RIVER KITTY CAT CAFÉ CELEBRATES THEIR 300^TH ADOPTION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE VANDERBURGH HUMANE SOCIETY

 (Evansville, IN – July 5, 2019) – River Kitty Cat Café has reached their 300^th cat adoption just shy of their 2-year anniversary on Main Street in downtown Evansville, Indiana!

River Kitty opened on July 14^th, 2017. The Vanderburgh Humane Society was their selected cat adoption partner and assisted the owners every step of the way in planning design, procedures, and safety with regard to the shelter cats in their establishment. Their initial goal was 10 adoptions per month. They have surpassed that goal nearly every month since they opened. Even in June of 2019 alone they facilitated 17 adoptions!

The 300^th adoption has been processed. A young orange & white kitten named Morley will go home with his new family today. Morley was originally surrendered to the VHS in May, along with his mother Brynn, who is still currently up for adoption. Brynn & Morley came from a home with a multitude of other cats, and their owner simply got overwhelmed and had to surrender many of them. Now, Morley is looking forward to life with his new mom Brea Reynolds from Bicknell, IN!

Adult cats are one of the most difficult populations of animals that the VHS adopts out. Plus, this time of year, the shelter is inundated with kittens. Felines are so susceptible to stress-related illness or behavior problems in the shelter setting. River Kitty provides a serene, reduced-stress environment for anywhere from 10-15 of our adoptable cats (and sometimes kittens) while they wait on new families. They have done a fantastic job with their space and their brand, which ultimately benefits the VHS cat population in a big way. The VHS team is so thankful for River Kitty’s role as a feline satellite adoption center for the Tri-State. Owners Annette and Nancy, along with their team, have risen to the occasion with gusto.

The VHS takes in approximately 1700-1800 cats each year. Most of them find loving homes. But in 2015 and 2016, approximately 40-60 adult cats were euthanized for either a lack of space or minor behavioral problems that the shelter was not able to devote resources to addressing. Every year the live release rate improves, but there are almost always some cats who fall through the cats simply because there are so many cats and not enough cage space and adopters to save them all. In 2017, that number dropped below 30 cats, and River Kitty was only open for the second half of that year. Then in 2018, for the first time in our organization’s history, the VHS did not have to euthanize any cats for lack of space. River Kitty’s outstanding success has been the missing piece to help close that gap between life and death for adult VHS cats. Their business has significantly lifted the burden that constantly hangs over VHS staff and volunteers during “kitten season” every year: “Where in the world are we going to put all these cats?” 2019 is on track to yield even better proportions of live outcomes for cats than ever before. And they show no sign of slowing down.

On Friday, July 5^th, Morley’s new family will be picking him up at 4:00 pm and the media is invited. For interviews or photo opportunities ahead of time, please contact Amanda at the information above.

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Reitz High School by Pat Sides

These young, smiling women are students at Reitz High School on Evansville’s west side. They are posing on the large “R” that has been embedded in the school’s famous hill for decades, at least since the 1940s,

when this photo was captured. Reitz celebrated the centennial of its opening in 1918, when a rapidly growing population on the city’s “West End” prompted the construction of Evansville’s second high school.

Until then, Evansville High School (renamed Central High School after Reitz opened) was the only secondary school serving the area. Several major expansions and renovations to Reitz have occurred over the decades, and today it is the city’s oldest high school still operating in its original location.

7-1-19 TO 7-5-19

 Finnerty Wins Gold on Second Day of World University Games

 NAPLES, Italy – Indiana University postgraduate swimmer Ian Finnerty continued to break records on the second day of the 2019 World University Games in Naples, Italy on Friday.

Finnerty took home the gold in the 100 breaststroke for Team USA, breaking his own meet record he set on Thursday with a time of 59.49. Finnerty’s mark is the 14^th-best in the world this year and he remains the second-fastest American in the event in 2019.

In the Championship Final of the men’s 100 backstroke, Team Brazil’s and current Hoosier Gabriel Fantoni placed eighth overall with a time of 54.83.

Postgrad Team Canada swimmer Kennedy Goss placed seventh in the Championship Final of the women’s 200 backstroke, touching with a time of 2:12.00.

Zach Apple, another Hoosier postgrad, continued his great start in Naples, qualifying second overall for Saturday’s Championship Final of the men’s 200 freestyle with a time of 1:47.76. Apple won gold with Team USA on Thursday in the 4×100 free relay.

Incoming Hoosier freshman Emily Weiss had a great showing in the semifinals of the women’s 100 breast, qualifying fourth overall for Saturday’s Championship Final with a time of 1:07.78.

Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.