Press Release: Lynchburg Humane Society Awarded $40,000 Orphan Kitten Club Grant

Posted on October 27, 2026October 27, 2026 by Claire LeFew

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.

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]

Lynchburg Humane Society hires new Assistant Director of Development

Posted on September 29, 2026September 29, 2026 by Claire LeFew

(September 29, 2026)— Lynchburg Humane Society (LHS) is excited to announce that they have hired Sally H. James to a new position on their development team, Assistant Director of Development. Sally brings over 25 years of nonprofit experience to Lynchburg Humane Society, having both worked and volunteered with several area nonprofit organizations.

“Sally brings a tremendous amount of experience, knowledge, and passion to Lynchburg Humane Society, and we are thrilled to welcome her to our team,” said Jill Mollohan, Executive Director. “Her experience and commitment to our community will be a tremendous asset as we continue to grow our fundraising efforts and expand our impact to help animals and the people who love them.”

Prior to arriving at LHS, Sally held leadership positions in development, marketing, and admissions at both New Vistas School and James River Day School. Her extensive fundraising experience stems from meaningful relationships in both the private and corporate sectors. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Hollins University.

In her new role, Sally will work closely with Michelle Thomas, Director of Development, supporting fundraising initiatives, events, and donor relations. Together, they will help strengthen LHS’s relationships with supporters and create opportunities for the community to engage with the organization and its mission.

Having held previous volunteer and Board of Directors roles at the Lynchburg Humane Society, Sally is excited to continue serving the Lynchburg Community by helping pets and people in her new position!

Press Release: Lynchburg Humane Society celebrates the groundbreaking of their new regional veterinary clinic, offering affordable care.

Posted on October 13, 2025February 21, 2026 by Claire LeFew

(October 13, 2025)— The Lynchburg Humane Society (LHS) proudly marked a major milestone in its mission to improve animal welfare across Central Virginia with a groundbreaking celebration for its new Regional Low-Cost Veterinary Clinic on Sunday, October 12. The event, held at the organization’s main campus at 1211 Old Graves Mill Road, drew a crowd of enthusiastic supporters, community leaders, local donors, and pet lovers.

The future clinic will stand on the same campus and connect to the current Center for Pets, located at 1211 Old Graves Road, and offer low-cost, high-quality veterinary services to families in need, expanding LHS’s reach and ability to keep more pets healthy and out of shelters. In addition to general veterinary services, the new facility will house the organization’s existing Spay/Neuter Clinic, which is currently located in Evington and serves more than 20 localities across Central Virginia, and performed over 8,000 surgeries last year.

” This Clinic is not just about affordable services — it’s about keeping pets with the people who love them, preventing unnecessary surrenders, and making sure every family has the chance to say ‘yes’ to caring for their pets,” said Jill Mollohan, Executive Director of LHS, during her remarks.

The afternoon celebration included remarks from Mollohan, special guests Christine Kennedy and Heath Barret from the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance, Committee Chairs Bill and Brenda Gray, Development Director Michelle Thomas, ceremonial shovels and hard hats to mark the groundbreaking moment, and a festive atmosphere with live music, local food and drinks, and plenty of purrs and wagging tails.

The new clinic is being built by Coleman-Adams Construction and designed by Dominion 7 Architects. To date, LHS has raised $4.7 million of its $7.5 million campaign goal and is continuing its call for community support to fully fund the project.

Beyond the ceremonial moment, the celebration also highlighted the vital role veterinary services play in keeping pets healthy and families at ease. Comprehensive care remains at the heart of it all—routine wellness exams, vaccinations, dental care, diagnostics, and surgical support delivered with steady hands and attentive hearts. A dependable veterinary team becomes part of a pet’s story from the first playful checkup to the senior years, offering guidance that blends modern medicine with time-honored compassion.

In that same spirit, richardson vet clinic, known locally as Midway Road Animal Clinic, has earned a reputation for thoughtful, thorough care. From preventive treatments to more advanced medical attention, their approach reflects the kind of service pet owners have trusted for generations—clear communication, careful evaluation, and a genuine understanding that animals are family. Because at the end of the day, good veterinary care isn’t just clinical—it’s personal, steady, and built on relationships that last a lifetime.

Click here to find out more about the project