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Typically I think of heavy vehicles as being a natural enemy of kitties and pooches, but that is clearly not the case in Roanoke and Franklin County.

Driver, move that bus!

Beginning this week, you may notice some very adorable faces on the back of five Valley Metro buses.

Two of the city buses will sport the photo of an an adoptable pet from the Roanoke Valley SPCA.  The photos will change when the pet find his or her forever home.

One of the traveling billboards will feature information about programs at the RVSPCA, including the Pets Eat Too program that helps seniors and low-income families feed their pets. Another will highlight the foster program, where families can provide home care for infant and orphaned puppies and kittens, too young or too weak to be adopted, and allow them time to grow and get ready for a loving family.

Another bus will ask for donations to keep the non-profit adoption center operating.

Fill 'er up

The Franklin County Humane Society is hosting a "Fill the Truck" event to collect donations of food and other items for the adoption center.

The truck will be located at The General Store at 213 Scruggs Road in Moneta all day this Saturday. Donations of Purina Dog, Puppy, Cat and Kitten Chow, along with canned cat food and paper towels will be gratefully accepted.

Author and former animal shelter director Debra Cheehy will also attend the event and sign copies of her book "I Like Dogs", a children's book about shelter adoption

Head out to Grand Home Furnishings on Booker T. Washington Highway in Westlake from noon until 4 p.m. for the first annual Per Adoption Day, with lovable sweeties supplied by Angels of Assisi and Barn Cat Buddies.

Besides the chance to meet furry little cuties looking for a ride to a forever home, there will be prizes donated by Maid 4 You (who doesn't need that, seriously?) , Organize This (oh yes, please come to my house!) and Karen Wrigley Animal Communicator (so you can know what your cat REALLY thinks of you.)

Donations of Purina pet food products will be much appreciated.

Check out Angels of Assisi's Web site to see photos of adoptable pets like Hope, pictured here. Hope was photographed by Vickie Holt, who is an amazing local photographer with a special talent for capturing the beauty of any pet.

Click here to read reporter Lerone Graham's story about Roanoke inmates who help out at Angels of Assisi, the downtown shelter conveniently located yards away from the city jail.

The no-kill shelter gets much needed help in keeping the living quarters for the adoptable pets clean and tidy, the dogs get some much needed fresh air and exercise, and those serving their 6-month or less sentences get to interact with cats and dogs that offer love without hesitation or judgment.

"Of course you know animals are all unconditional love. They don't care who you are or what you've done," said Nancy Brown of the Roanoke Sheriff's Office, who supervises the program.

Meet Jackson and Jillian. The pair are 3-month-old Lab mix puppies.

J. and J. will be featured as the Puppies of the Week in this Sunday's New River Current.

These two pooches are at the Floyd County pound and, from what I understand from Current staffers, their time is running out. If an adoptive home isn't found soon, they will be euthanized.

The pair are desribed as happy, healthy and sweet. There's just not enough room at the pound.

If you know of anyone who was planning on a pound puppy for Christmas, why wait? Contact Cathy at 763-3299 or Nancy 230-0867 or e-mail dshaley@swva.net or visit Kids and Kritters, www.helpacritter.org

Click here for a link to Angels of Assisi's blog post about Anna, which includes a picture of her with her new foster dad, Mike.

Sounds like Anna is doing well in her new foster home. Thanks to everyone who reached out to help this sweet girl get a second chance.

Here's an update on Anna, the elderly dog whose pet parents have to move to a care facility and cannot take her with them:

Joan, Anna's pet mom, had to say goodbye to her today and left her with the good folks at Angels of Assisi. According to Lisa O'Neill at Angels, Anna was taken to her new foster home late this afternoon so she did not have to spend the night in the adoption center.

Another reader reached out to Joan via this blog and might be able to take Anna if the first foster home does not work out.

Thanks so much for all your generosity, offers of support and well-wishes folks. There are some very caring people in this Valley, and I know that firsthand from writing this blog and column.

Diane Novak, local crusader and advocate for homeless cats, contacted me late yesterday and said she needed to find a placement PRONTO for eight semi-feral-but-fixed-and-vaccinated kitties living in a home in Southwest Roanoke.

I do not have many more details than that, but if you know of anyone who would be interested in a couple of barn cat buddies, now would be a great time to move on that. To read more about the program, click here.

Diane said the situation is rather dire and she really needs to place these cats ASAP. Contact her at diane@reikipets.com 

(File photo. Cats pictured are not the actual kitties that need rescued.)

Trick-or-treat is not typically a two-way transaction. Or maybe it is. I guess you do give treats as sort of blackmail payoff to prevent being tricked. Any old hoo, the usual process involves one party giving and the other party getting the goods.

Until now.

Bring edible goodies for homeless pets to the Franklin County Humane Society Planned Pethood Clinic and Adoption Center this weekend and you will get a few tasty treats yourself.

The Bow Wow Meowl'oween party start Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. and continues Saturday from 10 to 2 p.m.

The shelter is asking for Purina Chow for cats, kittens, dogs and puppies, and all manner of kitty- and pooch-palatable treats, or donations of cash.

Refreshments will be served and prizes will be awarded for the top fundraiser.

And while you are there, take a few minutes to say hello to the adoptable pets waiting for their forever families.

Blog reader and Roanoke Times book reviewer Joan Bugbee reached out to me for help finding her dog Anna a new home.

Joan and her husband will soon have to move to a continuing care facility, and Anna cannot go with them. The family is running out of options and is looking for any advice, guidance and suggestions to help Anna.

Joan wrote:

"Surely other pet parents have faced the same dilemma about finding a home for their beloved dog when the continuing care facility can't take her.  Anna is nearly 12, arthritic and going deaf, but still loves playing ball, is great watch dog and would be perfect for someone with no other pets.

She was a rescue, saved from an abusive owner who chained her in the yard, where she was attacked by other dogs, so our vet opines.  As a consequence, she has to go to a home without other pets.   Angels of Assisi and the valley shelters have turned her down."

Relocating out of a family home is difficult in itself; doing so and facing the loss of a beloved pet is heartbreaking.  What do you say, readers? Do you know anyone who can help this family? Please send e-mails to pets@roanoke.com and I will pass them on to Joan.

Next Thursday, Spay-ghetti dinners, a fall staple at the Nelson household, are available for lunch, too. 

The delectable pasta and sides you've enjoyed for years will also be sold for noontime noshing, and all proceeds benefit the spay/neuter programs of the Roanoke Valley SPCA. 

Winner, winner, spay-ghetti dinner.

The grub will be served up on Oct. 15 at Second Presbyterian Church, 214 Mountain Avenue in Roanoke. 
Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Supper commences at 4:30 and lasts until 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $6 in advance, $7.50 at the door and orders of 25 or more qualify for a $1 off discount.    

You can purchase tickets online by clicking here , but they are also available at all Valley Bank branches and at the RVSPCA.

The meal is a generous portion of spaghetti with sauce (meat or vegetarian), bread, salad, dessert and beverage.  You can dine in or carry out.  Drive-up pick up is available at the church for to-go orders.

All proceeds support the RVSPCA spay/neuter clinic, which prevents littering, which means fewer unwanted and/or homeless pets.

This year's sponsors include Karen Chase and 224 Designs, Fresh Market, Kroger, Pepsi Bottling Group, Roanoke Fruit & Produce Company, Roanoke Natural Foods Coop,  Salem Printing, The Hotel Roanoke, Valley Bank, Village Flowers, and Wlldflour Bakery.