Category Archive: Uncategorized

1. Canine Blood Donations: Lend a Paw, Save a Life

   June 24, 2019 2:41 pm Comments Off on Canine Blood Donations: Lend a Paw, Save a Life

   

   When it comes to canine medicine, most people don’t immediately think of blood donations– but it’s a vital part of veterinary practice. Like humans, animals experience injuries and illnesses that require blood transfusions, like trauma, surgery, infections, and cancer. As the number of pet owners grow, the need for pet blood donors grows as well.

   FETCH a Cure is excited to hear that the North American Veterinary Blood Bank is expanding to the greater Richmond area, particularly because of our Companions in Crisis program. We believe that no pet owner should be denied a choice for their pet’s health based on lack of resources, and that includes blood availability. There is a shortage of canine blood across the country, and the NAVBB is calling on our community to get involved. Your dog can help save lives.

   How do blood donations work?

   

   The NAVBB is looking for healthy adult dogs who are willing to lay still for 5-10 minutes and meet the following requirements:

   • Between 1-7 years old
   • Friendly and Sociable
   • Not on any medications for chronic illness
   • Greater than 50lbs
   • On heartworm, flea and tick preventatives
   • Up to date on Rabies and DHLPP vaccines
   • Has never received a blood transfusion

   If your dog meets this preliminary requirements, the NAVBB will schedule a pre-evaluation. A veterinarian will perform a physical exam and take a small blood sample, which they will use to determine your dog’s blood type and completely screen for any infectious blood diseases. Provided the screening is successful, your dog will be a donor and will be eligible to give blood donations every 4-5 weeks.

   While the donation process begins with the owner’s willingness to register your pet, the NAVBB will never force a pet to be a donor if they display dissatisfaction with the donation procedure. Their goal is “to save animal lives and make the process as positive an experience for everyone as possible!”

   How do I register?

   The North American Veterinary Blood Bank will be holding pre-evaluations this Friday, June 27th at Stonehenge Veterinary Hospital at 906 Southlake Boulevard in Richmond. The eligibility form can be found here. If your dog is eligible, you will be contacted to schedule the 30 minute pre-evaluation appointment.

    

   Thank you to the North American Veterinary Blood Bank for reaching out to us, and to our partners at Holiday Barn Pet Resorts for providing more information.

2. FETCH Feature: Freeloader (a Pen Pals Dog)

   June 17, 2019 4:54 pm Comments Off on FETCH Feature: Freeloader (a Pen Pals Dog)

   At FETCH a Cure, we encounter quite a few dogs and cats. Through our Companions in Crisis (CIC) and Pixie’s Pen Pals programs, we have helped hundreds of animals. What many people don’t think about, however, is that when an animal becomes a CIC Recipient or a Pen Pals participant, they become part of the FETCH a Cure family. That doesn’t end when they leave our programs. We have built a community in which families stay connected with us long after their original participation. We love seeing pictures of their new lives and keeping up with how they are doing, and we want to share that with everyone. So, we will be posting weekly FETCH Features about our animals. These will include Pen Pals dog alumni, past CIC recipients, and dogs that are currently up for adoption through the Pen Pals program.

   Meet Freeloader!

   Freeloader (or “Free” as his inmate handlers call him) is currently receiving training at a Virginia Correctional Facility, and he’s ready for adoption!

   This goofy guy would be the perfect addition to a family with kids over the age of 10 (he doesn’t know his size and might knock down smaller children). He is young (under 2 years old), loves everyone he meets and is overall a fun-loving clown. He is great with other dogs and loves to play but needs a home without cats– they are just too much fun to chase!

   Here’s what his handlers had to say:

   

   “Free is a wonderful dog, very smart and loving and kind of a cornball! He will make an active owner very happy as long as they are willing to continue working with him. I truly believe there is nothing he couldn’t learn. He is ready for adoption and to share his love and quirkiness with some lucky owner.”

    

   Are you that lucky owner? If you are interested in adopting Freeloader, you can fill out an application here. Please contact spavilack@fetchacure.com with any questions.

   

3. 12th Annual Pets on Parade

   June 13, 2019 6:13 pm Comments Off on 12th Annual Pets on Parade

   Our 12th Anniversary Pets on Parade was one for the books! We are so grateful to our sponsors, in kind donors, volunteers, and guests. Everyone’s generosity helped us surpass our fundraising goals for this year’s event.

   The money raised at Pets on Parade goes directly to furthering our programs at FETCH a Cure. Our pets are our family, and we are dedicated to improving their quality of life. With your help, we are building a community where no one is denied a choice for their pet’s health due to lack of options, education, or funding, as well as one where homeless dogs and inmates get a second chance.

