Innovation grant to fund additional staff and support for our Foster Department to help more fragile kittens.
Lynchburg, VA, October 27, 2026–The Lynchburg Humane Society, a nonprofit animal welfare organization that owns and operates the Edythe Elizabeth Stauffer Center for Pets in Lynchburg and the Spay and Neuter Clinic in Evington, today announced that it has been awarded a $40,000 innovation grant from Orphan Kitten Club (OKC), a national nonprofit organization with a mission to innovate pediatric care and advance protections for neonatal kittens in shelters.
These funds will provide much-needed staff support to our foster kitten and foster family programs, foster starter kits, and data & communication tools for the LHS Kitten Nursery. The life-saving grant will increase the number of neonate fosters for LHS and help maintain our 94% save rate.
“Every kitten that comes through our doors deserves a chance at life, but the youngest and most fragile kittens require an extraordinary amount of time, attention, and specialized care. Caring for these tiny kittens around the clock is a tremendous commitment, and our foster families are essential to making that possible. This $40,000 grant from Orphan Kitten Club will allow us to expand our foster team, provide more resources to our foster families, and reach even more kittens who desperately need our help. We are incredibly grateful for this partnership and the lives it will help us save,” said Amber Cabell, Director of Operations, Lynchburg Humane Society.
Neonatal kittens–ages zero to eight weeks–are the most euthanized feline population in animal shelters in the United States, accounting for at least half of feline deaths. The specialized skills, supplies, veterinary expertise, and overnight care they require makes them uniquely difficult to care for on-site in an animal shelter. For this reason, shelters and rescues heavily rely on volunteer foster parents to assist in the care of this vulnerable population.
Led by a panel of experts in animal welfare, veterinary medicine, and kitten wellbeing, the Orphan Kitten Club Mightycat program strategically selects partners based on their potential to create meaningful new impact for neonatal kittens. Following a bi-annual application period, the advisory panel thoughtfully allocates donor funds to partner programs that have proposed an executable and measurable plan to lower euthanasia rates, increase lifesaving capacity, enhance quality of care and/or contribute to groundbreaking research.
“Our Mightycat partners are shelters and foster-based rescues that are truly aligned with our mission to increase lifesaving programs for kittens under eight weeks old,” said Jackie Noble, Executive Director, Orphan Kitten Club. “We’re proud to partner with the Lynchburg Humane Society to move the needle for neonatal kittens.”
For more information, visit lynchburghumane.org
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About Lynchburg Humane Society
The Lynchburg Humane Society is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that owns and operates the Edythe Elizabeth Stauffer Center for Pets in Lynchburg and the Spay and Neuter Clinic in Evington. The Lynchburg Humane Society is a no-kill facility that helps over 12,000 dogs and cats annually and over 12,000 people. Its mission is to lead the way in providing a compassionate, safe community for animals and people through progressive life-saving programs, services, resources, and education.
About Orphan Kitten Club
Orphan Kitten Club (OKC) is the nation’s leading charitable organization solely dedicated to advancing kitten welfare. A 100 percent donor-funded 501(c)3 organization, Orphan Kitten Club is led by a team of experts in animal welfare, veterinary medicine, and kitten wellbeing who thoughtfully identify Mightycat shelter partners and allocate donor funds to kitten programs, emergency veterinary care, and ethical research programs that create meaningful change and move the needle for neonatal kittens.
Neonatal kittens—those under eight weeks old—are the most vulnerable animals entering shelters, experiencing the highest mortality rates of any population. OKC works to make kitten lifesaving the standard in every community through a strategic four pillar approach: administering the first and only national grant program focused solely on neonatal kitten care and lifesaving; mentoring shelter leaders in implementing data-driven best practices; advancing veterinary medicine through ethical pediatric research; and running a specialized kitten nursery that provides around-the-clock expert care for neonates and kittens with complex medical needs.
Founded in 2016 by Hannah “Kitten Lady” Shaw, Orphan Kitten Club has awarded more than $4 million in transformative kitten-focused grants to save the lives of more than 250 thousand kittens in over 150 communities.
To become a club member–a monthly supporter of Orphan Kitten Club–visit donate.orphankittenclub.org/join.
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook, or visit us at orphankittenclub.org.
CONTACT: For more information or interview requests please contact Development and Communications Manager, Claire LeFew at [email protected]
For Orphan Kitten Club:
Jackie Noble, Executive Director [email protected]
