Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter

10/12/2026

🏈🦅 EAGLES SOAR… EVEN IN THE RAIN! 🐾🐶
A HUGE shoutout and thank you to the Liberty Middle School Eagles Football Team for trading touchdowns for tail wags and spending time giving back to our shelter dogs! 🖤💛
These young men rolled up their sleeves and got to work assembling play equipment, installing green screening around our yard, and tackling several other enrichment projects to help make life a little better for our four-legged residents!
🌧️ And did we mention it was RAINING?! Mother Nature clearly didn't get the memo, but a little rain wasn't about to sideline these Eagles! 💪
Football teaches teamwork, discipline, and perseverance, but what these young men demonstrated off the field was something even bigger: character, compassion, and a commitment to their community.
From the staff and all the wagging tails at Hanover County Animal Protection & Shelter, THANK YOU to these players and their coaches for showing up, getting soaked, getting dirty, and making a difference!
🏈 Great athletes play for their team. Great people show up for their community. These Eagles did BOTH! 🦅🐾

10/09/2026

🐾💜 FRIDAY DOG SPOTLIGHT: MEET REINA! 💜🐾

110 pounds. One enormous heart. Absolutely NO concept of personal space! 😂❤️

Meet Reina, our beautiful, big-hearted girl who is absolutely convinced she's a lap dog!

🐶 Reina's Royal Profile:
👑 Name: Reina
🐾 Animal ID: #595740
🎂 Age: Approximately 1 year
💕 Breed: XL Bully
⚖️ Weight: Approximately 110 pounds
💜 Gender: Female

At just one year old, Reina is still a puppy at heart, just in a VERY large package! This gorgeous girl has a personality as big as her paws and enough love to fill an entire household.

Reina absolutely LOVES people! She's affectionate, playful, and happiest when she's getting attention from her favorite humans. Whether she's showing off her impressive toy collection, chasing after a tennis ball, or trying to convince you that 110 pounds is a perfectly reasonable lap dog size, Reina knows how to make everyone around her smile. 🥰

But don't let her size and playful enthusiasm fool you. There's a smart girl underneath all that adorable goofiness!

🎓 Reina has some pretty impressive qualities:

🐾 Smart Cookie: She already knows "sit," listens well, and is eager to interact with her people.

🏡 House Manners: Reina appears to be house-trained, giving her a great start toward becoming a wonderful household companion!

🧸 Professional Toy Enthusiast: Toys, playtime, and attention are some of her favorite things!

❤️ Certified Sweetheart: Reina adores affection and being included in whatever her humans are doing.

😴 Play Hard, Relax Hard: Despite her youthful energy, Reina knows how to settle down and enjoy some quiet time once the excitement is over.

🚶‍♀️ A Work in Progress: Reina is a STRONG girl! She will benefit from continued leash training, exercise, and a family willing to help her develop good manners.

A few important things to know about Reina:

🐶 If you already have a dog at home, we recommend scheduling a meet-and-greet at the shelter to see how everyone gets along.

🐱 Her compatibility with cats is currently unknown.

💉 Reina has tested negative for heartworms and has received her Bordetella and distemper vaccinations.

🏡 THE PERFECT HOME FOR OUR BIG GIRL!

Reina would love a family that understands big dogs come with big responsibilities, but also BIG rewards! She needs someone who can provide structure, continued training, plenty of opportunities to play, and, of course, all the love and affection her enormous heart can handle.

She's young, she's beautiful, she's goofy, and she's got SO much love to give.

Sure, she might take up most of your couch, accidentally forget how big she is, and insist that personal space is merely a suggestion... but we have a feeling the right family won't mind one bit. 😂💜

Reina isn't looking for a castle. She's just looking for someone who will treat her like the queen she is! 👑🐾

💕 Could that someone be YOU?

Come meet Reina at Hanover County Animal Protection & Shelter and see if this gentle giant is the missing piece of your family!

And remember, even if Reina isn't the right fit for your home, SHARING HER STORY COULD HELP HER FIND THE ONE THAT IS! ❤️

Every share helps another potential adopter discover our wonderful shelter animals.

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🏡 HANOVER COUNTY ANIMAL PROTECTION & SHELTER

📍 12471 Taylor Complex Lane
Ashland, VA 23005

📞 804-365-6485, Option 2

🕙 Shelter Hours:

🐾 Tuesday–Friday: 10:00 AM–4:30 PM
🐾 Saturday: 10:00 AM–3:30 PM (By appointment only)
🐾 Closed Sunday, Monday, and County Holidays.

🔎 Looking for your new best friend?

Browse our adoptable animals online or find us on Petfinder!

🐶 Adoptable Animals:
https://hanoverva.animalservices.website/shelterpronet/home.spn

🐱 Petfinder:
https://www.petfinder.com/member/us/va/ashland/hanover-county-animal-protection-va868/

💕 You may find a friend for life!

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10/06/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19eXkQYJRt/

Hanover County is seeking public feedback on its proposed Animal Protection Body Worn Camera Policy.

Residents are encouraged to review the proposed policy and share their comments as the County works to establish guidelines for the use of body-worn cameras by Animal Protection officers.

View the policy and share your thoughts ➡️ engage.hanovercounty.gov/AnimalProtectionBWC.

Online comments will be accepted until noon on Thursday, Oct. 22.

10/06/2026

10/02/2026

🚨 COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE NEEDED 🚨

Hanover County Animal Protection is asking for the community’s help regarding two dogs that were abandoned on separate I-295 exit ramps on the evening of September 30, 2026.

The first dog was located by two citizens at approximately 5:49 p.m. on I-295 North, Exit Ramp B (Pole Green Road), near mile marker 37. The dog had been left on the side of the roadway inside a pink wire-style crate, with a container of food and puppy pads placed next to the crate.

