I have to be honest; I was appalled by the news last week that Evansville Animal Care and Control (ACC) was full, and the staff was faced with the agonizing decision to possibly euthanize dogs. What an agonizing thought for the ACC staff, it’s an option that nobody wants to use. Fortunately, several local shelters were able to find room to take in some of the dogs from ACC.
“Euthanize” is just the polite way to say “killing dogs”
Nobody wants to admit it, but killing these beautiful animals is sometimes seen as the answer to overcrowding at Animal Care and Control. It’s a lousy way of addressing the problem, and it is the absolute last resort, but it still happens.
The death sentence for the dog is not because of anything that the canine did; it is a crisis of human making. People neglect to spay or neuter their pets, which leads to overpopulation. People adopt a pet and, for a variety of reasons, find themselves unable to care for them anymore. In worst-case scenarios, people neglect or abuse the animals, forcing ACC to take them. Yet we punish the animal for the sins of man.
Saving animal lives
The Evansville area has a network of no-kill shelters that do all they can with limited resources to save lives. These nonprofit shelters rely on donations to house and care for the animals that need shelter.
Each of the shelters has volunteers who not only help at the shelter but also open their hearts to provide a short-term foster home. Caring for dogs, cats, and other pets at the shelter or in a foster home is not the goal. The real goal is to have a loving family decide that one of these animals would be a good fit in their home.
Every Friday, Friends of Evansville Animal Control posts pictures of dogs that are in ACC and an alert about how close to full the center is. City-County Observer recently started reposting the pictures on Saturday mornings in hopes that as you scroll through the photos, you will see a dog that you can fall in love with.
We’re going a step further by helping fund adoptions or reclaimed pet fees.
On Wednesday night (1/15) the mayor will host a Town Hall meeting on the subject. The Town Hall meeting will take place at the CK Newsome Center from 5:30-6:30. During the meeting, a panel of representatives from Animal Care & Control, the Vanderburgh Humane Society, PAAWS, Project ARF, and It Takes a Village will speak about how Evansville is addressing the national issue of overcrowded animal shelters and how their organizations are partnering to do so. Lynn Miller Pease, executive director of Leadership Everyone, will serve as facilitator for the discussion.
After their discussion, they will take questions from the public.
Our rescue story
About three years ago, Jill and I decided that our neurotic little poodle needed some companionship. Jill went to a local no-kill shelter and called me when she found “the one.” When I arrived at the shelter, I was informed that the dog was very standoffish with men, and they weren’t sure how long she wandered the streets before being brought in. She was about four times the size of our little poodle. As soon as I walked in, she went to the far side of the room and pressed as close to the wall as possible. She had no desire to interact with me and we sat in the room for the next thirty minutes trying to convince her that I’m not such a bad guy.
After Ellie came home with us, she gradually 
decreased the amount of space she needed to have between her and me. Now, Ellie is an amazing, loving pet. Despite her size, she sees herself as a lap dog and frequently jumps up on my lap, pushing the computer out of her way and rolls on her back to beg for a belly rub.
Jill and I couldn’t imagine our lives without Ellie staring at us with her almost human eyes. That trip to the shelter was life-changing.
I highly encourage you to visit ACC or one of the shelters below. Bring some four-legged joy into your home.
It Takes a Village No-Kill Rescue
Evansville Animal Care and Control
815 E Uhlhorn Street Evansville
10am to 5pm
Monday through Saturday
