Operation Silent Night

2026 Dates:

November 27th - December 20th

Operation Silent Night (OSN) is Richmond Animal League’s hallmark holiday adoption event. In the spirit of the season, adoption fees are reduced, and adoption hours are extended — all with one mission: find every pet a home for the holidays.

Throughout OSN, RAL welcomes even more cats and dogs from our animal control and rescue partners across Virginia, with transfers continuing right through the final days of the event. When someone adopts during OSN, they’re doing more than giving one pet a home. That adoption opens space at RAL for another cat or dog to come here, creating the opportunity for yet another pet to be helped.

Any pets not adopted during OSN spend the holidays in loving foster homes, surrounded by comfort and care.

SPONSOR OSN
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The Luminary Ceremony

December 21, 2026

6:00 PM

Following the heartwarming success of Operation Silent Night—where every pet found a loving home for the holidays—we warmly invite you to join us for our Annual Luminary Ceremony.

Together, we gather to experience the peaceful beauty of an empty shelter twinkling with glowing luminaries. Each light serves as a gentle tribute, honoring the cherished pets and people who remain forever in our hearts.

This ceremony is our gift to the community—a free and welcoming space for reflection and remembrance. We invite you to share in this meaningful evening as we celebrate the quiet beauty of the season and the enduring bonds that make our shelter a place of love and compassion.

Paper bags labeled Remy, Tomato, Bandit, Riley Beans, placed on a dark surface with string lights around them.
Decorative room with holiday lights, poinsettias, and white furniture along the walls, with shelves holding boxes and candles at the back.
PURCHASE A LUMINARY
Two pets, a dog and a cat, dressed in winter clothing and scarves, sitting on a decorated porch with holiday decorations, Christmas garlands, ornaments, and a wreath, carrying luggage, with a red door in the background.

Want to share your home with a furry guest this season? Operation Silent Night offers short-term foster opportunities for pets who would love a warm, cozy place to spend the holidays. Foster pick-ups begin Tuesday, December 16, and all pets must be picked up by noon on Monday, December 22. Pets can begin returning on January 2, though foster families are always welcome to keep them longer.

Because OSN focuses on giving pets every chance to meet adopters in person, we won’t know how many foster placements we’ll need until the end of the event. Completing the OSN foster form adds you to our roster so we can reach out if a pet needs a temporary home.

If you’d like to be considered for an OSN foster placement, please fill out this short form. To join our year-round foster team as well, visit our foster page.

Thank you for helping make the holidays brighter for pets in our care. 🧡

The Operation Silent Night shop is officially open!

Pick up our limited-edition 2025 OSN ornament, featuring this year’s OSN logo designed by our friends at PUNCH, or choose a traditional luminary to honor a special pet or person this season. Every purchase helps light the way home for pets hoping to spend the holidays with a loving family.

VISIT THE OSN SHOP
Wooden ornament with engraved design and text, hanging from a pink ribbon. The ornament reads 'Operation Silent Night 2025' with a drawing of a house, a reindeer, a cat, and pine trees, and the phrase 'There's no place like home for the holidays'.

Thank you 2026 OSN Sponsors!

Can’t attend this event but still want to help?

MAKE A DONATION