The second dog was discovered by Virginia State Police at approximately 6:46 p.m. on I-295 South, Exit 41, 301 Southbound/Chamberlayne Road. This dog was found on the side of the roadway inside a black wire-style crate.

We are asking anyone who may have been traveling through either of these areas during or around these times to please contact us if you witnessed anything unusual, or have any information that may help identify the person responsible or the dogs’ ownership.
📞 Hanover County Non-Emergency Dispatch: 804-365-6140

No detail is too small. Even information that may seem insignificant could help us determine what happened to these animals and identify where they came from.
If you have information, please know that you may remain anonymous.

Thank you to the citizens and Virginia State Police who located these dogs and helped get them to safety. We greatly appreciate our community’s assistance in helping us get answers for these animals. 🐾

09/30/2026

❤️ We could not be more excited to see our wonderful volunteer, Julie Kannan, recognized by CBS 6!
Julie is truly the gold standard of volunteers. Whether she’s walking dogs, tending to the shelter gardens, advocating for our animals, helping wherever she is needed, or simply showing up when we need someone we can count on, Julie gives so much of her time and heart to Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter.
She may not technically be on the payroll, as CBS 6 so perfectly put it 😄, but she is absolutely part of our shelter family.
We are incredibly grateful for everything Julie does for our animals, our staff, and our community. Congratulations, Julie! This recognition is so well deserved! ❤️🐶🐱🌻

Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter volunteer Julie Kannan was nominated for CBS 6 Gives, which is sponsored by the Virginia Credit Union.

09/23/2026

09/18/2026

🌼 DOG SPOTLIGHT: BEAR 🌼

Meet Bear! 🐻❤️
ID #594798 | Approx. 5 years old | Shepherd Mix | About 45 lbs | Neutered Male

Bear currently holds the not-so-coveted title of our second-longest resident, right behind last month’s spotlight girl, Lola. And this handsome little guy has been waiting far too long for someone to notice him.

When Bear first arrived at the shelter, he looked a little more like a scruffy fox than a dog. 🦊 He was underweight, battling a severe skin infection, and honestly looked like he had just about given up.

But look at him now. ❤️

After medicated baths, plenty of good food, lots of care, and probably more than a few pep talks, Bear has traded his scruffy-fox era for some seriously luscious locks and one very happy personality.

Bear LOVES people. He is thrilled when someone comes to get him from his kennel and greets the occasion with running, jumping, and an impressive amount of wiggling. Then, like the gentleman he is, he heads straight outside to take care of business. 😂

A few things to know about Bear:

🐾 Around 45 pounds, making him a great medium-sized companion
🎓 Food and treat motivated and eager to learn
🐕 Knows basic commands including “sit” and “paw”
🏡 Shows signs of being house trained
🚶‍♂️ Walks fantastically on leash and loves getting outside
🚗 Happily goes along for the ride and enjoys adventures with his people
❤️ Absolutely LOVES attention
🦊 Comes fully equipped with personality, wiggles, and excellent ears
🚫 No cats, please, due to his likely prey drive
🐶 A meet-and-greet with resident dogs is recommended

What we love most about Bear is that all this time in the shelter hasn’t dulled his enthusiasm for people. He still wakes up every day ready to make a friend.

Bear has spent enough days watching people walk past his kennel.

He deserves someone who sees the scruffy little fox he once was, the handsome boy he has become, and all the wonderful Bear in between. 🏡❤️

Maybe his person just hasn’t seen him yet.

Even if Bear isn’t the right fit for your family, please share him. One share might put this goofy, happy face in front of the person who has been looking for a Bear all along. 🐻❤️

🐾 Shelter Information

The Shelter is open to the public:
Tuesday-Friday: 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM, by appointment only
Closed Sunday, Monday and County Holidays.

📍 12471 Taylor Complex Lane, Ashland, VA 23005
📞 804-365-6485 Opt. 2

Please feel free to browse Hanover Animal Control’s Website or find us on Petfinder.
You may find a friend for life! ❤️

Adoptable Animals:
https://hanoverva.animalservices.website/shelter.../home.spn

Petfinder:
https://www.petfinder.com/member/us/va/ashland/hanover-county-animal-protection-va868/

09/18/2026

Well… apparently our infamous “Trashed Panda” has officially made it to the big leagues. 🦝🏆

Hanover County has been named a 2026 Savvy Award finalist in the Best Use of Social Media – Single Post category for our now-famous raccoon post.

What started as one very questionable raccoon decision somehow turned into a viral moment, thousands of laughs, merchandise supporting our shelter animals, and now national recognition for Hanover County.

We’re pretty sure he was just looking for snacks, but apparently he also had a future in municipal communications. 😂

Thank you to everyone who shared, laughed, followed along, and helped turn one unforgettable little trash panda into something that continues to support the animals in our care.

🦝💚

2026 3CMA Savvy Award Finalists!

The Savvy Awards, presented at 3CMA’s Annual Conference, celebrate exceptional achievements in local government communications, public-sector marketing, and resident-government relations. These awards honor the talented professionals in cities, counties, agencies, and districts who have creatively developed and executed successful communications and marketing initiatives.

Each year, the number and quality of entries in the Savvy Awards competition continue to rise, reflecting the growing expertise and innovation among communication and marketing professionals in local governments and agencies. These programs demonstrate a commitment to enhancing marketing and communication strategies with residents.

The 3CMA Office is thrilled to announce this year’s finalists for the Savvy Awards! With over 1,200 entries across nearly 40 categories, this has been an extraordinary year. To view the full list of finalists, please visit the 3CMA website here: https://3cma.org/3824/2026-Savvy-Finalists