PUNCH IS FOR ANIMAL LOVERS!

First it was wrestling. Then it was fire eating. What could PUNCH possibly do to top the PUNCH Surprises of 2005 and 2006? They thought long and hard, and came up with something that would not only entertain the whole family, but would also add a bit of education into the mix, too.

Yesterday, November 10th, PUNCH showcased numerous animals, including exotic and endangered species, at the Ntelos 8K as part of the PUNCH Surprise. Each year the Richmond Sports Backers gives PUNCH the task of injecting a bit of entertainment into the 8K to give the runners and walkers a boost along the way. When asked about this year’s surprise, Charlie Connell, managing partner of PUNCH, replied, “This year we wanted to do something a bit different. While we still have the ‘surprise’ element, we thought this would be a great opportunity to create an awareness of all the animals in need in our community.”

Over the years, PUNCH has worked with several animal-related affiliations. In fact, this past September, PUNCH embraced the opportunity to donate their time and creativity to redesigning the Web site, holiday card, and informational flyer for FURS, a dog rescue and adoption organization in Richmond.

The animals at the PUNCH Surprise were brought from Animals Unlimited, an accredited educational facility with the State of Virginia. Animals Unlimited is locally owned and operated in the far rural portion of Hanover County. These licensed animals, including exotic and endangered species, are provided with appropriate habitats and comprehensive care to meet specific federal guidelines.

By bringing these animals to you, PUNCH hopes to have not only provided Richmonders with some fun, hands-on animal education, but also to have used this opportunity to create awareness of the thousands of animals in need throughout Richmond and surrounding areas.

To learn more about making a donation to, or volunteering with, a local animal shelter or organization, please visit these sites:

Animal Rescue Web sites

http://www.wildlifecenter.org (Wildlife: Waynesboro, VA)
http://www.equinerescueleague.org (Horses: Leesburg, VA)
http://www.peninsulaspca.com (Exotics: Newport News, VA)

Richmond Pet Rescue/Adoption Web sites

http://www.fursdogs.com (Friends United with the Richmond Shelter)
http://www.richmondspca.org (Richmond SPCA)
http://www.ral.org (Richmond Animal League)
http://www.aarf.org (Animal Adoption & Rescue Foundation)

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