The Vanderburgh Humane Society is gearing up for another lifesaving transport to a partner shelter in Chicago. 13 dogs and 21 cats will be hitting the road early on Tuesday morning, May 5th around 6:30 am, headed to Animal House Shelter in Huntley, IL who has been a VHS transport partner for years. 2 staff and 2 volunteers will be driving them.
Chicago, Illinois has had huge success in reducing pet overpopulation in the area thanks to targeted spay/neuter programs. They saw a 69% reduction in the number of euthanized animals from 1997 to 2010 and the number has continued to decrease dramatically in recent years, according to PAWS Chicago, one of many animal welfare organizations that offers low-cost spay & neuter. Additionally, Chicago is a large city with many high-rise apartment buildings. That increases the “demand†for cats in particular. Those factors coupled with a larger population in general means that there is a much larger pool of adopters in the Chicago area.
Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in mass numbers of people working from home and/or being laid off from their jobs. Therefore more people than ever before are adopting or fostering pets during this crisis. Many shelters (including the VHS) have much lower populations of animals than normal.
The VHS encourages the public to remember that more than 2,500 animals pass through the shelter’s doors each year. They are not funded in any way by taxes or funding from national organizations. The VHS depends solely and completely on the generosity of the community to survive and continue its lifesaving programs. Donate at www.vhslifesaver.org/donate to help underwrite the costs of this transport and support the care of the animals remaining at the shelter.
