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Angels of Assisi looks ahead to new year, new facility

ROANOKE, Va. – 2021 is shaping up to be a momentous year for Angels of Assisi. The animal shelter and clinic estimate their new facility on Elm Avenue and Franklin Road SW will be done by the start of 2022. Additionally, executive director Lisa O’Neill said 2020 was the shelter’s busiest year on record. O’Neill said the pandemic likely caused customers to spend more time on their pets. “The power of pets is probably greater than we thought it was,” O’Neill said “We had people who, when they got their $600 check from the government, they spent it on their animals so they could get well.”Angels of Assisi is still doing curbside-only service due to the pandemic.

Campaign pups throughout the years: These 11 photos will make you crack a smile

We found the following 11 photos from Getty Images, and we thought they were worth a share. (Getty Images)Pierre, a 5-year-old basset hound, apparently is a loyal fan of then-President Johnson -- and was happy to pose with a campaign button. (Getty Images)A dog wears a campaign sticker for Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden during a campaign stop at the Buttercup diner on March 3, 2020 in Oakland, California. This photo was taken in front of the White House as the pups wore campaign buttons for Lyndon B. Johnson for President. (Getty Images)In Honolulu, Hawaiian women are seen casting their votes during a presidential election -- and even a dog doesn't dare peek.

Missing dog found in Danville reunited with owner from New Jersey

DANVILLE, Va. – A missing dog is reunited with her owner after wandering hundreds of miles away from home. Cookie the shih tzu made her way from New Jersey to the Danville Area Humane Society. Volunteers discovered Cookie’s identity thanks to her microchip and soon reunited the dog with her owner. Humane Society Executive Director Paulette Dean said the dog had been missing for over a year, according to her owner. "My final words to the dog were, ‘I wish you could talk to us to tell us where you’ve been.’”

Roanoke County K9 course complete after day of construction

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – A brand new police obstacle course is ready for Roanoke County’s K9 officers. Spike’s K9 Fund finished building the course behind Roanoke County Police headquarters on Saturday. Roanoke County Sgt. Tony Ayers, who handles a K9, says the course will immensely help K9 officers prepare for situations in the line of duty. It’s a beautiful thing.”Ayers said Roanoke County will open up the course to other K9 officers and first responder dogs in the region.

Room to run: Roanoke County K9 officers receive their own obstacle course

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – The Roanoke County Police Department now has a dedicated place to teach its dogs new tricks. An obstacle course for the department’s K9 officers started taking shape behind its headquarters Friday. The course came from Spike’s K9 Fund, a Virginia Beach-based organization which provides for K9 officers across the country. Founder James Hatch donated the course to Roanoke County at no cost to taxpayers. “That’s whether it’s an agility course like this, bulletproof vests -- we’ve provided bulletproof vests for all of the dogs here in Roanoke County -- or medical attention if they need it.”Hatch and other volunteers will complete construction of the course on Saturday.

New Virginia law makes it illegal to tether dogs in extreme heat

ROANOKE, Va – A new Virginia law requires all dogs must be given adequate shelter during extremely hot weather. The Roanoke Valley SPCA said with temperatures nearing 100 degrees almost daily, pet owners need to be more vigilant than ever. “If you are walking an animal outside, there are some things to look out for, like excessive panting or drooling, those are all signs that maybe the animal is starting to get overheated. In addition, especially walking dogs, you have to watch about walking them on paved surfaces,” explained Roanoke Valley SPCA Communications Manager Julie Rickmond. The RVSPCA encourages anyone who may see an animal outside in extreme heat to call their local animal control office.

Alleghany Humane Society needs help after taking in nearly 20 ‘extremely underweight’ dogs

ALLEGHANY COUNTY, Va. – A local animal shelter is at capacity and in need of donations after taking in 18 malnourished dogs. Hall said some were taken to a veterinarian before arriving at the Alleghany Humane Society. The Humane Society stopped all dog intake temporarily as they search for homes for the 20 dogs they currently have available. The Humane Society’s operations manager, Missy Lawrence, said they’ve never had this many dogs and are at 95% capacity for dogs. She described the dogs as “extremely underweight.”You can help the dogs by adopting or donating money or dog food, specifically Purine Puppy Chow Tender and Crunchy and Purina Puppy Chow Complete.

“We were looking for someone who needed us”: Pets find new homes at mass adoption event

Angels of Assisi’s Home for the Holidays adoption event featured more than 100 dogs and cats from various animal shelters throughout the region. We were looking for the right dog, someone who needed us as much as we needed them.”Young Allieson Davis convinced her mom to adopt Egg Nog the cat from the Regional Center for Animal Care & Protection’s booth. “When I first looked at him, I was like, ‘Maybe I’ll get him because he’s so nice and cuddly,’” Davis said. However, when Richardson learned Bones’ previous owner had died, she decided to give him a new home and a new name: Christmas. “He came up to us, laid down, and laid his body up against our chest," Richardson said.

Angels of Assisi sees improvement in 27 dogs rescued as part of Alleghany County hoarding case

ROANOKE, Va. – Staff at Angels of Assisi are excited about the progress more than two dozen dogs have made after being rescued from "horrific conditions” in Alleghany County. While 27 dogs were rescued, Angels is now home to 29 dogs, as one of the rescues, Maria Francis, gave birth to two little girls, Beatrice and Gertrude. (Angels of Assisi)While some of the dogs still remain nervous, a few are eagerly excited when a staff member or volunteer goes to greet them, according to Angels. In connection with this case, authorities charged 57-year-old Robert Via with 63 counts related to this case: 21 counts of animal cruelty as well as 21 counts each of having dogs without licenses and rabies vaccinations. Full Screen 1 / 14 Nearly two dozen dogs have been rescued after being found living in horrific conditions in Alleghany County.

Angels of Assisi takes in nearly two dozen dogs from Covington hoarding case

ROANOKE, Va. – Nearly two dozen dogs have been rescued after being found living in horrific conditions in Alleghany County. They found 27 dogs living alone inside the house and in a shed, according to the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office. The owners had been giving the dogs food and water but weren’t removing feces from inside the building. Full Screen 1 / 14 Nearly two dozen dogs have been rescued after being found living in horrific conditions in Alleghany County. The dogs arrived at Angels of Assisi in Roanoke late Monday afternoon.