Lynchburg Humane Society Blog

Jo Ann Beehler, LHS volunteer and regular contributor to our Pets of Central Virginia column in the Lynchburg News & Advance, wrote such a great piece on bringing a new cat home that I wanted to share it with you: Realistic Expectations when You Bring a New Cat Home by Jo Ann Beehler Are congratulations in order? Did you recently adopt a new pet from a local humane society? Are you planning to do so soon? If yes, then now is the time to begin setting realistic expectations for your new pet. In order to make the adoption of your new pet a success, you must have realistic expectations firmly in mind. When you adopt a new pet, you are making a commitment to love and care for your new friend for the rest of his life. Adoptions commonly fail because humans set unrealistic expectations for their new pets. Don’t put yourself and your new pet through this heartbreak. Instead, be prepared to allow your new pet ample time to become acclimated to his new family and home. For example, if yo...

I am currently one week into my first foster project for LHS. Little "Peanut" came into the Humane Society a little more than a week ago as a 3-pound, scared little puppy. The guess is she was about 4-weeks old. My husband and I decided a few months ago that fostering puppies would be a great way to get my 6-year-old Shiba Inu used to the idea of having another dog in the house, without making the commitment of actually adopting a second dog. Sadie has always been the queen of her castle... but after about 20 minutes, she finally let Peanut past the doorway. That was 8 days ago. Now, Peanut has become a member of our family. My husband and I work together, and each morning he comes in with a new Peanut story (today, she made it up our 3 steps to the porch all by herself)! Peanut has gained a full pound since we brought her home, and we're very proud to see her learning the rules of the roost. It has been six years since I awoke to puppy yelps, and cleaned up a puppy's...

Over the years I have heard many many people come in to their local shelter, looking for a house dog. Our cute response is always, all our dogs are house dogs, knowing that they are looking for a small dog. We get many small dogs here and most people don't realize just how easy it is to find a great small dog for their home at any animal shelter, you may have to wait or be patient until one arrives but when they do it always seems like they come in droves. Anyway the point of this blog is to point out that any dog can be a "house dog" no matter the size. I have seen 75 lb dogs make wonderful apartment dogs because most of the day they lay around the apartment or house and then they get the joy of a wonderful walk when their owner comes home from work. They tend not to bark as much as smaller dogs, causing less noise complaints and they may take up more space inside but, they also make better bed warmers if you ask me. Baxter, the dog shown here is a prime example. ...

This was written by a 4th grader at Holy Cross by the name of Molly Graham. Into the car Along the street To the little building Open the door Within the building Above the barking and meowing Between the bars With begging eyes Inside the cage Is the purrfect pet! Merry Christmas to all and thank you Molly for such a wonderful touching poem.

We are often asked how the animals are managed when the shelter is closed and during inclement weather. Of course shelter workers are always scheduled to come in to clean runs and cages and feed the animals whether we're open to the public or not. The LHS shelter staff are fiercely loyal to the animals and would never neglect their duties. Lori Cline, the shelter supervisor, left work Friday just as the monster blizzard was starting. She decided she just couldn't leave the animals alone and returned to the shelter. She said she was afraid the storm might be so bad that no one would be able to get back on Saturday to look after the critters. She made up her mind to spend the night at the shelter. I asked her how she spent the time. She cleaned, did some laundry,visited with the animals, did some paper work, and watched old Seinfeld reruns on the internet. She finally made a bed from blankets, freshly laundered of course, on the floor in the break room and with Baxter, one of...

The holiday season is a wonderful time to adopt a new pet for the family. We encourage suchgift-giving to children and family members within the same household. Done thoughtfully, there is no better gift than that of a new four-legged pal. While careful consideration is important, there are many reasons the holidays are an excellent time to bring a new pet into the home: Many people have extra time off to spend with a new pet during the holidays, time for training and socializing the newcomer. Festival time is an opportunity to show off your new family member, invite friends to visit and welcome him/her. The exuberance of the new family member will help bring the true holiday spirit to focus. This is, after all, a time of family, love and new beginnings. Isn’t that what a new pet brings to any home? Pets can help reduce stress, that’s help especially needed over the holidays. Studies have also shown that having a pet can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, making you ...

Doogie’s Great Escape, or Pay it Forward I received a call from a grateful dog-lover the other day. She wanted to make a donation to our “Second Chance Fund”, a fund ear-marked for medical expenses for animals in need. She made this donation gift in honor of two neighbors to whom she is so grateful. Pamela Minkler wrote: “My dog escaped from our newly fenced-in yard today and, thanks to the concern and kindheartedness of two neighbors, (we just moved here two weeks ago), was returned to us safely and quickly. My husband and I were both at work while all of this was happening, and things could certainly have turned out very differently. My dog could have very easily needed the services that your second chance fund provides, and I am so grateful to my neighbors for the fact that he did not. While there is nothing I can do to convey to these two people just how grateful my husband and I are to them, I would like to take a small step in that direction. I would love to donate to the sec...