Looking for that purrfect holiday project for your family, church group, school or office? If so, consider conducting a pet food drive for the Loudoun Pet Pantry (LLP).
All it takes for a pet to go hungry or be surrendered to a shelter is for their family to have an unexpected medical bill or a job loss. Therefore, in 2013, The Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC), Loudoun County Animal Services, and Loudoun Hunger Relief created the Loudoun Pet Pantry to help keep pets in their furever homes by providing food supplies to people in need.
And, the need is growing. Recently, HSLC doubled its food deliveries to better meet the increasing demand. So, we are in constant need of pet food donations.
As a result, we are hoping that compassionate folks across the community will help out by conducting their own pet food drives. You’ll find helpful ideas for getting started on our website.
No time for a food drive? Please consider dropping off a bag or two of dog or cat food at the many donation box locations across the county. Dry food must be unopened, unexpired, non-prescription adult food; we cannot use kitten, puppy, or senior food for the pet pantry. Because space is limited, we can only use bags of dry food between 4 and 8 pounds. However, we can use all sizes of canned food.
We also appreciate monetary donations as they allow us to fulfill any specific needs. And, if you donate through our website, please specify “Pet Pantry” in the dedication field.
Lastly, HSLC is looking for a new, donated or discounted, climate-controlled space for the growing Pet Pantry. Please contact helpanimals@humaneloudoun.org with any suggestions.
Join us to learn about the Humane Society of Loudoun County! We will have a presentation about our 501(c)3 organization and the ways that you can become involved with us. Mingle with other volunteers while enjoying light refreshments and receive detailed information about our programs.
Please email diane@humaneloudoun.org if you plan to attend. We look forward to meeting you!
Playtime (see video below)
Imagine being dumped on a country road to fend for yourself in unfamiliar surroundings.
Now, imagine you’re a 3-month old kitten who is totally blind. What are your odds of survival?
And so begins the story of Daredevil, an incredibly sweet and trusting kitten abandoned and left to die – just because he couldn’t see. Fortunately, a friend of a Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC) volunteer found Daredevil and he is now safe and sound with us.
His nonstop purring and fondness for snuggling tells us that he is grateful to be alive and in such caring hands—perhaps for the first time in his young life.
Daredevil isn’t going to see again and his ruptured eyes have already been surgically removed. Currently, he is being fostered by a caring vet assistant who works at Towne Animal Clinic.
Resting after surgery
It takes a village to save a kitten’s life. From the volunteers who rescue them from unthinkable situations to the foster parents who give them a loving home to the donors who help cover their various medical expenses. But, it’s all worth it when we can give a beautiful animal like Daredevil the happy ending he deserves.
Daredevil is looking for his forever home. Check out his video below and see if you can resist this adorable love-muffin!
The Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC) learned about 4-year-old Sophie through one of our contacts in Wise County, Virginia. They needed immediate transfer of dogs due to overcrowding at the Wise County Animal Shelter. Sophie had been surrendered simply because her former owners were moving. Our Animal Coordinator, Donna, and volunteer, Christina, were sitting at an adoption event when Donna mentioned the situation. Once Christina saw Sophie’s picture, she couldn’t say no.
Christina and her husband picked Sophie up on a sunny day in June from Towne Animal Clinic in Leesburg. She was super excited to see them and couldn’t stop wagging her tail. Sophie crashed out on their couch for the first couple of days then started to play with their dog, Max, and chew bones. She was super happy to sleep in the bed, cuddle, and give kisses. 
A couple of days after Christina began fostering Sophie, we found out Sophie tested positive for Lyme, roundworms, and hookworms. She was immediately put on medications to help with these issues. But Sophie started to have a tough time getting around after about a week on the medications. One morning, she couldn’t even get out of her dog bed to go potty outside. They immediately took her to Towne Animal Clinic where her medications were changed and they decided to keep her for a couple days. Sophie improved slowly but was very tired. After a couple weeks, she bounced back and was back to her normal, loving self. She again enjoyed going on long walks, binge watching Netflix, helping with dinner prep (i.e., eating extra food), and exploring in the woods.
