Author: Claire LeFew

Did you know? What a microchip is and why they are so important.

Posted on by Claire LeFew

Author: Medical Manager, Becca Erdle

"Did you know" Lynchburg Humane Society logo, a green dog icon that has a confused head tilt

What is a pet microchip?

A microchip is a tiny piece of technology that carries a unique identification number. It is about the size of a grain of rice and is implanted with a needle under a pet’s skin, permanently. Each chip is registered with an online database where owners link their contact information as well as their pet’s attributes.

Why should I microchip my dog or cat?

When a lost pet is found, it can be taken to a veterinary office or animal shelter where the pet’s body is scanned for a microchip. When one is present, the number appears on the scanner and is searched within the online database. The provided contact information is then used to reunite the pet with its owner! Having your pet microchipped greatly increases the chances of relocating them if ever lost. Keep in mind that every LHS pet receives a microchip prior to adoption, so join us! Microchipping allows our community to boost the likelihood of reunification between lost pets and their families. 

How do I get my pet microchipped?

Most veterinary offices offer microchipping services and so does the Lynchburg Humane Society! The procedure is quick and provides peace of mind knowing your pet has a permanent form of identification. You can make your microchip appointment at our clinic here. 

Once your pet has a microchip, remember to update your contact information regularly. Without up-to-date contact information, a microchip cannot serve its vital purpose.

As added protection, you can register your pet with Petco Love Lost! Petco Love Lost uses pet facial recognition software to match lost pet photos with found pet photos to reunite pets with their families nation wide. Sign up for free on their website.

We were adopted! February 28th – March 6th

Posted on by Claire LeFew

Staff and Volunteer favorite, Archie, and 41 other pets found happiness!

Big boy Archie stole lots of hearts here at LHS and last week he found his new family!

We believe is a guardian breed mix so he LOVES being outside. While he was here at LHS he spent a lot of time with our volunteers on walks and on Petcations like the one pictured here. We are so happy for Archie!

Pets adopted from the Lynchburg Humane Society from February 28th to March 6th

Cats that were adopted:

Agastya, Alexa, Armando, Astro, Bunny, Carol, Cocoa, Cucumber, Diana, Empanadas, Ferguson, Franco, Guinevere, Junie, Kennedy, Lewis, Linkin Park, Lorenzo, Martin Mason, Noodle, Ricky, Sienna, Snickers, Starburst, Twix, Whopper, Will Turner, and Zena

Dogs that were adopted:

Archie, Bruce, Bubba, Cookie, Frosted Flakes, Jethro, Lemon Squeezy, Leon, Mouse, Priscilla, and Rooster

Did you know? What are lost pet posts and holds?

Posted on by Claire LeFew

What does it mean when Animal Shelters post stray pets on social media and what is a lost pet hold in Virginia.

"Did you know" Lynchburg Humane Society logo, a green dog icon that has a confused head tilt

If you follow our social media, you have probably seen our posts of photos of lost pets that were brought to our Center.  These posts include the location where they were found. Why do we post these? A little background first: the Lynchburg Humane Society is a private, 501c3 nonprofit organization. We take in pets from the City of Lynchburg to fulfill the city’s state mandated shelter requirements for Lynchburg. Pets from the City of Lynchburg account for a little more than 50% of our annual intake and include pets that are required to be held for health department quarantines, are awaiting court hearings, and of course stray (lost) pets and pets surrendered by their owners who live in Lynchburg. 

It is our responsibility and policy as a shelter, to try our best to find the owners of pets that come into the Center for Pets as lost/stray pets. Pets who come in as lost, receive an initial examination by our medical team including vaccinations and scanning for a microchip. Our awesome Pet Help team researches if a microchip or any other identification is found, posts lost pets on social media, investigates any leads for possible owners, and keeps records of all of these. 

Why do Animal Shelters post lost pets on social media?

Lost Pet Picture for Jane, who is now adoptable at LHS!

If a pet’s family isn’t immediately found upon their arrival at LHS, they get posted on our social media! (There are a few exclusions to this, like neonate kittens that come from community cat mothers.) Posting lost pets on social media has proven to be effective in reuniting pets with their owners. We, here in Lynchburg, are especially lucky to have such active folks on social media committed to helping communicate to reunite pets with their families. In addition to social media, our Pet Help team investigates all other avenue’s possible to help reunite pets with their families. 

What are stray holds in Virginia?

Pets that are posted as lost on our social media are not available for adoption. These pets are in their state-mandated lost-pet hold periods. Lost-pet hold periods last no less than five days for any pet and last just over 10 days for pets that have identification. Identification includes, but is not limited to a collar, tag, microchip, spay/neuter scar or tattoo. These lost pet holds are designed to give the families time to find their pets before they are possibly adopted by another family. Sadly, there are many cases where a lost pet isn’t reunited with their family. This rate is very high for cats, typically only about 3% of lost cats brought to shelters are reunited with their families and about 57% of the dogs brought into LHS last year were reunited with original families. Obviously, dogs are better off than cats when it comes to being reunited with their families, but with 43% of dogs never being reclaimed by their owner, that is still a lot of dogs that don’t go back to their homes.

What if you’re interested in adopting a lost pet if not reunited with their owners?