   You can view pictures from the event below. Thank you to Verlee Bishop for capturing the event!

   POP Pictures

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   
   

4. Foster with FETCH

   May 15, 2019 7:40 pm Comments Off on Foster with FETCH

   At FETCH a Cure, we couldn’t do what we do without volunteers. We are so grateful for all our dedicated friends who have stepped up to help with events, programs, administrative tasks, and so much more. We are especially thankful for those who have helped us with Pixie’s Pen Pals dogs, providing as-needed foster care and taxi-ing throughout Virginia. Recently, however, we realized that we lack an effective network to reach our foster volunteers.

   That’s why we’re launching Foster with FETCH.

   

    

   Foster with FETCH is a Facebook group for volunteers who are specifically interested in assisting with dogs in our Pixie’s Pen Pals program. Our program pairs shelter dogs with inmates in correctional facilities across the state of Virginia, so we need lots of volunteers to help out. Our primary needs are:

   Foster: From time to time, we have dogs who are not thriving in a prison environment. We rely on our foster network to house these dogs while we continue to search for their forever home.

   Taxi: Since our prisons are all over Virginia, we need help transporting dogs. From driving a dog from a correctional center to a vet appointment or just bringing them back into the city for an event, this is a great option for those who can’t bring a dog into their home.

   Home visits: This is good for out of town volunteers. Occasionally, when we have an out of town adopter, we will need a volunteer to conduct a home visit for adoption screening (further instructions will be given before the home visit).

   If you are interested in volunteering in one or more of these ways, you can join the group by clicking “Join” on the Facebook page. As a member of the group, you will get notifications when we have volunteer needs. Our hope is that this will provide a more effective network both for the volunteers and for FETCH!

   We also encourage volunteers in the group to share posts while they are working with FETCH. If you’re fostering a dog, share an update! If you’re taking a dog to the vet, let us know how they did in the car or the waiting room. Adopters love when we can give them information about the dog’s life prior to adoption, so any information you can share is very helpful.

   Please note: this group is for volunteers interested in foster/taxi/home visits. If you are interested in volunteering in other ways (administrative, events, donations, etc), keep up with us by “liking” us on Facebook!

    

5. Tails of RVA

   April 24, 2019 7:18 pm Comments Off on Tails of RVA

   Have you ever looked at your dog or cat and thought, “I have the cutest pet ever!”? If you’re like us, you think this several times a day.

   Now, thanks to Hayes & Fisk Photography’s new book “Tails of RVA”, you can capture your pet’s beauty and prove it to everyone–all while helping FETCH a Cure.

   Hayes & Fisk Photography is a Richmond-based photography studio run by Jamie Hayes and Mary Fisk-Taylor. On top of being award-winning portrait photographers, Jamie and Mary also run two to three charitable projects a year and have a soft spot for furry friends. “We hadn’t worked with a pet-related program in a while, so it worked out perfectly to partner with FETCH,” says Jamie. “Anything that supports pets, we’re all in.” According to Jamie, it was Mary who came up with the project of Tails of RVA.

   Tails of RVA is a limited edition coffee table book featuring Richmond’s dogs and cats. Each participant will receive a personalized copy of the book with their pet on the cover, and the best part is: $100 from each session goes to FETCH to help further our efforts.

   Photographing Pets

   “When Millie first came in, she was shaking from head to toe,” Jessica Arnest recalls of her dog’s photography session. Millie, an older yellow lab, was very unsure of the big lights and camera when she entered the Hayes & Fisk studio. Her demeanor quickly changed, thanks in part to Jamie’s nonsensical noises and collection of squeaky toys and treats. “Within fifteen minutes, Jamie had assured her she was safe and had her tail wagging. After that, she didn’t want to leave.”

    

   https://www.facebook.com/fetchacurefan/videos/348948142405125/

    

   

   Luna during her portrait session.

   Jamie encourages even the most nervous or seemingly non-photogenic of pets to come to the studio. “We’ve gotten a few clients that come in and say, ‘My dog is horrible, I can never get any good pictures of them!’ The thing is though, we specialize in photographing toddlers, so dogs and cats are easy by comparison.”

   Jamie and Mary’s talent and love of animals both shine through in their stunning portraits. Allie Meagher, FETCH’s Marketing and Communications Coordinator, was amazed at the shots they got of her rambunctious pittie mix, Luna. “She has so much personality, and that really comes through in her pictures,” Allie says. “Jamie captured her goofy head tilt perfectly.”

   “Tails of RVA” will debut at our upcoming Pets on Parade benefit on June 7th, 2019. Hayes & Fisk is accepting appointments for the book through the end of April. To book your session, contact the studio at 804-740-9307 or email mary@hayesandfisk.com.