Lynchburg Humane Society Blog

"I don’t give to animal causes. "   This is one of those statements that I completely understand and respect.   People have every right to give as they see fit and I am just thankful that people give at all in this economy.   But, and you knew there had to be a but, I don’t see us as just animals.    We do far more than just help animals and I would say 90% of the time there is a person involved that we are helping as well.    Let me give you a great example.   An older woman called us because she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and it was time for her to figure out a place to bring her 4 dogs.   Soon she is heading to an assisted living situation and could not take them.   She loved them like they were her children because to her they were.   They were her whole life, a reason to get up in the morning.  Today, she brought them in to the shelter.   We started the intake of the dogs at 11:00 am and at 1:00 pm sh...

It is Thanksgiving Day; you are surrounded by family and friends. You hear the sound of a crackling log in the fireplace and smell the aromas of the feast laid out before you. All of the fixings: stuffing, green bean casserole, rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, and roasted squash. Children trying to snag a taste of the freshly baked pies including pumpkin, pecan, apple, and chocolate cream as they make their way to the dessert table. The main event catches your full attention as the long awaited turkey makes a debut in all of its golden glory and your beloved dog patiently waiting underfoot for the remnants of your thanksgiving dinner. But what you don’t know is that the delicious morsels that Fido is waiting for could be dangerous to him. Take a look at the following tips from ASPCA experts for a   great Thanksgiving that your pets can enjoy, too.  Talkin’ Turkey If you decide to feed your pet a little nibble of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Do...

So far this year has been an amazing one for the animals at the Lynchburg Humane Society.   None of it could have been accomplished without YOU!   Because of community involvement and your influence we were able to work with city council to strengthen our partnership and to establish a fair compensation and lease agreement for our new humane education and adoption center.  Council received more emails and phone calls around this topic than any other in their tenure.  We officially merged the operations of the South Central Spay/Neuter Clinic in Evington with ours giving us a more regional focus on reducing the numbers of homeless animals in our entire community.   With a new full-time veterinarian, Dr. Pearson, we have begun to provide more services for the community.  We are up in surgeries and revenue and because of generous donations to our spay/neuter fund and many grants awarded this year, we have fixed over 700 animals for free. ...

The word “pit bull’ usually conjures up two distinctly different reactions: fear of the breed or the sentiment that they are misunderstood.    I have been in this field for 12 years and although I have always had a healthy respect for pit bulls, they have never been my favorite breed.   So why am I writing an article about pit bulls?   One reason is because October 27 th is National Pit Bull appreciation day which was created to help bring the breed to a more positive light and the second being that I have recently changed my personal opinion about the breed.   Today, pit bulls or their mixes are the number one breed seen in shelters and a result it is estimated that about 1 million are euthanized across the country each year, mainly because of how they look.   This surge in the breed started about 10 years ago when we would see many used as backyard dogs or fighting dogs.   Over the years I have been taught a lot about the breed and the ma...

Abby was found by an animal control officer tangled up and choking from the heavy chain around her neck.   She arrived at the Lynchburg Humane Society very afraid of everyone.    There are few things worse than seeing a dog who has not had any positive contact from the humans in her life.   She obviously lived outside on a chain for the first year of her life.   We vaccinated and treated her for minor medical issues and the staff began working with her to help her realize just how wonderful people can be.   Tiny kisses to faces and wiggling all over is now how she greets people rather than shrinking in fear.   She was adopted by a wonderful couple and is living her life as a family member rather than just a chained up, back yard dog.   If we don’t help them who will?   Tanya like so many other cats in our shelter, got a virus due to stress, lack of immunities as a young kitten and the improper air handling systems that exist in ...