When Sophie met her first potential adoption family, she knew it was meant to be. The family had two dogs – Buddha and George. Buddha and Sophie got along swimmingly on their first walk and she was okay with George, too. Sophie immediately took to their backyard, sniffing everywhere and trying to mow the grass with her teeth. After the second and third visits, both Sophie and her new parents knew it was a match. Sophie absolutely loves her new home and her two new adopted brothers. As foster parents, Christina and her husband miss her dearly, but are so happy she has found her forever home! 
You too can help dogs like Sophie by becoming a HSLC foster or adopting. For fostering information and/or to apply, visit FOSTERS NEEDED or email helpanimals@humaneloudoun.org. To view our adoptable animals visit our ADOPT page.
Anyone who has ever shared their home with kittens knows how unpredictable life can be. One or two kittens can turn your world upside down; so imagine juggling EIGHT of the little darlings
One of our intrepid fosters, Andi Apple-Robey, did just that. Eight little black kittens were rescued from a postal facility in Sterling in April. There were two litters, one about 7 weeks old and another 5 or 6 weeks old.
The “Clue” kittens are named after the characters from the board game, Clue. Andi used colored collars to tell the kittens apart and she started calling them by those colors. Clue is a murder mystery board game with suspects that have names like Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, etc., so it just seemed appropriate. Boddy is the name of the victim and Wadsworth is the butler.
Recently Andi had to handle some medical emergencies with kittens Mr. Peacock, Professor Plum, and Wadsworth.
The Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC) is dedicated to caring for all our animals as if they were our personal pets. This means providing the funds for whatever medical procedures are needed, sometimes causing budget overruns. But the safety and well-being of our animals are always our priority.
Here is how Andi explains what happened…
“About an hour after I brought the first of the kittens to be neutered (Messrs Peacock, Green and Boddy) home from Towne Animal Clinic, I was relaxing with some water and a snack of trail mix. Mr. Peacock stressed his incision, and was bleeding heavily (all over my kitchen!), so I immediately took him back to Towne. They fixed him right up, and when I got him home, I found Wadsworth and Plum with their faces in the now empty bowl that had held my trail mix! Since the trail mix had both raisins and chocolate in it, I had to immediately gather them up and go back to the vet with them! They tried to purge them, but the boys were stubborn and refused to vomit, and so they were transferred to The Life Center (TLC) ER for three days of IV fluids to try to flush their systems and prevent kidney damage (from the raisins, they weren’t as worried about the chocolate).
Since their blood work stayed stable during their time at TLC, Wadsworth and Plum were transferred BACK to Towne after just two days for Towne to perform their scheduled neuters and the third day of their IV fluid therapy. Once they were transferred and TLC was cleaning their cages, it was discovered Wadsworth likely had eaten part of his IV catheter. So not only did Towne have to finish his fluid therapy and perform his neuter, they had to X-ray him to see if he HAD eaten some of the hard plastic parts. Fortunately they didn’t find anything.”
We’re happy to report that the kittens are now healthy and happy. Only Mr Green is left waiting for his forever home.
Mr. Green is our adorable crossed eyed kitten. This challenges his eyesight but not his personality. He is a committed lap-cat and bed-time snuggler, with a little bit of a food thief thrown into the mix. He’ll sneak a piece of broccoli off your plate given half a chance! It’s a good thing he’s cute about it. Learn more on our adoption page.
With our coffers full of foster animals, the last few HSLC adoption events have been well attended by dozens of cats and kittens, all eagerly looking for their forever homes. But, our August 4th adoption event at Pet Valu in Ashburn was especially exciting.
Usually the adult cats get overlooked at adoption events when they are competing with so many kittens . 
But two adult cats, Rigley and Quill, were adopted together that day! They now live in a big house with kids to play with and two small dogs to “boss around”.
At the same event, three of our kittens found a home together (Turbo, Chopper, and Milo). We encourage adopters to consider adopting kittens in pairs so the animals have companionship and can play together instead of getting into mischief. Three together is even better!
“All three are doing well and playing nicely. They are all so loving and social, beyond our expectation”, reported adopter Margo. “To say these boys are being spoiled with love and attention is an understatement. After a long evening of play and exploration, the three climbed in human beds.”
Watch Turbo, Chopper, and Milo play at their new home:
Interested in adopting or know someone who is? Please visit our calendar for our next adoption event.
