The Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, Inc, founded in 1959 by Pearl R. Twyne, has been a leader of the animal welfare movement in Virginia.

The organization's general objectives include:

1. To act as an advisor to new societies formed in the state of Virginia for the purpose of fostering humane treatment of animals and preventing cruelty to animals;
2. To take action under the existing laws of the state of Virginia to prevent cruelty to animals;
3. To study existing or proposed laws for the protection of animals and the prevention of cruelty to animals, for purposes of informing and educating the membership;
4. To alert member societies and the general public to animal welfare conditions within the Commonwealth and to foster humane attitudes through education and public relations activities with public officials and private citizens of Virginia;
5. To assist, by every legitimate means, any member society with solving a specific animal welfare problem when possible and practical;
6. To strengthen small societies by combining the effort of all member societies toward the goal of constant improvement in the field of animal welfare; and
7. To work toward elimination of cruelty to animals within the state of Virginia.