Vanderburgh Humane Society, Inc.

400 Millner Industrial Drive
Evansville, IN 47710

Adoption hours:
Tuesday-Saturday 12-6
(812) 426-2563

Founded 1957. Alter. Adopt. Adore.

The Vanderburgh Humane Society, Inc. is leading our community to eliminate pet overpopulation through Spay/Neuter, Adoption, and Humane Education.

The Vanderburgh Humane Society, Inc. (VHS), a tax exempt, 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1957 to provide protection for homeless animals, intervention for animals in abusive environments, and community education to encourage prevention of animal abuse and pet overpopulation. The VHS receives no tax-based funding whatsoever and we are not affiliated in any way with the Humane Society of the United States. Therefore, we depend solely on the generosity of the corporate community and the public at large to continue, and hopefully expand, the much-needed services we offer.

Located in Evansville, Indiana, we serve as a surrender and adoption agency for unwanted pets. In addition to finding homes for animals, the VHS also works to build public awareness of the problem of homeless and abandoned pets. Through special events, media coverage, and other outreach activities we hope to reduce the flow of animals to our shelter. We are a founding member of EPAW, the Evansville Partnership for Animal Welfare, launched in 2013.

We take in animals by appointment only to ensure that our staff has adequate time to examine each animal that comes through the doors. We reserve the right to completely or partially close our intakes department if we reach full capacity or in times of financial strain. In the rare event that this occurs, please bear in mind that all animals must be taken to Animal Control or to another organization who might have room. **Please note that we CANNOT legally go to pick up stray animals or investigate animal cruelty issues. These concerns MUST be addressed by Evansville Animal Care & Control (EACC). Please call 435-6015 during EACC business hours or 911 after hours to have an Animal Control officer dispatched.**

Upon intake, our animals receive a thorough examination and are tested for various diseases to determine their adoptability. Cats are tested for FIV and feline leukemia; dogs over 6 months of age are tested for heartworm. Dogs are tested for temperament, and are given a score of Green, Yellow, or Orange determining what types of home environments they can or cannot be adopted into.

Dogs are put up for adoption in one of three kennels based on their size and age: Dog A, Dog B, or Puppy/Small Dog Adoption.

Cats are placed up for adoption in one of two lobby "Cat Condo" areas based on gender and age, OR in the Cageless Cat Lounge! Our "Cat Sea" is our pride & joy. This lively under-the-sea-themed room holds up to 50 female and neutered male cats over six months of age, allowing them to roam freely and socialize with other cats. The cats in this room share litterboxes, food, water, space, and attention with multiple other cats, making them more adoptable to multi-cat homes.

In the center of our adoption area, we have a Small Animal Room housing any available rabbits or rodents. We routinely have rabbits available, and at times we also get rats, mice, ferrets, guinea pigs, gerbils, and hamsters. On occasion, we also receive reptiles, amphibians, birds, pigs, and other animals to put up for adoption.

The VHS is not a full-service vet clinic offering veterinary services to the public. We do, however, have a full-time veterinarian on staff to perform surgeries for our Low-Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic and to care for shelter animals. Our vet personally checks each and every animal multiple times throughout their stay with us, and prescribes medications & treatment accordingly.

Our adoption fees for dogs & cats always include:
- spay/neuter surgery
- nationally-registered microchip if your pet is ever lost
- up-to-date vaccinations
- flea treatment & ear cleaning as needed
- first de-worming
- heartworm testing (for dogs 6 months and older) or FIV/feline leukemia testing (for cats)
- ID tag
- collar (for dogs) or cardboard carrier (for cats)
- goody bag
- sample bag of Pro Pac to help you transition your new friend to food of your choice
- 30 days of free Shelter Care Pet Insurance (email address required)

Our public services include:
- Low-Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic for dogs, cats, and rabbits
- Low-Cost Vaccine Clinic on Saturday mornings for dogs & cats
- "Pit Stop" program, which provides free spay/neuter to pitbulls & pitbull mixes belonging to Vanderburgh County residents
- 2013/2014 "Cat Snip in Your Zip" program, which provided free spay/neuter services for cats living in a certain zip code (has now ended)
- Emergency Pet Food Assistance for needy families on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month from 12-3 in our Surrenders lobby
- Safe Pets program, giving animals belonging to domestic violence victims a temporary place to stay while their owners work with local women's shelters until their living situation is stable enough to reclaim their pet(s)
- Senior Pets program, waiving adoption fees for senior pets (8 years+) to senior citizens (70 years+)
- educational programs for local schools, daycares, and church groups (please call the shelter for details)
- Lost & found database
- Humane trap rental ($60 deposit required) for trap-neuter-release of feral cats (surgery costs of $50 for females, $30 for males)

Please visit our shelter Tuesday through Saturday from 12-6 to view our animals! Donate at the shelter, via credit card over the phone at (812) 426-2563, by texting "VHS" to 20222 (std. data & msg rates apply) or online at www.vhslifesaver.org!

Adoption Policy

Our adoption process begins with a visit. If you're considering taking a new pet into your family, you should probably...

