The Richmond Animal League offers the ASPCA Meet Your Match™ program to help match dogs with forever homes. Dogs are assessed based on personality in order to give potential adopters an idea of how they will behave in a home environment. It's like a dating service for pets and people!
Looking to adopt a dog? Meet your four-legged match by completing our Adopter Survey form and following the instruction on the right. Dogs are categorized as easy maintenance, average and low maintenance and then their specific personality-or canine-ality-is identified. Here are descriptions of the nine different "canine-ality" profiles:
Purple (Easy Maintenance Dogs)
Couch Potato Like the easy life? Then I’m the perfect match for you. I’m a relaxed, laid back kind of dog who enjoys long naps, watching movies, curling up on laps, and walking very short distances from the couch to the food bowl and back.
Teacher's Pet I’ve got the whole package—smart, fuzzy, four legs, love to learn, and live to please. Go ahead, teach me anything. Sit, stay, balance your checkbook, I can do it all. Keep me entertained and I’ll be yours forever.
Constant Companion Looking for an emotionally secure, mutually satisfying, low maintenance relationship? I am all you need. Let me sit at your feet, walk by your side, and I’ll be your devoted companion forever.
Orange (Average Maintenance Dogs)
Wallflower Shy yet charming canine searching for patient owner with relaxed lifestyle. Looking for gentle guidance to help me come out of my shell. Treat me sweet and kind and I’ll blossom.
Busy Bee I’m a naturally playful, curious, and trusting canine. Take me for a big walk every day; give me something to do. After my job’s done, I’ll curl up in front of the fire with you in the evenings. I’m a dog on a mission to please you and myself.
Goofball I’m a fun-loving, happy-all-the-time, glass-is-half-full kind of dog looking for someone who loves to laugh and play around. Must have a great sense of humor and a bunch of tennis balls.
Green (High Maintenance Dogs)
Go-Getter Want to get more exercise? Action is my middle name. My “Let’s GO!” lifestyle will keep you motivated to get outside and move. I’ve got tons of energy, and just like the sun, I’m burning and working 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I’ll run for miles, chase a ball for hours, and still want to play at the end of the day.
Life of The Party I think everything is fun, interesting, and meant for play, especially you. Anything you do, I’ll want to do too. With my own brand of surprises, life with me will keep you constantly on your toes, and the fun is guaranteed.
Free Spirit Intelligent, independent, confident, and clever, I prefer making my own decisions but will listen to you if you make a good case. We’re partners in this adventure. Treat me like one and we’ll both live happily ever after.
Meet Your Match™ does not at all prevent you from adopting out of your color — it just provides adoption counselors with more information so we can prepare you with the resources to work through lifestyle differences and ensure realistic expectations. Although adopting dogs in your color may make for an easier transition, it is certainly not mandatory.
Visit the RAL Shelter
Off Midlothian Tnpk. near Chesterfield Towne Center more
Meet Your Match™ Survey Form
Print and complete this form. At the bottom, columns are indicated Purple, Orange or Green. Total up the number of answers you've circled in each column. The column with the highest number of responses shows which maintenance level is right for you. more
- Most responses in the Purple column means Easy Maintenance
- Most responses in the Orange column means Average Maintenance
- Most responses in Green column means High Maintenance
Now go to our listing of available dogs and read about those whose canine-ality profile matches the color of your preferred maintenance level. And after you've met your perfect match online, come to RAL to meet them.
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