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I got this e-mail from Cathy Benson, who some of you may know is the community journalist that writes for The Botetourt View. She is trying to help a friend in need. I am including the text of the e-mail she forwarded below. If you know anyone with room in the home for a kitty, please pass it along.

"Jojo is a 7 yr old female indoor cat.  She is a sweet and loving cat that needs a new home.  We are moving in the next week and I have been looking for a home for her for the past 3 months but no luck.  We can’t take her with us since we are renting a place in Maryland that does not allow cats."

Contact me at pets.roanoke.com for Jojo's family's contact information.  

Meet Emma, a sweet little dog waiting at the Roanoke Valley SPCA for a new home.

Here's what the RVSPCA Web site says about her:"Emma is a 4 year old Wire Fox Terrier. Her owner could no longer care for her and wanted her to find a loving, long-term home. Emma was in a foster home for 2 weeks until space became available at the RVSPCA. Emma is very loving and wants to be someone's constant companion. She loves to cuddle and would make a nice lap dog. She did well in foster care and is now ready for a home of her own. Emma has been spayed, vaccinated and microchipped."

The Roanoke Valley SPCA is located at 1310 Baldwin Avenue in Roanoke.

Who says there are no Snowflakes in the summer?

This is Snowflake, a very sweet, people-loving kitty who has found herself looking for a new home at Angels of Assisi. She was turned in because her pet mom had allergies, and judging from this gray tabby's name, an odd sense of humor.

According to the folks at Angels, Snowflake is having a hard time living in a crate at the shelter. She apparently prefers laps and soft furniture. Then again, who doesn't?

If you would like to help Snowflake get out of the shelter, visit her at Angels of Assisi at 415 Campbell Avenue in downtown Roanoke.

And who can stop at just one kitty? Remember, cats are adopt-one-get-one-free for the rest of the month.

Say hello to Miss Fiona, a cute kitten waiting for a good home at Angels of Assisi. Fiona is indeed a little girl kitty, uncommon but not out of the question for orange tabby cats. (For more information on cat colors and gender, click here.)

She is described as "an easy going one [that] loves scrunches and rubs." She even likes being carried.

If you like lovey-dovey cats, Fiona may be your girl. She and the rest of the feline population at Angels of Assisi are "adopt-one-get-one-free" for the rest of the month.

Cuervo the greyhound is the first success story for a pet featured here in the weekly "Take Me Home" feature of this blog.

I chatted with Sarah Orrick of Star City Greyhound Adoptions last weekend and she said Cuervo has a new family.

The Happy Wag cannot claim any credit for the adoption, but we are very glad the sweet boy has a forever home now.

To quote singer George Michael, "You gotta have Faith."

In this photo, she is demonstrating her versatility for the camera as she poses as a Halloween decoration.

Faith is available for employment through the Barn Cat Buddy program, a joint venture of Roanoke's Angels of Assisi and Franklin County's Humane Society.

According to the Angels Web site: "Faith was trapped by a person who thought she was feral (wild). But she's not wild at all. She's sweet however cautious of strangers till you reach out and give her a little scratch behind the ears. She is a loving and sweet kitty who was probably not given tenderness. Someone dropped her off at a modular home manufacturer in Franklin County and that is where she had her two kittens Hope and Charity. So Faith, Hope and Charity are now all up for adoption."

Barn Cat Buddies are available for adoption at no charge (though a donation would be very much appreciated) and all house kitties at Angels of Assisi are adopt-one-get-one-free for the rest of June, otherwise known as Adopt a Shelter Cat month.

This is an e-mail I got today from Ann Marie Sweeney at the RVSPCA:

"[Here] is a picture of Sadie who is under a year old. She's an SPCA return dog that came in to Animal Control and we, unfortunately, have no space here for her and next door is running out of cage space (please read between the lines!!!). We'd like to send her to foster for 2 weeks. If you can help, please let me know."

I got other e-mails from her about several puppies that also need foster homes.

For those of you who do not know the text between those lines Ann Marie was referring to, let me fill you in. Sadie is an adoptable dog who will be euthanized in Animal Control if there is no space for her. I know when I first started this blog I felt very good that the animal shelters here in the Valley, including the SPCA, League for Animal Protection and Angels of Assisi, are no-kill.

However, the truth is that healthy, adoptable pets like Sadie do have to be euthanized when there is no space in the no-kill shelters. It's a sad reality.

I do realize I am likely preaching to the choir here. If you read this blog you are probably the very best of pet parents, care for your animals and do not contribute to the overpopulation problem.

And there is certainly nothing wrong with deciding not to add more animals to your family. That is a decision that cannot be taken lightly and it is far better to be an excellent home for one pet than a chaotic home for a dozen pets.

But if you or someone you know could give temporary care to pets like Sadie, please call Ann Marie at 344-4840, ext. 208.

I will let this kitty tell you her story in her own words that she purred to an Angel:

"Hi I'm Diane and I’m so glad to be inside. I was living at a trailer park and had never been spayed. I was surely headed for a life of more and more litters when my (pet) mom asked a volunteer to help her. I'm very loving and tolerant of everyone, and have also been around dogs. Please come visit me at the Angels of Assisi Adoption Center any weekday from 2 to 6 p.m. and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Can't wait to see you!"

Diane is estimated to be about 7 years old. She is a tortoise shell-colored cat (I prefer to call this color butterscotch fudge, personally.) This exotic beauty is described as very friendly and should be an indoor kitty.

Angels of Assisi is located at 415 Campbell Avenue in downtown Roanoke.

Cora, a corgi mix, arrived at League for Animal Protection from the Regional Center for Animal Control in January.

She is a happy dog with floppy ears and a tail that sticks straight up when she runs. She also has no problem meeting strangers; she will gladly come right up and introduce herself.

Cora's ready to go to her new home, with all vaccines up to date, heartworm checked, spayed and microchipped.

Visit Cora and all her friends at the LAP, 603 Poor Farm Road, in Fincastle.

Jessie is a young female border collie mix available for adoption at the League for Animal Protection. She is very intelligent and trainable, gets along well with other dogs and has a good disposition. She's been spayed, microchipped and is current on all vaccines.

Her adoption fee, as well as any of the other dogs at LAP, is $90.

To find out more about Jessie or any of the other dogs and cats available for adoption from LAP, call 473-3853, go to the Web site at www.lap.petfinder.com or visit the shelter at 603 Poor Farm Road in Botetourt County. Hours are 8:30 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m., 7 days a week.

LAP is a non-profit no-kill shelter housing cats and dogs that have been abandoned or abused. The adoption process from LAP includes completing a detailed questionnaire, vet check and home visit.