Adoption Application

400 Millner Industrial Dr
Evansville, IN 47710
United States

(812) 426-2563 (Phone)

11/26/2021

Hello! Are you awake yet, or still sleeping off the turkey? It's Foxy here to remind you that VHS and River Kitty Cat Cafe are OPEN today and offering adoption fee discounts for black pets - it's Black Friday!

VHS: 12:00-6:00 pm, play plinko to determine your discount when you adopt a black or mostly black pet of any species!

@riverkittycatcafe : 10:00 am-9:00 pm, adopt a black or mostly black cat and draw your discount amount from a bucket.

PLUS at River Kitty Cat Cafe, take 20% off all apparel! Your one stop shop for the cat lover on your list - hoodies, tees, hats, and adorable socks all 20% off, Friday only! 100% of proceeds support VHS!

See all available pets at vhslifesavwr.org

11/25/2021

Our adoptable dogs had lots of fun trying homemade 'pup'kin pie 🥧 The verdict? Delicious!

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving! We are closed Thanksgiving Day, and will reopen with regular hours on Friday for our Black Friday adoption event!

Black Friday:
VHS: 12:00 pm -6:00 pm, adopt a mostly black pet of any species and play plinko to win an adoption discount!

River Kitty Cat Cafe: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm, 20% off all apparel + adopt a mostly black cat and win an adoption fee discount by random drawing!

11/24/2021

🐾 BLACK FRIDAY ADOPTION EVENT 🐾

Win an adoption fee discount when you adopt any black or mostly black pet! After you find your new best friend, try your luck at plinko to determine your discount!

VHS shelter AND @riverkittycatcafe
All species eligible! 🐈‍⬛ 🐕‍🦺 🐰

PLUS at River Kitty Cat Cafe, take 20% off ALL apparel! Check off the cat lover on your list while supporting a great cause. 100% of River Kitty profits support VHS!

Black Friday hours:
VHS: 12:00 - 6:00 pm
@riverkittycatcafe : 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Check out some of our eligible pets above!

11/22/2021

🐾 Adoptable Now! 🐾

Meet some of our 430 residents who would love to go home for the holidays ❤️

Currently in our care:
330 cats 🐱
58 dogs 🐶
14 rabbits🐰
10 rats 🐀
7 guinea pigs 🐹
1 mouse 🐭
1 hamster 🐹
Partridge in a pear tree expected shortly 🕊🍐

Visit VHS or River Kitty Cat Cafe and find your new best friend!

VHS and River Kitty will both be closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving, but will be open regular hours the rest of the week.

VHS shelter hours this week:
CLOSED THURSDAY
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday: 12:00-6:00
Sunday: 12:00-4:00

For info including age, sex, and breed mix (if known), visit vhslifesaver.org and click on the page for the species you're interested in to view profiles. Not all adoptable animals fit in this post, so head over to the website to see everyone!

11/21/2021

73 Adoptions Last Week!

51 cats 🐱 21 dogs 🐶 1 gerbil 🐹

🌎 Mr. World Wide (center) was a tough street cat with chunky cheeks and broken teeth. Thanks to Facebook fundraiser donations, Mr. W.W. will be visiting the vet to have a few rotten teeth removed so he can arrive at his new home with a healthy mouth! 🦷 Mr. World Wide quickly became a staff favorite at VHS, and we’re so happy to see this former street cat leave us healthy and happy, with a wonderful family.

☕️ 8 cats were adopted from our Downtown cat cafe, @riverkittycatcafe

🐕‍🦺🏃‍♂️ Longtime resident Zoey was adopted after 100 days in our care. In her time here, sweet Zoey benefitted from countless hours of exercise with volunteer James W., who took her on over 20 Mutt’s Morning Out adventures and weekly walks through Garvin Park at Cardio For Canines. Thanks, James!

💛 12-year-old Sam, who came to us in rough shape, found a loving family to spend her golden years with.

Thanks for adopting! 💚

Pictured:
Mowgli, Zoey, Cranberry
Beth, Mr. World Wide, Monet
Dumplin, Sam, Master Gracey

11/19/2021

Foster Spotlight: Cindy J! 🔦

Cindy has been fostering kittens for VHS for about 8 years. She is always willing to take on a challenge, inluding large groups of kittens and sick kittens that need extra care and monitoring. In fact, she just took these snotty (yet adorable) creatures home this week (first two pictures).

Beyond being a great kitten caretaker, Cindy is known for her adorable photo collages, which help her fosters find homes quickly once they're back at the shelter. Check out a few of her photoshoots above!

Thanks, Cindy! You're a lifesaver! 👏👏👏

*None of the kittens in these photos are available for adoption, they are all Cindy's past fosters who have now been adopted!

11/18/2021

🎶 The Broadway musical CATS is coming to Evansville! And with every ticket purchased using the code MEOW - now through Nov 30th - a $5 donation will be made to the Vanderburgh Humane Society!! 😻

This link puts the code in for you!
https://bit.ly/3HDEgEm

11/18/2021

Bianca is our longest resident, having spent 245 days here!

