RavenCon chose the Richmond Animal League (RAL) as 2015’s charity in memory of our late Vice Chair, John Patrick Jones. John was very fond of animals and RavenCon was happy to support one his favorite organizations.
Since 1979, Richmond Animal League has been finding homes for homeless dogs and cats in the Richmond area.
For many years they rented a kennel in Chesterfield County. In 1987 the property was sold to a residential developer and they were asked to leave the facility. In spite of this setback, they continued to care for many needy animals and boarded them at veterinarian offices and foster homes. Their goal was to raise enough money to build a brand new facility.
After seven years of fundraising activities and the generosity of their community, their dreams became a reality! In May 1994, they opened their new kennel near Chesterfield Towne Center. This facility can house up to 30 dogs, and 60 cats and kittens.
Since their facility opened, they have helped thousands of animals. They found homes for over 1,700 animals last year.
Though there is now a small staff of eight full-time employees, RAL has always been led by a volunteer board dedicated to reducing euthanasia rates in their community.
In 2009, they saw the great need for a low-cost, high-volume spay neuter clinic on the south side of the James. A year later, they opened an onsite clinic. The Loving Spay & Neuter Clinic provides low-cost services to municipal shelters, rescue groups, and private pet owners, as well as free services for feral cats. Free spay and neuter services are available for pet owners who meet low-income guidelines.
Their history continues to be written as they grow.
