Make time in the holiday bustle to help pets in need

I know I am not alone when I say holiday time always feels busy and stressful. 

The normal day-to-day stress of balancing work and home is already difficult and when you pile on the duties of the holidays it becomes even worse. 

But this year I am making the choice to do things differently. I challenge everyone to do the same.  I have decided to slow down and not get wrapped up in the chaos of the holidays but instead get wrapped up in the true message of this time of year — family, love and life.

The Lynchburg Humane Society and most shelters in the area are seeing more animals in need of our services and less money coming in due to the economy. 

Our Home 4 the Holiday promotion serves to encourage the community to help pets find homes before the end of the year.  This is the perfect time to bring home a new pet through adoption or foster care. 

Even though the idea of putting one more thing on your plate — like a new pet in your home — might seem crazy, remember life is messy; love is messy. We’ve all heard pets have been proven to reduce stress.  Treasured memories are created by events involving other people and creatures that touch our lives. 

So let us slow down and decide to change our lives and the lives of pets in need.

The shelters in the Lynchburg area are filled with wonderful animals. The only thing they want is a place where they can receive attention, love and proper care. 

Let me tell you about 7-year-old Allie.  She is a shepherd/hound mix.  Her life so far has been out on a chain in a backyard, neglected and obviously injured by her previous owner.  

She looks battered with the harsh reality of being ignored.  Allie still is unsure what positive attention is but she likes it. She gives little quick kisses on your hand in appreciation when you pet her. She still flinches when you reach out to stroke her head, anticipating a smack instead. She needs minor medical attention for conditions that have gone untreated. 

What really gets me is that shelter — which is no place for any dog or cat — is probably the best place she has lived. We are all she has. But Allie deserves more: she deserves a warm loving home and the good news is she will get one. 

As sad as her past is, Allie is now focused on the future and what life still holds for her.

For every Allie you will find ten other dogs and cats that are happy, healthy and ready to go home.

Not every shelter animal is a project. Many are pets who lived in comfortable homes and are now in need of new ones. Or they’re puppies and kittens who simply started off life in the wrong place. You name the breed, we have had it come through our doors. 

So don’t buy a pet for your family. Adopt or foster and bring home the true message of this season: love and life.  Slow down and experience what giving is all about.

Happy holidays and thank you so much for your support this year. We are close to becoming a No Kill community.

With every adoption or foster, we are one step closer.