Author: Michelle Thomas, Director of Development

A look into our work at the Lynchburg Humane Society

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.