Governor Holcomb and ICAP (Indiana Coalition of Animal Welfare Professionals) designate November “Hoosier Adopt A Shelter Pet Month” with
The Indiana Coalition of Animal Welfare Professionals alongside dozens of shelters and rescue organizations across the State of Indiana are coming together to designate November 2024 “Hoosier Adopt a Shelter Pet Month,” to bring awareness to the growing public problem of pet homelessness and the crisis shelters and rescues are facing. Indiana shelters and rescuers collaboratively call on the community to act now to adopt, foster, donate, and/or volunteer during Hoosier Adopt a Shelter Pet Month to help alleviate this crisis and reverse the monumental steps taken back in saving the lives of homeless pets.
The following 4 local organizations will be participating during their normal business hours with reduced adoption fees or incentives:
1. Vanderburgh Humane Society (VHS) (www.vhslifesaver.org) and River Kitty Cat Cafe
The VHS is “In Our Adoption Era,” offering $50 adoptions for all dogs, cats, kittens, and rabbits from November 8th-16th with an Eras Tour theme. (The launch of this event also coincides with the VHS thrift store, Happy Tails Resale Shop’s 10th anniversary storewide sale on November 8th & 9th. A separate press release sent out on Monday covers that event.) Dog & rabbit adoptions will take place at the VHS facility, and cat/kitten adoptions will take place exclusively at River Kitty Cat Café in Downtown Evansville. Adopters will receive free goodies & entry to win a prize. Please note that cat adoptions are NOT suspended completely… they will be taking place at River Kitty Cat Café exclusively.
2. It Takes a Village It Takes a Village Rescue (www.itvrescue.org)
ITV will be offering “Spin the Wheel” adoption discounts for all pets over 1 year old from November 12th-16th. Their theme is “Thanks-Fur My New Home (Thanksgiving theme)” and all new adoptions will receive a fur-friendly prize. Adoptions will take place at the Evansville location on Stockwell Road only.
3. PAAWS (Proving Animals Are Worth Saving (http://www.paaws.org)
PAAWS is a foster-based rescue and will have pets available at the Evansville PetSmart on Saturday, November 9th. They will offer half-off adoption fees and a free day of doggie daycare for all adopters.
4. Evansville Animal Care & Control (https://www.evansvillegov.
Adopters at Evansville Animal Care & Control will be entered to win a prize basket!
Shelters and rescue groups are experiencing an overwhelming number of animals entering the system. The increased intake of animals and the reduction in adoptions is being driven by inflation, rising costs of food and supplies, the lack of affordable pet inclusive housing, and scarcity of veterinary resources. As a result, shelters are overburdened, over their capacity for care, and healthy pets are being euthanized for space. This is dangerously reversing decades of work to save the lives of healthy, adoptable pets.
According to Shelter Animals Count (SAC), the most trusted and current source for animal sheltering data, alarming trends are emerging in which more dogs are entering the shelters than leaving, less are leaving with a live outcome, and shelter length of stay has tripled.
“The crisis shelters are facing does not originate within the shelters,” said Stephanie Filer, Executive Director of Shelter Animals Count. “Shelters need help now more than ever. This is a community problem that requires a community solution.”
Community problems require all stakeholders to collaborate and collectively solve for improved quality of life. Building humane communities where healthy, adoptable pets are not euthanized, but adopted into loving homes is the preference of our society. In this time of crisis, we need the community now more than ever to open their hearts and homes to a shelter pet in need so we can ensure we are on the pathway to preserving those humane communities across the State of Indiana.
Organizations’ adoption hours:
Vanderburgh Humane Society
400 Millner Industrial Drive, Evansville, IN 47710
Tuesday-Saturday 12-6 pm
Closed Sundays & Mondays
River Kitty Cat Café (VHS satellite location)
226 Main Street, Evansville, IN 47708
Monday-Thursday 10 am -6 pm
Friday 10 am – 6 pm
Saturday 9 am – 6 pm
Sunday 11 am – 4 pm
It Takes a Village Evansville location:
1417 Stockwell Road, Evansville, IN 47715
Tuesday - 12 - 5 pm
Wednesday - 12 - 7 pm
Thursday - 12 - 5 pm
Friday - 12 - 9 pm
Saturday - 12 - 9 pm
Closed Sundays & Mondays
PAAWS (foster-based)
Will have adoptable pets at the Evansville PetSmart on Burkhardt Road
Saturday, November 9th from 11 am – 3 pm
Evansville Animal Care & Control
815 Uhlhorn Street, Evansville, IN 47715
Monday-Saturday 10 am – 5 pm