Who We Are
The Virginia Federation of Humane Societies (VFHS) provides progressive leadership, advocacy, resources and support to individuals and organizations committed to improving animal welfare and addressing the issues of animal abuse, neglect, and homelessness in the Commonwealth.
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​The VFHS is the oldest and largest membership organization for animal welfare organizations and professionals in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Our 250+ members include municipal animal shelters, private shelters, animal control officers, law enforcement, rescues, animal welfare professionals, and compassionate individuals throughout Virginia.
Our Work
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Across Virginia, animal welfare organizations are working every day to meet complex and urgent needs: caring for homeless animals, supporting pet owners, responding to cruelty and neglect, managing limited resources, and finding new ways to save more lives. The VFHS exists to strengthen that work. As a statewide federation, we bring organizations and professionals together, expand access to practical resources, support lifesaving programs, and help ensure that the animal welfare community has a strong, informed voice.
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Our programs are designed to address some of the most pressing needs facing shelters, rescues, animal control agencies, and the communities they serve. Through High Five VA, the VFHS helps shelters, rescues, and other animal welfare organizations work together to move healthy and treatable animals from communities with limited placement options to areas where they have a greater chance of adoption. We also know that long-term lifesaving also depends on preventing unnecessary shelter intake before it begins. Through Spay VA, we work to increase access to affordable spay/neuter services for owned pets, rescue animals, and community cats, helping reduce future homelessness and easing pressure on shelters and rescues across the state.
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The VFHS invests in education and professional development for the people doing this work every day. Each year, we host a multi-day annual conference featuring expert speakers, practical training, and opportunities for members to build meaningful partnerships with other industry leaders. In addition, we offer monthly educational webinars, often eligible for continuing education credit, so animal welfare professionals and volunteers can stay informed on current issues, best practices, and emerging challenges.
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Beyond training and program support, we help connect member organizations with resources that can make a direct difference in their day-to-day operations. Through our partnership with Gleaning for the World, we help provide pet food to member organizations at a steep discount, making it easier for groups to support the animals in their care.
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The VFHS also serves as a collective voice for animal welfare at the legislative level. Through our legislative committee, a dedicated group of animal welfare professionals who volunteer their time and expertise, we monitor animal-related legislation, work with partners and policymakers, and advocate for practical, humane policies in Richmond. This work helps ensure that the experience of Virginia’s shelters, rescues, animal control agencies, and animal welfare professionals is represented in conversations that affect animals and the communities that care for them. You can learn more about advocacy efforts through the VFHS here.
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Together, our programs reflect a shared commitment to supporting the people behind animal welfare: helping them save lives, prevent suffering, strengthen their organizations, and build a more connected and effective animal welfare community across Virginia.
Our History
The Virginia Federation of Humane Societies was organized in 1959 by Pearl Rainwater Twyne, a visionary and determined animal welfare advocate whose work helped shape humane efforts in Virginia and beyond. Twyne was born in Joplin, Missouri, and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1921. She began her career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where she worked for 30 years before retiring.
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Pearl Twyne’s commitment to animals was lifelong and far-reaching. In 1944, she founded the Animal Welfare League of Arlington and served as its president until 1967. She also helped establish the Humane Society of Fairfax County and the American Horse Protection Association, served as a regional chapter president for Defenders of Wildlife, and wrote about horse protection for the Animal Welfare Institute anthology Animals and Their Legal Rights. She was appointed to a presidential panel studying the status of wild horses, whose recommendations contributed to the passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.
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A longtime friend and colleague once described Twyne simply: “She made things happen.” That spirit was evident throughout her life, from founding successful organizations to bringing public attention to animal welfare issues that had long gone overlooked. Her experience working with animal welfare groups in Northern Virginia inspired her to create a statewide organization that could bring animal-related agencies together around shared goals.
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What began with participation from the Northern Virginia and Tidewater regions soon grew to include organizations and advocates across much of the Commonwealth, and has continued to grow over the many years since. The objectives established at VFHS’s founding remain central to our work today: providing leadership, support, and connection for organizations across Virginia so that, together, we can improve the care and protection of animals.
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More than six decades later, The VFHS continues to carry forward Pearl Rainwater Twyne’s legacy as a leader, convener, and advocate for Virginia’s animal welfare community.