Cassandra Steptoe

           Dogs barked and a cat batted at a pompom as executive director Makena Yarbrough explained the many plans the Lynchburg Humane Society (LHS) had in store to further its mission of “helping pets in need.”

           Though the LHS moved into its newly constructed building March 21, 2015, it is still finishing construction and planning programs to further its effectiveness.

           “The new building has allowed us to bring in … about 800 more animals this year, which has in turn resulted in more animals going into great homes,” Yarbrough said. “We always knew we needed some outdoor play areas so those have been put in. … And, we need to install some steps to get down to them. The trails in the woods have been started and we probably will expand those.”

These improvements were a long time coming said Yarbrough, as the 70-year-old LHS did not always have a nice facility to work out of. Founded in 1945, the society originally served Lynchburg from facilities on Naval Reserve Road where it did its best to help animals in the small facilities it was given, according to Yarborough.

           “We did really well with adoptions and saving animal’s lives but the environment was falling apart,” Yarbrough said. “The kennels had rust all over them and the air flow was non-existent in regards to trying to keep animals healthy.“

The new facility has large, decorated dog and cat rooms filled with cat high-rises and couches as well as partitioned 5-by-12 foot dog runs and special facilities for young animals. There was a large banner in the main hall that displayed the number of animals that had been adopted since the beginning of the year.

            Because the shelter seeks to be a no-kill operation, it strives to keep its adoption and live placement rate above 90 percent, according to Yarbrough. This means stringent care and an excellent staff, said Yarbrough.

            “We have a medical staff that are experienced so all of the treatments are done by a licensed vet tech and a vet assistant who has over 10 years of experience,” Yarbrough said. “In regards to the training of the animal care staff, we have trainers on staff that are well versed in what the protocols are so they’re responsible for training their co-workers and then we have management keeping an eye on things.”

           In addition to full-time staff, there are a plethora of volunteers that come daily to walk and play with dogs, socialize cats and help with various publicity events.

           “Our volunteer program is a big draw for college students,” Volunteer and Education Manager Catrina Valania said. “Volunteers can help out with anything from helping clean the cages, helping keep things clean for the animals, feeding, watering, walking dogs and socializing with all the pets. They can help with adoption events that happen off site. We also do a thing called dog day out which is where volunteers can come in and take a dog off site for a few hours.”

           Each volunteer must go through a training session in order to work with the animals and must be at least 16-years-old or accompanied by an adult to walk dogs. The session covers proper socialization techniques, how to work with potential adopters and what procedures to follow. This ensures that volunteers are educated in how to interact with the animals.

           “Since we’ve been in the new building, I have orientated close to 600 volunteers,” Valania said. “The orientation class lasts about an hour and a half. I talk about the facility and we take a tour to see where things are and how to do things. Once you have (the training), you can start volunteering immediately.” 

          Valania enjoys watching and working with the volunteers because of her background as a volunteer herself. Volunteers are garnered through community awareness, according to Valania. She hoped that LHS’ continued media presence and programs such as birthday parties, school trips and specialty camps would draw more support from the community.

          “We bring through a lot of field trips,” Valania said. “We also have …  camps for kids. For Christmas, we did a couple education days where kids came in and learned how to makes gifts for their parents, siblings and friends.”

           Regular volunteer Rachel Wiley has walked dogs, played with cats and answered visitor questions since she was trained as a volunteer in April. Wiley hopes her efforts will help the animals find good homes.

            “I originally wanted to start volunteering at (LHS) because I have a passion for animals and love getting to work with them,” Wiley said. “LHS does a lot for the animals in the city of Lynchburg. They care for the animals that they house, provide certain veterinary services to pet owners, and the biggest point for me is that they are a no-kill shelter.”

           However, Wiley has gained as well as given through volunteering at the society.

           “It's so rewarding to know that you're giving these animals a bit of joy in their day, and to feel needed by them and the employees that appreciate the extra help,” Wiley said.

           Another positive for volunteers at the LHS is the ease with which they can adopt their charges, if they fall in love. Volunteer Kari Hicks adopted her pit bull terrier mix Gunner after meeting him at LHS.

          “I was looking for a Christian Service opportunity and I heard of the Humane Society,” Hicks said. “I love being around animals and that’s something I missed going to college was not having my dog and my cat here so just being around animals drew me to the (LHS), where I found Gunner.” 

        Although Hicks was not initially intending to adopt, Gunner’s “sweet” personality and loyalty drew her in.

        “I wasn’t thinking about (adopting) at all,” Hicks said. “But then I fell in love with Gunner and saw he needed a home. Plus, his (adoption) fee was waived that day so it worked out.”

         Gunner was a pit bull mix that had been at the LHS for about three months. This was longer than the average 35 days a dog stays in a shelter because potential adopters can be hesitant to adopt dog breeds that are labeled as aggressive according to compantionanimalphsychology.com. However, Hicks looked past Gunner’s label and found a friend.

