Did you know? The Lynchburg Humane Society Transfers in at-risk Pets from other Shelters.

Posted on April 4, 2023April 5, 2023 by Claire LeFew

Author: Senior Manager of Operations, Amber Cabell

Saving pets at-risk of euthanasia

Did you know in 2022, LHS transferred 783 dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens into our care that were at risk of euthanasia at other shelters? That’s 783 pets that were not euthanized for space or length of stay because of LHS’s transport program and were given a second chance to find happiness. There are many reasons why these pets may have been at risk; they may have been sick or injured and their originating shelter did not have the resources to provide medical care, they may have been too young for adoption and the originating shelter did not have any fosters for them to go to or adequate resources to care for them, or they may simply have been unlucky enough to end up in a shelter that is forced to euthanize for space because their community is unable to provide the resources they need to care for the number of pets they bring into the shelter’s care.

But there is one thing that every one of these 783 pets had in common. They all deserved to find happiness.

How to shelter transport programs work?

Sparkle and her siblings were at-risk pets transferred to LHS from Galax County, VA through an effort by Homeward Trails. They are all now adopted and at home with their new families!

Everyday there are a myriad of shelters and volunteers organizing transports all over the country to bring pets from at-risk shelters to safety. A smooth transport is no easy feat and requires the collaboration and cooperation of both the originating and destination shelters. Through each shelter’s point of contact, transfer paperwork is prepared and volunteers are secured to drive the pets from one location to the next. During this time, our pet care staff is working hard to prepare space for our new additions and setting them up with comfy blankets, fun toys, and tasty treats to celebrate their arrival. Once the pets arrive at LHS, our medical staff performs exams to ensure everyone is safe and sound, administers vaccines, and places them into their new, temporary suite and our adoptions team gets to work finding their new homes.

How to help shelter pets at-risk of euthanasia

We are very fortunate to be part of a community that makes this level of lifesaving possible and allows us to help pets both inside and outside of our city. Through fostering, adopting, volunteering, and donating, we are able to continue to save at-risk pets, provide them with the care they require and unite them with the homes they deserve. For information on how you can help save lives, visit the Get Involved tab on our website https://lynchburghumane.org/

Did you know? How Important Volunteers are at LHS.

Posted on March 28, 2023March 28, 2023 by Claire LeFew

Author: Events and Volunteer Coordinator, Ashley Douglas

How do volunteers help at the Lynchburg Humane Society?

Volunteers play an important role in the day to day here at the Center for Pets. They help out each department with small tasks that make a big difference. It is a huge weight lifted off of staff knowing we have volunteers to support us in caring for the pets. Just last year our volunteers donated over 7,200 hours to help us at the Center for Pets and Spay Neuter Clinic.

What can an animal shelter volunteer help with?

There’s a long list of things that a volunteer can do to make a difference! For example volunteers can help our Pet Care team with keeping things neat and organized. Whether that be with helping with morning cleaning, or pitching in in our laundry room.

Volunteers are also able to help out our Foster team and our Medical/Clinic teams! During kitten season our Foster and Medical team can always use the extra hands in making sure those little ones are getting weighed daily while waiting to go into foster care.

Other departments that are always happy to have the volunteer help are; Administration, Adoptions, and Pet Help.

Need some pet love? Volunteers get to spend time with our furry friends as well! We have cat socialization as well as a dog walking program! Get all the cuddles in from the four legged friends while also providing them with enrichment activities.

How do you get involved volunteering at the Lynchburg Humane Society?

Anyone interested in volunteering can apply here. There are three different types of volunteers, make sure to pick the one that best applies to you. You can also email [email protected] with any volunteer questions.

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

Posted on March 21, 2023February 28, 2025 by Claire LeFew

Author: Medical Manager, Becca Erdle

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 March 7, 2023March 8, 2023 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 February 13, 2023February 22, 2023 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.

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]!