Animal lovers and artisans came together at the Lynchburg Humane Society Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. where vendors served baked goods, drinks, ceramics, jewelry, animal accessories, paintings and more.
Animal lovers looking to expand their families were able to view the pets up for adoption as well as spend time with these furry friends.
Inside of the humane society, the halls were decorated for fall festivities during the event. Vendors sold a variety of artisan work with some donating proceeds to the humane society.
The humane society houses all kinds of animals, including dogs, cats, birds and more. While a few animals were already in the process of adoption or in rehabilitation under the care of staff, many animals were available for the public to adopt.
During the Fall Fest, the Lynchburg Humane Society offered a discount on adoption fees so visitors could adopt a pet for only $50. There was an added $10 discount if attendees brought in a canned food item for the Lynchburg Daily Bread, a local food bank.
This price incentive, plus the added attraction of the Fall Fest, brought in many prospective adoptive pet parents.
Ash McNaney is an employee of the Lynchburg Humane Society, and she said this event holds many benefits for animal adoption.
“(This helps) … more foot traffic coming in, getting the dogs more socialized, being able to meet more people, it’s just great for everybody,” McNaney said.
Visitors took advantage of the opportunity to spend time cuddling with kittens and dogs that were up for adoption.
The event created a strong sense of community as strangers shared moments of laughter while playing with the animals and local artisans shared their work with attendees.
“I definitely feel like it’s (this space) bringing people closer together,” McNaney said.
According to McNaney, it is important for local artisans to come together.
“Getting to know our local artists and small businesses is really important too,” McNaney said. “Since the pandemic, people don’t get out as much. It’s really nice being able to come together and just enjoy different people’s hard work.”
The Lynchburg Humane Society is an important part of the local Lynchburg community and holds many events similar to this one. For more information, visit www.lynchburghumane.org/events/list.
Farwell is an off-campus news reporter for the Liberty Champion.