Did you know? At The Lynchburg Humane Society, FeLV+ cats find happiness, too!

Author: Amber Cabell, Senior Manager of Operations

What is FeLV?

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

Feline Leukemia Virus, or FeLV,. is an autoimmune disease that weakens a cat’s immune system, making them more susceptible to germs and bacteria and increasing their risk for more severe secondary illnesses such as Feline Upper Respiratory Infection. 

FeLV is contagious to other cats and can be shed in saliva, nasal secretions, urine, feces, and the milk of a nursing FeLV+ cat. For this reason, it is not recommended for FeLV+ cats to live with cats that do not have the virus. 

Unfortunately, there is no cure for FeLV and cats that have the virus will have it for life. Because of this, FeLV+ cats are euthanized at shelters across the country every day. 

The Lynchburg Humane Society places FeLV cats into loving adoptive homes

Chili, an FeLV+ cat who came in with kittens! Her and all of her kittens are now adopted into loving homes.

12 FeLV+ cats found happiness 2022 and 19 so far in 2023! 

FeLV+ cats can live normal, happy lives for several years and, at LHS, we believe that that time deserves to be lived out comfortably in a home and with the love of a family. So, we have dedicated the Blue Sunroom in our front lobby to our FeLV+ cats and have reduced adoption fees to help get these amazing felines out of the shelter and into those homes as quickly as possible.

But don’t take our word for it. Stop by and visit the Blue Sunroom cats today and let them show you for themselves!

Did you know? What it’s like to work at the Lynchburg Humane Society.

Author: Michelle Thomas, Director of Development

A look into our work at the Lynchburg Humane Society

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

Inevitably when I tell someone what I do for a living, they react with a little awe and envy, and usually say, That must be the coolest place to work, I am so jealous!    Well, it absolutely is, but it is also one of the most emotional places to work.  Here are a few things I wish you knew about what it is like to work at LHS.

They say one’s true character is revealed in the things they do when no one is watching.  Nothing could be truer here at the Lynchburg Humane Society.  As I enter my third year at LHS, I noticed a few themes and consistencies in the work done at our Center for Pets.

Working at an animal shelter

Animal Welfare jobs are simultaneously the most rewarding AND the hardest work one could do.  Here at LHS some sixty employees help over 9,000 pets annually.  Think about that…that is a lot of helping!  On any given day, there may be 900 pets in our care, whether here at our Center for Pets, or in our amazing network of over 500 fosters.   This work can be grueling and there is never a sense of completion, there is always more to be done.  Yet our incredible staff shows up, day in and day out, and they work long hours, cleaning, feeding, walking, and caring for so many lost and homeless pets.  Below are some images of the work we do and how caring staff is, even when no one is watching. 

One of my favorite times of the day is in the evening when I can finally sit down and scroll through our company intranet chats, this is where we all post really important messages for one another, but also where we post the silliest, goofiest, cutest, and most loving moments of the day.  Our hard-working, dedicated staff, who have already worked 8, 10, 12 hours will enter the chat to share and celebrate a pet they worked with.  They truly are never not thinking about the pets.  You would rightfully be jealous of this part of the job!  It is a privilege to work here and we couldn’t do any of it without our supportive community of donors, volunteers, fosters, friends and all those cheering us on when we meet for the first time. 

We Were Adopted!! July 4th-July 10th.

Pilot went home with his best friend Boeing and 53 other pets found Happiness this week as well!

Pilot came to LHS back in 2022 and has made tremendous progress. Back then he would never explore his enclosure and would only eat and drink at night. He didn’t have any good experiences with people and was afraid because of it. We tried everything we could to help with his stress levels until one day we decided to give him a friend. Boeing, was exactly what he needed! Now that Pilot has had the comfort of another cat who is a little farther along in their socialization process, he made strides every day to become the best friend anyone could ask for!

Pilot started staying comfortably outside of his hidey-hole for most of the day and his friends here at LHS were even able to give him soft chin scratches, and he would even give out a few kisses here and there!

This past weekend someone came in looking to add some feline companions into her home and a staff member suggested both Pilot and Boeing to her! The two won her over and they are now adopted and living their best life with their new mom.

We want to say thank you to their adopter, thank you so much to everyone who adopted, and thank you to this month’s sponsors at Petco Love for supporting our mission!

Pets that were adopted July 4th through July 10th.

Cats that were adopted:

Barberry, Birdie, Boba Tea, Boeing, Boxcar, Cheetah, Cherish, Chips, Clooney, Disco, Dollar, Ducky, Dumpling, Fish Filet, Halsey, Harley, Kali, Laura, Love-A-Lot, Macchiato, Montoya, Phoebe, Pilot, Poppycock, Reggae, Rupee, Sherlock, Spectacled Bear, Taos, Tartar Sauce, Tenderheart, Tidbit, Tiger, Tomfoolery, Valerie, Vanilla Bean, and Yen.

