you want to help a kitty with megaesophagus, we have another one! Mouthra who’s also been waiting in foster for years, is ready for her happy ending. Just email [email protected] today.

Pets that were adopted September 23rd through September 29th.

Cats that were adopted:

Agatha, Archie Ray, Atticus, Bahama, Biscuit, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Cordelia, Dawn, Fitch, Honeydew, Izzy, Laffy Taffy, Marks, Mila, Perry the Platypus, Petunia, Pinhead, Rhaenys, and Rocky Balboa.

Dogs that were adopted:

Akira, Atlas, Avery, BamBam, Barney, Benji, Clarice, Elliot, Leo, Magenta, Poseidon, Socrates, and Stormy.

Our long-stay kitty Mayo finally found his match this week, and so did 50 other pets!

Mayo was adopted from us in 2017 and returned in 2023 when the adopter said they no longer had time for him. Since then Mayo has proven that he is not a high-maintenance cat. He is mellow, shy, and loves to snuggle with other cats and people-watch. Mayo was declawed when he was returned to us which we believe, is the reason for his shyness.

Many people don’t notice Mayo since he’s not always the first to come out of hiding when customers enter his room. Mayo takes a bit longer to warm up than other cats, but despite his initially shy reactions to strangers, Mayo still craves affection, and is incredibly sweet. Luckily, someone finally saw this in him. Last week, a sweet lady came in and chose Mayo to be her newest kitty.

We are so grateful to Mayo’s adopter, as well as this month’s sponsors Jeff & Cary Sims, Realtors for making adoptions like these possible!

Pets that were adopted September 16th through September 22nd.

Cats that were adopted:

Amaranth, Anthony, Baby Face, Boba, Bright Heart, Dewey, Dimitra, Faraday, Gary, Haze, Hiccup, Iya, Lavender, LJ, Marley, Marshmallow, Mayo, McLovin, Ophelia, Pear, Sauerkraut, Tay, Vincent.

Dogs that were adopted:

Baebae, Bubba, Candy Apple, Coco, Cookie, Cotton Candy, Demure, Funnel Cake, Hazel, Jenga, Lily, Maeve, Marlow, Mindful, Momo, Nesquik, Ovaltine, Philadelphia, Pipsqueak, Snow Cone, Sweetness, Swiss Miss, Wavy, Yoo-hoo, Zeus, Zigzag.