Vanderburgh Humane Society, Inc. 5.32

The Vanderburgh Humane Society, Inc. (VHS), a tax exempt, 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1957 to provide protection for homeless animals, intervention for animals in abusive environments, and community education to encourage prevention of animal abuse and pet overpopulation. The VHS receives no tax-based funding whatsoever and we are not affiliated in any way with the Humane Society of the United States. Therefore, we depend solely on the generosity of the corporate community and the public at large to continue, and hopefully expand, the much-needed services we offer.

Located in Evansville, Indiana, we serve as a surrender and adoption agency for unwanted pets. In addition to finding homes for animals, the VHS also works to build public awareness of the problem of homeless and abandoned pets. Through special events, media coverage, and other outreach activities we hope to reduce the flow of animals to our shelter. We are a founding member of EPAW, the Evansville Partnership for Animal Welfare, launched in 2013.

We take in animals by appointment only to ensure that our staff has adequate time to examine each animal that comes through the doors. We reserve the right to completely or partially close our intakes department if we reach full capacity or in times of financial strain. In the rare event that this occurs, please bear in mind that all animals must be taken to Animal Control or to another organization who might have room. **Please note that we CANNOT legally go to pick up stray animals or investigate animal cruelty issues. These concerns MUST be addressed by Evansville Animal Care & Control (EACC). Please call 435-6015 during EACC business hours or 911 after hours to have an Animal Control officer dispatched.**

Upon intake, our animals receive a thorough examination and are tested for various diseases to determine their adoptability. Cats are tested for FIV and feline leukemia; dogs over 6 months of age are tested for heartworm. Dogs are tested for temperament, and are given a score of Green, Yellow, or Orange determining what types of home environments they can or cannot be adopted into.

Dogs are put up for adoption in one of three kennels based on their size and age: Dog A, Dog B, or Puppy/Small Dog Adoption.

Cats are placed up for adoption in one of two lobby "Cat Condo" areas based on gender and age, OR in the Cageless Cat Lounge! Our "Cat Sea" is our pride & joy. This lively under-the-sea-themed room holds up to 50 female and neutered male cats over six months of age, allowing them to roam freely and socialize with other cats. The cats in this room share litterboxes, food, water, space, and attention with multiple other cats, making them more adoptable to multi-cat homes.

In the center of our adoption area, we have a Small Animal Room housing any available rabbits or rodents. We routinely have rabbits available, and at times we also get rats, mice, ferrets, guinea pigs, gerbils, and hamsters. On occasion, we also receive reptiles, amphibians, birds, pigs, and other animals to put up for adoption.

The VHS is not a full-service vet clinic offering veterinary services to the public. We do, however, have a full-time veterinarian on staff to perform surgeries for our Low-Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic and to care for shelter animals. Our vet personally checks each and every animal multiple times throughout their stay with us, and prescribes medications & treatment accordingly.

Our adoption fees for dogs & cats always include:
- spay/neuter surgery
- nationally-registered microchip if your pet is ever lost
- up-to-date vaccinations
- flea treatment & ear cleaning as needed
- first de-worming
- heartworm testing (for dogs 6 months and older) or FIV/feline leukemia testing (for cats)
- ID tag
- collar (for dogs) or cardboard carrier (for cats)
- goody bag
- sample bag of Pro Pac to help you transition your new friend to food of your choice
- 30 days of free Shelter Care Pet Insurance (email address required)

Our public services include:
- Low-Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic for dogs, cats, and rabbits
- Low-Cost Vaccine Clinic on Saturday mornings for dogs & cats
- "Pit Stop" program, which provides free spay/neuter to pitbulls & pitbull mixes belonging to Vanderburgh County residents
- 2013/2014 "Cat Snip in Your Zip" program, which provided free spay/neuter services for cats living in a certain zip code (has now ended)
- Emergency Pet Food Assistance for needy families on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month from 12-3 in our Surrenders lobby
- Safe Pets program, giving animals belonging to domestic violence victims a temporary place to stay while their owners work with local women's shelters until their living situation is stable enough to reclaim their pet(s)
- Senior Pets program, waiving adoption fees for senior pets (8 years+) to senior citizens (70 years+)
- educational programs for local schools, daycares, and church groups (please call the shelter for details)
- Lost & found database
- Humane trap rental ($60 deposit required) for trap-neuter-release of feral cats (surgery costs of $50 for females, $30 for males)

Please visit our shelter Tuesday through Saturday from 12-6 to view our animals! Donate at the shelter, via credit card over the phone at (812) 426-2563, by texting "VHS" to 20222 (std. data & msg rates apply) or online at www.vhslifesaver.org!