If you’re interested in adopting a lost pet if they’re not reunited with their owners, you can reach out to our adoption team! We have a lost pet hold option that will last until they are available for adoption and refunded if they are reunited with their families. You can reach our adoption team at [email protected]!

Did you know? What is Kitten Season.

Posted on by Claire LeFew

What Kitten Season is and how you can help.

Author: Community Pet Coordinator, Miranda Ward

Kitten season is known as the time that unfixed cats are most likely to have kittens.  Kitten season is typically between March and October. Cats can have litters any time of year, but in the warm months, the number of kittens born alarmingly increases. Cats are very prolific creatures; they reach sexual maturity as young as 4-5 months, have an average of 3-8 kittens per litter, and can have between 2-5 litters per season.

One unfixed female cat can have more than 100 kittens in her lifetime, and assuming that half of those kittens born are females, she and her offspring can go on to have upwards of 300-400 kittens in 7 years. Multiply this by the hundreds of community cats in the area, and that number grows exponentially. The fact of the matter is that there are not enough homes to care for all of the kittens born each year, which is why we want you to know how you can help prevent unwanted litters, and support the litters that are born each year.  

How to help Animal Shelters During Kitten Season

The great news is that we have tons of contacts, resources, and programs to help combat this issue. Here’s how to help!

  • Spay and neuter your pets. The cost to get your LHS pet spayed or neutered is included in our adoption fees! If you have a pet that isn’t an LHS Alum and you’re looking for a low cost option, our Spay/Neuter Clinic is a fantastic choice! Click here for information about the services offered by our Spay/Neuter Clinic.
  • Consider donating to support the cost of care for our kittens! For those interested in making a monetary donation, visit our donation page! Here, you can peruse options for donating such as our Community Cat Fix program which helps subsidize the cost of the thousands of spays and neuters of community cats performed at our Spay/Neuter Clinic, as well as our Shelter Medicine program, which supports the care of every pet who comes through our doors. 
  • Support TNR programs! TNR stands for Trap, Neuter, Release. Dozens of volunteers all over our community find colonies of unfixed outdoor cats and work with local vets and clinics to perform low-cost spays and neuters, treat and vaccinate, and release the pets back into their colonies where they are happiest. If you have a cat colony you would like help with, consider contacting Stray Cat TNR at (434) 515-0456, or visit Central Virginia Regional Rescue’s TNR Assistance page here!
  • Beware of kitten napping. Mother cats move their litters frequently in order to keep them safe. When kittens are very young, their best chances of survival are with mom. If you find kittens alone, give them some space and wait awhile! Mom may be in the process of moving the litter, searching for food, or she may be hiding from you. If the kittens are in unsafe places like parking lots, drainage ditches, or under vehicles, or mom hasn’t returned after several hours, make sure they’re warm, and then reach out to your local shelter or rescue group for help. That may be us, or if you live in a different county, it may be one of our neighboring organizations! 
  • Become a foster! The LHS Center for Pets has a bustling foster program ready to support the several hundreds of kittens we get each year. We provide all supplies free of charge to our fosters and are ready to teach new families how to become Kitten Warriors! From sick orphan bottle babies to healthy, plump kittens with a mom, all our underage babies need foster care. We are always searching for the best match based on our pets needs and our foster families’ preferences and abilities, so we always have the kitten for you! No experience is needed; we have a community of Coordinators and other fosters ready to help you! If you’re ready to become part of this life-saving mission, apply here!

Other blogs from the Lynchburg Humane Society:

We were adopted! January 2nd – 9th

Posted on by Claire LeFew

Staff favorite dogs Coco and Nemi were adopted this week along with 67 other wonderful pets!

Staff and volunteer favorite dogs Coco and Nemi found their happiness and were adopted this week! As you all know Coco and Nemi have been in our care for quite sometime, but they finally caught the eye of their perfect people.

Coco absolutely adores her new parents. And as you can tell, Nemi is already feeling right at home. It’s always very emotional when our favorite pets go home, but that’s why we what we do!

Thank you so much to both of their adopters, as well as Heather Townley for sponsoring Coco’s adoption fee and Focused Choice Dog Training for sponsoring Nemi’s adoption fee! Thank you so much to our first banner sponsor of 2023 Beacon Credit Union for starting the year off right!

Adopted Pets from January 2nd through January 9th

Cats that were adopted:

Adidas, Anika, Bentley, Billy, Blaze, Callisto, Coral, Cotton, Danny Diaz, Dior, Horchata, Jasper, Josline, Kate Malarkey, Kelp, Kimmie, Lorenzo, Madison, Mani, Manny, Merry, Mr. Crackers, Mrs. Crackers, Nicolas, Nuka, Olga, Pebee, Penny, Puma, Socks, Yankee

Dogs that were adopted:

Abbey, Barb, Bert, Camo, Coco, Dale, Enola, Ernie, Finn, Gaston, Goober, Icelyn, Jester, Kai, Kringle, Lil Lady, Lilly Rose, Linus, Lorena, Lucy, Magnolia, Marcie, Nemi, Peppermint Patty, Pilgrim, Plymouth, Princess, Roxie, Ruby Rose, Ryder, Scoop, Scrappy, Snuggles, Stephen Michael Alden, Subaru, Woodstock, Zara