Together we can save more

We are coming to the end of our fiscal year (July 1 - June 30th) and we have had a wild year.  With the added responsibility for the Appomattox and Pittsylvania shelters this year along with our No Kill Virginia initiative (NKVA) and the greater volume of needs from pets, we have worked harder than ever and it has all been worth it.  We have certainly learned a lot and one thing we have learned is that we are so lucky to have such a special giving community that uplifts us not only to save pets in our own area but enables us to help those in less fortunate areas that don’t have the same level of support. Because of you we are now the largest no kill organization in the entire state of Virginia, helping over 7,000 pets in the past year.

Many of you might have read that we decided to discontinue the contract with Pittsylvania County due to the financial drain on the organization.  Donations and revenue in that area have been less than we thought we could bring in and because the need has been so great we are caring for more pets than we had anticipated. The county then came back with a stop gap measure that has resulted in us continuing for another 6 months as we work hard to build up enough support to be able to continue our life saving work there. Pittsylvania is important because it sits right next to Danville, which in 2017 euthanized the second highest number of pets in the entire state of Virginia. Stats have shown that in only 6 months of being in that area there was a reduction of  714 fewer pets losing their lives to euthanasia in Danville and Pittsylvania in 2017 compared to 2016. We are expected to see over 2,000 pets come through the new center and right now we are saving 98% of them. We know you all are behind us but we are having to start from scratch to build our donor base in the Pittsylvania area. We are excited to see how much our involvement has impacted the number of lives saved in that area for 2018. We hope that the community and the residents of the state help us as we continue to move down our NKVA path, we know that the residents of Lynchburg are proud to be at the forefront of the no kill movement and will help with funding until it can be supported autonomously.  

This is the time of year when every shelter is full and busting at the seams and posting for help on facebook: Code red! We are full! Come adopt or foster!  Are we full? You bet! Right now we are caring for 498 pets at our Center in Lynchburg. Summer is overwhelming because the amount of need is so great. We pride ourselves on ALWAYS being full because when we are empty a pet may not be making it out of their situation alive.  Being full means we are helping the community and helping other shelters who need us. Since January of 2018, 805 pets have been brought to safety, to our Lynchburg Center for Pets, from other shelters. Cats, tiny kittens and dogs of all ages needed us and we stepped up to help. We haven’t turned our backs on Lynchburg, almost 900 have come from our city residents and animal control officers.

With more pets coming in, and more shelters asking for our help and support, the costs associated with their care have gone up.  Most pets don’t come to us in perfect medical condition and with such an increase of pets coming from other places, our medical needs have increased.  Everything seems to be costing more. Insurance, supplies, food and and vaccines have all increased year after year. This is why we need your help more than ever.  You truly make a difference in the lives of so many pets who have no one other than the Lynchburg Humane Society. We hope that you will consider donating this year at a greater level than you have in the past or make your first donation to help the pets we serve.  They need us and we need you. Together we can save more and together we can make a difference.