VHS TO HOST “ISLAND OF MISFIT PETS” HOLIDAY ADOPTION EVENT WITH 50% OFF ALL FEES

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The VHS is hosting an adopt-a-thon on Friday & Saturday, December 14th & 15th. The goal is simple: to find homes for as many adoptable animals in the building as possible! The building will be decorated in a holiday Rudolph theme, hence the name “Island of Misfit Pets.”

All adoption fees for dogs, cats, and rabbits will be 50% off. (There will most likely not be puppies available.) The event will kick off at 12:00 pm on Friday, December 14th. All hands will be on deck for this event including all staff members and a host of volunteers. Adoption hours are 12:00-6:00 pm both days.

Without this event, each VHS shelter animal would spend Christmas Eve in a cage or small room. They will receive a few minutes of extra treats and pets, but ultimately the staff must turn off the lights and leave for the night. The staff and volunteers’ dream is to see those animals instead spend Christmas snuggled in a warm bed with humans who love them. Each one of them deserves that.

The VHS would like to reassure the public that all normal adoption procedures will still be in place.

  • All adopters must fill out an adoption application and provide a valid photo ID
  • VHS Adoption Counselors and/or volunteers help families to choose a pet that is an ideal match for their family based on ages and personalities of family members, living situations, financial situations, other pets in the home, and so on
  • Each adopter will sign a legal binding contract, as they always have, to care for the animal for its lifetime, provide it with veterinary care, and return it to VHS if they are ever unable to keep it
  • VHS has always and will continue to reserve the right to deny adoptions for any reason.
  • Those who have used our emergency food pantry within the past year are not permitted to adopt.

The fact of the matter is, VHS can never guarantee with 100% certainty that every animal is entering a permanent, loving home. Even if each animal cost 1 million dollars to adopt, someone who could afford
that fee is still perfectly capable of abusing that animal. All any animal welfare group can do is trust the internal controls they have in place, have conversations with adopters in order to make good matches, and have faith in the people that they are entrusting with their dear shelter pets’ lives. Media promotion for events like these attract families who simply may not have known where VHS was or who may have been considering adoption at other places.

Anyone age 18+ can adopt from the Vanderburgh Humane Society, including those who do not live in Vanderburgh County. If a person can make the trip to the facility and transport the animal back home with them, they can adopt no matter where they live. VHS has no residency requirements for adoption!

Please note that the VHS will be spaying/neutering as many animals as possible ahead of the event, but any newer animals who aren’t yet fixed must stay to have surgery before going home.

As of December 3rd at noon, VHS has more than 200 cats, 80 dogs, and 20 rabbits in their care. They regularly lose money on each adoption (an average of $100 per animal). An event like this will cost the shelter well over $10,000 in testing, vaccinations, spay/neuter surgeries, microchips, staff time, food, and lost adoption fees. The current focus is to seek business or individual donors to underwrite costs. Ultimately, VHS’ goal is to find homes for every animal in their care. But they must also keep the doors open so that they can continue to help more homeless animals long after the ones they have are gone. They cannot do events like these without financial support from the community.

The VHS implores those who cannot adopt, to sponsor an adoption instead. $130 pays for an adoption fee for one dog or up to threecats/rabbits. Those who wish to help us continue to save more lives can visit www.vhslifesaver.org/donate to make an easy, secure tax-deductible donation.

The Happy Tails Resale Shop will also be open 8:30 am – 3:00 pm on Saturday, December 15th. The public is encouraged to bring some extra money to shop and find some great deals! Cash, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover accepted.

There will be no Low-Cost Vaccine Clinic on Saturday, December 15th.

The VHS encourages the public that if they see an animal up for adoption that they like right now, not to wait until this event. No animals will be held for any reason before or during the event. Those who wish to adopt ahead of time and pay regular adoption fees will have a much larger selection and avoid the large crowds.

To arrange a live remote or photo opportunity, contact Amanda or Kendall at the information above.