Richmond's premier fitness center is teaming up with Richmond Animal League (RAL)  to conduct a fundraiser that will improve not only your health, but the health of homeless animals in our area. 

Both the Midlothian and the Short Pump ACAC facilities will be selling "$25 for 25" memberships during the month of February.  Every dollar of the membership sales will be donated to RAL. 

Located in Chesterfield County, RAL rescues and finds homes for more than 1,400 animals a year.  Many animals come to RAL needing medical attention, and fundraisers such as this help RAL pay for that care.

The membership includes 25 days of

• vast array of strength training and cardio equipment
• over 200 weekly group exercise classes
• mind-body classes including yoga, tai chi, pilates and Nia
• indoor walk/jog trails
• high-tech cycle studio
• tennis, squash and platform tennis availabl

Just in time for--slightly--cooler weather, Metro Richmond Pet Savers is holding their monthly adoption event next Saturday, July 16, at the Hull Street PetSmart. More than twenty different animal-related organizations will be in attendance, along with plenty of adoptable dogs and cats. Owned pets are welcome to come and visit, and the event is fun for the whole family! If you've been considering adopting a new pet, this is the perfect place to meet some of the area's most eligible animals. This month's event, "Pups by the Pool," will feature fun and games for the family, kiddy pools for the pets, music, food, and more.

This event runs from 11:00am to 3:00pm, and the exact address is 12264 Chattanooga Plaza, Midlothian VA, 23112.

Metro Richmond Pet Savers is a coalition of local rescue groups, government shelters, and educational organizations, who, along with PetSmart, have teamed up to reduce euthanasia rates in our community.

With Earth Day just around the corner, here's an idea on how to make your shopping more earth-friendly: buy used! In addition to being able to find unique, "like-new" items at great prices, buying from a thrift store instead of buying new means that an item is repurposed instead of being thrown out, thus lowering environmental impact. Richmond Animal League's thrift store, 'reuse,' has all sorts of gently used household items such as furniture, decor, books, and more. They also frequently get in pet-related products, and oftentimes have new RAL merchandise for sale as well. The store is non-profit, with all proceeds going to RAL to help fund the organization's mission of "Saving lives--providing hope, help and homes for animals in need."

Now that spring is here, reuse plans to resurrect its "Furry Fridays" program, bringing a shelter dog to visit with customers at the store every Friday.