            “I never knew anything about pit bulls, I just have always heard the (aggressive) stereotype,” Hicks said. “But then when I met him and took him on walks all the time and played with him, I never saw that aggression come out in him … a lot of people told me that if you train a pit-bull to do bad things, it will but if you don’t, it won’t.”

                                                                                          Gunner at Hicks' Home

        The process was not easy though. Hicks had to dog proof her house, learn how to care for Gunner’s needs and schedule time and care for him as she went to school, work and on errands. However, the transition was made easier through the donations of another volunteer at LHS.

        “There was a lady who worked in the clinic with Gunner when he got fixed and she fell in love with him but couldn’t adopt so she paid for his (adoption) fee,” Hicks said. “She paid to get him microchipped, fixed and all his shots so I was really taken care of.”

All the effort was worth it though as Gunner has become part of the family.

        “It was really fun getting to see him open up,” Hicks said. “He became like a different dog. Especially around my family and my littler sister. … At the humane society he just seemed sad all the time, but he’s a lot happier and not shy or scared anymore. He likes to play and kind of came out of his shell.”

        However, Hicks reminds other animal lovers how much of a commitment adopting is. Though it may be tempting, Hicks said that adoption is not for everyone and one should consider the financial and time ramifications of taking on a pet.

       “Don’t adopt if you can’t really afford it,” Hicks said. “If you can’t adopt, the humane society is always looking for donations of any kind. A lot of people come in and bring toys, treats, collars and everything you can think of and that really helps them. Even bedding and blankets, especially when it’s cold.”

       But Hicks encourages volunteering as the best way to help the humane society and its goal to provide safe homes for animals.

       “I totally recommend volunteering,” Hicks said. “You get to meet cool people and it is like a stress relief too. It was really cool to meet all the animals and it was so exciting to see how happy they would be when they got adopted.”

       Volunteers help with pets that have been approved and are ready for adoption, but the LHS also takes in animals that might not be ready for a new home because of health or other reasons. These animals are kept in a restricted area of the LHS facility and cared for by trained staff. The goal is for these pets to be able to someday find new homes but that is not always possible in some cases.

       “We euthanize dogs and cats that are medically unable to get better,” Yarbrough said. “And we euthanize those that are behaviorally dangerous and will cause harm to another person. We have a certified behaviorist on staff so she makes assessments and we …  determine whether or not we can safely place them.”

        Though euthanizing some animals is a necessary part of operating an animal rescue, there are many success stories that encourage volunteers and employees to keep working.

        “Kersey (was) an elderly collie that needed a lot of medical attention,” Valania said. “The vet didn’t know if he was going to make it or not. But he’s doing great now and got adopted by (a family) with previous experience with collies. (They) saw him on our webpage and were very interested in him.”

         Over her seven years as executive director, Yarbrough has seen the heart of the people of Lynchburg as they open up their homes to the pets, especially the elderly ones.

         “I think that this community has really shown to be very compassionate,” Yarbrough said. “We pride ourselves in that we don’t judge animals based on age. We judge them based on their (personalities) and needs.”

         With many other successful adoption stories, the staff at the humane society work hard to ensure that adoptions go smoothly. This means properly vetting potential adopters, explaining the rigors of pet ownership and matching adopters with suitable pets.

        “We go through a very rigorous course so that (adopters) understand our policies and understand where we place in regards to the home environment,” Yarbrough said. “The main thing for us is to make sure the needs of the pet and the needs of the people are being met.”

        Hicks found the process relatively simple because of her work as a volunteer and desire to provide Gunner with a good home.

       “I filled out an application asking about my past experience with animals and what his living environment would be,” Hicks said. “I think it might have been more in-depth if they hadn’t known me, but since I volunteer there it was pretty easy. “

       Though the LHS is grateful for the donors that provided for the new facility, there are more financial hurdles to cross.

       “We always need food,” Valania said. “Also, treats, toys, blankets, towels, cleaning products, paper towels and we have a lot of events going on so we could use a lot of extra hands for that kind of thing,”

       One way the LHS raises money to help with upkeep is by running a retail shop called the Center for Pets. The new LHS building allowed the shop to have a physical location in the central hall as well as a page on Facebook.  Merchandise includes dog and cat care supplies, LHS apparel as well as animal toys and treats.

       The LHS still has hopes and goals for the future including raising its live release rate to 96 percent and strengthening community awareness. The LHS family of volunteers, donors, patrons and adopters work together in approaching these goals.

       “Adoptions are up about 30 percent over last year,” Yarbrough said. “It was the community that allowed us to do this and … we’re very thankful and humbled.”

       Though there is always room to grow, Yarbrough said the society is thankful for the opportunity it has to serve both the people and animals of the Lynchburg community.  The playful cat looked thankful too, as a family stepped inside the homey cat room, perhaps to offer the feline a new home.