Dogs that were adopted:

Amelia, Ben, Emmy, Fedora, Jake, Jerry, Kenai, Leo, Luana, marlin, Ms. Rocky, Sitka, Stetson, Tahiti, Tank, Waikiki, Wilber, and Zodiac.

Did you know? The Lynchburg Humane Society has a Community Pet Food Pantry

Free Dog and Cat Food Pantry

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

Did you know that the Lynchburg Humane Society has a Pet Food Pantry to help pets and people in our community. Through this program we help give back to the community when they are in need. Pet owners that need help feeding their pets can come by the Center for Pets every 30 days to get food or litter for their pets to last the month.

Our Community Pet Food Pantry is made possible by YOU! Our dedicated staff and volunteers organize and label the pet food pantry but you, our community, makes it possible with donations. All pet food that is donated to LHS that isn’t the type that LHS pets eat (we keep a consistent diet to help with tummies) goes straight back into the community via our pet pantry. 

Lynchburg Humane Society and Meals on Wheels

We have also partnered with Meals On Wheels to help get more pet food directly to community members in need through their Animeals program! Meals on Wheels is able to take pet food straight to those who need it the most and might not have transportation to come out to our Center. We are so grateful for their partnership. Recently, we were able to 480 pounds of dog food and 179 pounds of cat litter to Meals on Wheels for this program! (pictured) 

You may wonder, why give away free pet food?

Along with helping lost and homeless pets in our community and beyond, here at LHS we help people keep their pets. Anyone who wants to and can have their pet, should be able to keep them! Pet food has risen in price by extreme margins in the past couple of years and is understandably hard to afford sometimes. If we can help keep pets at home with the families that love them, we do! 

How can you help with the Community Pet Food Pantry

Every time you donate pet food you aren’t just helping the pets here at the Center, you are also helping your fellow community members and their pets, too. Donating pet food in the original packaging (open and used is okay!) is a great way to help pets. You can also sign up to volunteer at the Center for Pets and help us keep the Pet Food Pantry organized and up-to-date on labeling! Sign up on our volunteer page. 

Did you know? The Lynchburg Humane Society employs 60 people!

Author: Wendy King, Director of Finance and Administration

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

Who works at the Lynchburg Humane Society?

We are excited to have a robust workforce ranging from 18 years of age to 64 at our Center for Pets and Spay Neuter Clinic! Thirty percent of our employees are considered part-time working less than 28 hours a week. Our largest generational pool is Gen Z with that also being the largest group of part-time employees.  

Many of our employees are students (one is even in high school!) who are studying at local colleges in a variety of courses. We have had several employees come back temporarily while on break from college! We’re very proud of our team members that are seeking advanced degrees in nonprofit management or seeking a license as Veterinary Technicians. 

Speaking of which, these jobs are hard and are definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, BUT for many; these pets and this mission get in your blood and bones.  Seven of our current employees took a break for more than three months and found themselves missing LHS and rejoined our team. 

What different teams does the Lynchburg Humane Society Have?

LHS has seven different teams in which employees work.  

Pet Help Coordinators provide assistance and resources for those who seek assistance with their pets. These individuals help pet owners find solutions when it is difficult to keep a pet in their current home.  They are also responsible for helping lost pets find their way home. 

Our Medical team is responsible for performing physical examinations, dispensing medications, and providing care and treatment for sick shelter animals. 

Pet Care Associates are responsible for the care, feeding, cleaning, well being and enrichment of pets in our Center.

Adoption Counselors have the overall responsibility to provide an excellent customer service experience, market pets for adoption, and help clients/pets find the best match for adoption.

Working with the previously mentioned teams, Community Pet Coordinators are responsible for the recruitment, training, retention, and supervision of foster volunteers as well as the placement of foster pets in appropriate foster homes, maintaining and growing positive relationships with foster volunteers, in addition to the management and organization of the foster program and assisting people in the community keep their pets by offering public promotion for short-term, situational, and private foster needs.

Vet Tech Assistants are responsible for daily care of all patients, assisting doctors and licensed veterinary technicians with pre-, peri- and post-operative care of patients, general cleaning, and training others to utilize our patient care protocols.

There are many positions with our Development team. In a nutshell, they are responsible for our fundraising programs, including recruiting and managing individual, corporate, foundation and business contributions, major gifts, special events, and direct mail/email for the organization. This team is also responsible for our volunteer program as well as communications. They create newsletters and weekly eblasts as well as maintains our social media channels and branding.  

As you can see, LHS has room for all ages and backgrounds.  We welcome you to apply to open positions by following the prompts on our employment page.

As always, LHS is an equal opportunity employer practicing Diversity Equity and Inclusion.