Move over, Francine. The shop dogs are winning over Richmond hearts now.

Why it matters: Despite the city seemingly becoming a cat town, we apparently have a lot of shop dogs with a loyal following.

Here are a few of them:

Lincoln is a 13-year-old American pit bull mix who has been the shop dog at J. Emerson Fine Wine on Grove Avenue — which just celebrated its 40th anniversary — since 2016.

• He's Puerto Rican, according to owner James Compton, and arrived in Virginia as a puppy in 2012.
• Lincoln loves laying out in the sun and taking himself down to Beecroft & Bull to say hi and get treats.
• "Everyone gets a kick out of how he goes out on his own and comes right back," Compton says.

Then there's Duke, a 5-year-old rescue at Corks & Kegs on Patterson whose face gets put on a beer label each year for his birthday in June.

• The beers change each year and have been called "Duke's on Sunday" with Duke in a vacation outfit, "Duke in the South" and "Duke Gets Lost At Sea."
• His owner Joey Johnson says Duke "loves treats, all people and sitting on your foot while you pet him so you can't walk away."
• Reader Alicia C. told us he's "the best shop dog around town, hands down! It's not even close!"

Honorable mentions:

• Sienna, the shop dog at It's A Man's World in the Arts District.
• Birdie, a Labrador Retriever pictured here on staff appreciation day, and Remy at Gardner & La Rochelle Orthodontics in Willow Lawn.
• Both are therapy dogs in training, per a post, and comfort patients or offer cuddles in the waiting room.

Tell a pup lover

There have been 68 flash food warnings issued for metro Richmond so far this year, according to data from the National Weather Service.

Why it matters: The NWS has issued more flash flood warnings nationwide thus far in 2025 than in any other year on record.

• And it's only mid-July.

State of play: The "extraordinary amount of humidity in the atmosphere" has been behind the most recent Richmond storms, WTVR's chief meteorologist Zach Daniels reported this week.

• And high humidity not only drives RVA's recent miserable mugginess, it leads to storms, which dumps moisture onto the ground, which is then evaporated and drives even more storms, he noted.

What they're saying: "2025 has been the year of the flood," meteorologist Michael Lowry writes.

By the numbers: With 23, Chesterfield has had the most flash food warnings in the metro area this year, per NWS data. The rest:

• Henrico: 19
• Richmond: 14
• Hanover: 12

What we're watching: The high chance of more rain in the forecast this weekend.

Wade deeper to see the national stats

🚲 The Virginia Capital Trail, which connects Richmond to Jamestown, is expanding by 7.5 miles and into Colonial Williamsburg. (News release)

👀 Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears asked her campaign manager, who is a pastor with no political experience, to step down from the position. (Washington Post)

• It's part of a broader shake-up in her campaign for Virginia governor amid sluggish fundraising and poll numbers.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 A few family dinners at home and a date night each week are among the ways Mayor Avula is trying to strike a work-life balance after six months in the role. (Times-Dispatch)

Assateague Island National Seashore doesn't have any lifeguards this year, and local officials and residents are sounding the alarm about the risk this poses for beachgoers.

State of play: The National Park Service (NPS) — which operates federal beaches like Assateague — is scrambling to keep parks running amid President Trump's cuts to the federal workforce, public parks advocates warn.

• The six lifeguard positions on each of Assateague's Virginia and Maryland sides are unfilled, as is the chief lifeguard position.
• NPS never posted listings for the positions, Ed Stierli, a regional director at the National Parks Conservation Association, told the Times-Dispatch.

By the numbers: Assateague lifeguards completed 24 rescues last year, and oversaw at least 21 incidents that would have otherwise been handled by local emergency medical services.

• This year, "good Samaritans" had to help during recent life-threatening situations until emergency services could arrive, Chincoteague Mayor Denise Bowden told the Times-Dispatch.

The other side: "Visitors have always had access to unguarded beaches and guarded beaches even after lifeguards leave for the day," a NPS spokesperson told Axios.

Go deeper

The Breakfast Club at Moore Street Cafe is the best breakfast sandwich in all of Virginia, according to Chowhound.

Why it matters: Richmonders can try it for themselves, six days a week, right in Scott's Addition.

State of play: The folks at Chowhound scoured Yelp, Reddit threads and community forums, especially ones with "consistent, passionate feedback" to find the best breakfast sandwich in every state.

• And their research led them to the secret Richmonders have known for decades: Moore Street rocks, especially for their breakfast fare.

Their pick, the Breakfast Club, is one of a dozen breakfast sandwiches on the menu.

• The massive meal is created from two eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo piled between three slices of Texas toast, all for $13.
• Their pro tip: Pair it with a personal mimosa pitcher ($10). And we concur.

If you go: Moore Street Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch every day but Tuesdays.

• Breakfast is served all day on the weekend.

Tell a friend