For animal shelters across the country, getting potential adopters through the door is a tactical challenge. They do their best to make their dogs and cats look as endearing as possible, but not everyone can look past the chain link fence and see a personality worth taking a chance on. People glimpse pictures and hear stories of homeless animals without a second thought, but Richmond Animal Care and Control has come up with a clever solution.
Check out RACC’s list of adoptable animals, and you’ll start to notice a trend. Mrs. Steal Your Man, Bones Malone, Wudy Da Wabbit, Porkchop Snugglemuffins—there’s no Fido or Buster in the bunch. Nearly all the dogs and cats in their care, whether pulled from the streets as strays or rescued from abusive situations, are given unique names to reflect their personalities. And most importantly, their names catch the attention of potential adopters.
According to Christie Peters, RACC director, this trend has been going on for the better part of a decade. When asked why they do it, Peters told iHeartdogs, “Honestly, we think it brings attention to the animal, and we think different is good!”
Animal lovers and Reddit users seem to agree. A recent Reddit post applauded RACC’s creative take on animal naming with users saying things like, “I would adopt Chardee McDennis and Fred Durst sight unseen if I had room for them.”
The combination of a greater social media presence, longer hours of operation, and a renewed commitment to creative naming has lead to a recent increase in animal adoptions. According to Peters, the public’s response to the animal names has been “incredibly positive.” She says, “People will come to the front desk and say, ‘I would like to see…” and they giggle a little getting through the options.”
The animal control officers take special care in bestowing each temporary shelter resident with a name that’s all their own. Sometimes they use themes, like famous people, and others are inspired by the animal’s look or personality.
When Staci Lefebvre went to RACC nine years ago, she picked out a stunning, white-furred pit bull named Rhinestone. Rhinestone goes by Mia these days, but while Lefebvre has moved out of the Richmond area, she’s still a strong supporter for everything RACC does. She told iHeartdogs, “They really are a great shelter and honestly care for the animals, which is surprising for an animal control shelter. Some of the staff actually cried when I adopted Mia.”
It’s not hard to see that RACC goes above and beyond to guarantee the futures of the animals in their care. Whether adopters choose to keep the extraordinary names or change them, RACC’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Check out their adoption page to see a list of creatively-named dogs and cats, and you might just find your newest family member.
Featured Image Source: Christie Peters
Toledo, United States.
