If you've been considering adding a furry family member to your home, three Evansville shelters will be waiving adoption fees for a short time.

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Animal Shelters Need Help

Recently Axios released a startling statistic that due to overcrowding at shelters across the country, euthanasia rates have reached a 3-year high. While this statistic is incredibly sad, it is unfortunately the reality that overcrowded animal shelters are dealing with.  The article from Axios dives into the reasons behind the overwhelming influx of pets that shelters are seeing, and there are several contributing factors.

Animal shelters are overrun with stray or owner-surrendered pets this year, leading to spiking post-pandemic euthanasia rates across the country.

Why it matters: Animal intakes at both public and private shelters across the country are expected to reach a 3-year high this year, and adoptions or returns to owners are not keeping pace, according to the Shelter Animals Count database (SAC).

• About 51,000 dogs were euthanized from January to July 2023, a 37% increase from that same period in 2022, according to data submitted by organizations that report to SAC.

Adopt a Hoosier Shelter Pet Week

To help Indiana shelters out, the Indiana Coalition of Animal Welfare Professionals has designated the week of November 5th through 12th as Adopt a Hoosier Shelter Pet Week.  During this week 22 shelters across the state will offer free or reduced adoption fees.

This event includes three shelters in Evansville:

Vanderburgh Humane Society (VHS) (www.vhslifesaver.org)

Evansville Animal Care & Control (www.24petconnect.com)

It Takes a Village Rescue (www.itvrescue.org)

During Adopt a Hoosier Shelter Pet week, the VHS and Evansville Animal Care & Control will be offering FREE adoptions for ALL dogs, cats, and kittens.  It Takes a Village will also be offering FREE adoptions on cats over 1 year, and will drop their dog adoption fee to $100 for this week.

This event is a great way to add a fully vetted furry family member to your home for free or at a great discount.

A Community Problem that Requires a Community Solution

A press release on this event states the importance of Adopt a Hoosier Shelter Pet Week and the community rallying behind our local shelters:

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.”