Thank you to everyone who completed our Pet Owner Survey earlier this summer. The results were doggone interesting!
Here are some fun findings:
• 69% of you have two or more pets and 71% of you have been pet owners for 16 years or more! Companionship is—by far—the number one reason you brought a pet into your home.
• Dog people (65%) outnumber cat people (63%) but only by a nose! And, let’s not forget about the folks with birds (2%), fish (4%), rabbits (4%) and other pets (10%).
• Only 29% of you leave the TV or other entertainment on for your pets, but a whopping 100% of you talk to them. Over two-thirds of you take photos or videos of your pets.
• Most pets sleep in or on a bed – either their own or a human bed. Only 8% of pets sleep outside.
• Two-thirds of you met your pet through an adoption event or at a rescue center. You considered a variety of factors when choosing a pet:
If you are thinking about adopting an animal, please visit our website to learn more about the many animals looking for their forever homes.
The Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Neal Donahue as Treasurer and Anne Senft to our Board of Directors. The two newest members of the board will support HSLC in its mission to partner with the Loudoun community to save as many animals as possible.
Neal Donahue, newly appointed Treasurer, obtained a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He previously was a member of the non-profit team of a large regional accounting firm and also spent 14 years as the CFO of a non-profit. He is currently the Partner in Charge of Business Clients for Crowe Donahue PLLC, a public accounting firm in Ashburn, Virginia.
“It resonated with my wife and I that the two dogs we adopted during our 33 years of marriage have been the most loving and thankful animals we’ve encountered,” Mr. Donahue says. “That alone made it important for me to be a part of the Humane Society of Loudoun County.” He and his wife Lynn have resided in Ashburn since 1995 where they raised their two sons and currently reside with their two Australian Cattle dogs, Riley and Gauge.
New Officer Anne Senft began volunteering with HSLC in 2017, helping with online and direct mail fundraising campaigns. She has worked for Avalon Consulting since 2015 and has 24 years of direct response industry experience. Prior to Avalon, she spent 12 years with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) in several capacities, including Vice President of Philanthropy.
Regarding her volunteer work with HSLC, Ms. Senft says, “The significant impact this all-volunteer organization has made in the Loudoun community reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Margaret Mead: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’ I want to be a part of this change.” Anne lives in Sterling, Virginia with her husband, Tom, who also volunteers for HSLC. They have two cats, Sweet Pea and Mr. Fat Cat.
“HSLC is thrilled to add two such impressive and dedicated people to our Board,” states HSLC President Juanita Easton. “We look forward to their contributions to our mission.” Terms of service for the new Board members will run for two years.
HSLC is currently seeking volunteers to fill other positions on the Board, including one for a veterinarian and one for an attorney. HSLC also welcomes volunteers seeking to make a difference for animals through the variety of programs offered. More information about opportunities to volunteer is available on the HSLC website.
The Humane Society of Loudoun County invites you to an afternoon filled with music, food and fun… Fundraising that is at Black Walnut Brewery.
Some of the activities include…
– Live Music by Todd Brooks and Pour Decisions
– Food by Sisko’s Smokehouse
– Desserts by Nothing Bundt Cakes
– Beer by Black Walnut Brewery
– Wine by North Gate Vineyard
– Face Painting and Balloons by Fab FX
– Raffle Baskets
– Children’s Games
– Hourly Door Prize Drawings
And more…….
Your ticket purchase includes giveaways from the sponsors, HSLC’s Tails and Ales glass for adults / cup for the children, door prize entry, and drink specials. When you purchase a ticket ahead of time, you will receive an extra door prize entry! Purchase tickets by using this link: 2018 HSLC Tails and Ales Tickets
Check out our awesome sponsors and donors below:
Sponsors:
Donations received from:
Calling all cat lovers! Celebrate all things cat at the library by making kitty crafts, sharing your favorite cat videos, and of course talking about your favorite felines. The Humane Society of Loudoun County will have kittens and cats for you to meet, fall in love with, and adopt.
Check out the event on FaceBook to see more infomation.
To sign up to Volunteer and/or bring your Foster – click on the following link or copy the link into a new browser window: Sat. Sept. 22nd Volunteer and Foster Sign Up