She has watched hundreds of other cats leave the cat lounge with new families, and she's still wondering when somone will finally choose her!

One-year-old Bianca is a very sweet girl, but making her aquaintance isn't always easy. She prefers to introduce herself by rubbing her chin on your hand, rather than being followed and touched by stangers. Spend some time in the cat lounge and try to charm her - she can't resist chin scratches for long! Like any introvert, she can be baited into friendship 😺

Binaca would do very well in a semi-quiet home with other cats, or as an only-cat. We don't know if she has lived with dogs or not, but they may be overwhelming to her.

Come meet this sweet girl at the VHS, even if you have to watch her from a distance for a while. 🔭
She'll be waiting!

Thanks @wkdq for featuring Bianca as Pet of the Week!

vhslifesaver.org

11/18/2021

Exciting news! Beginning December 3rd, Happy Tails Resale Shop will be open 10:00-4:00 on Fridays and Saturdays!

We’re seeking volunteers to help us expand Happy Tails, which raises thousands for our animals every week! Perks of volunteering at Happy Tails:

⭐️ Flexible hours: if you can’t walk dogs or clean cat cages at 8am, try helping at Happy Tails instead! Volunteer on your own schedule.

⭐️ Variety of tasks: sort, price, organize, cashier, assemble items, create displays. If you love thrifting, you’ll love volunteering with us!

⭐️ Rewarding work: take pride in seeing how much you’ve raised for VHS by donating your time!

Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Mackenzee McKittrick, at m.mckittrick@vhslifesaver.org if you have questions or would like to start volunteering!

Hunt for great deals on unique finds, from beautiful antiques to brand new baby items, home goods, furniture, apparel, and more, all at 50% or more off retail price! Visit us right here at the shelter, Friday and Saturday!

Donate items! See our donation policy
under “Ways to Donate” at vhslifesaver.org

11/18/2021

@riverkittycatcafe just hit 900 adoptions!

We're thrilled to celebrate the 900th (and 901st) cats adopted from River Kitty: brothers Snoopy and Charlie Brown, who were adopted together. 900 cats and countless humans' lives have been changed forever when they walked into our cat lounge for a cuddle session. Congrats!

River Kitty gives VHS cats the opportunity to live in a cozy cafe during their stay and receive lots of love from the cafe's visitors, whether they're looking to adopt or just grab a delicious drink ☕️

River Kitty is not just a place for VHS cats to find adopters, it's also a nonprofit program of the VHS, meaning 100% of the cafe's proceeds fund life-saving animal welfare work in our community.

Visit us at 226 Main Street!

11/16/2021

Thanks for all the litter donations!
Always amazed by our community’s support!

11/16/2021

Beautiful @cardioforcanines on Saturday, captured by @madisonreneephoto 🍁🍂

Eclipse

Abbi

Nala

Lovebutt

Sir Lancelot

Franny

Spelly

Ethel

Cracker Jack

Archie

Finley

Vessel

Bailey

From my foster mom: "Hi guys, my name is Bailey! I'm a sweet girl and just want to give you...

Shane

Billie

Jenny

Squash

Melvin

Ingrid

Leif

Maka

Mandolyn

Bella

Checo

Chipper

Hey there, I'm Chipper, and I'm eager to tell you a bit about myself. My walker has described me as...

Pepper

Scooby

Tater

Jumper

Holly

Melody

Cowboy

Firefly

Moth

Wesley

Matata

Deo

Hey there, I'm Deo, and I'm excited to share a little bit about myself with you. My walker has described...

Porter

Elephant

Mountain

Hi there, my name is Mountain. I'm one bun from a group with my dad and 3 siblings so it's...

Meenie

Rhino

Old Oak

Glacier

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Sand Dune

Oh? Hi. I'm Sand Dune. I'm a bit more quiet and shy than the other members of my family I...

Hippo

Kay

Hey there, I'm Kay, and I'm ready to be your new best buddy! I've had the pleasure of living alongside...

Ryker

Rafferty

Rafael

Gwen

Shadow

Hey there, I'm Shadow, and despite being 14 years young, I'm still full of love and ready for a new...

Lip

Ian

Snowdrop

My name is Snowdrop and I'd love to visit you! I'm a bit different from other buns with more than...

Cleo

Barley

Vinni

Kermit

Bates

Miz Kitty

Ginger

**CURRENTLY IN FOSTER CARE. Please contact the shelter in order to set up a meet and greet** Ginger is as...

Wrenly

Sage

Arya

Roscoe

Scrappy

Hey there, I'm Scrappy, and I'm ready to find my forever home! Let me tell you a little bit about...

Tuna

Maddie

Hi there, I'm Maddie, your future four-legged family member! I've had a bit of an adventure in my short two...

Lizzie

Hi there, I'm Lizzie, and I'm on the lookout for my perfect match - a loving family to call my...

Marcel

Surrendering because he was chewing up the walls. Chewing right above tail and leg. Says he can play rough with...

Rio

Telly

Carlos

Mila

Mrs. Incredible

Violet

Cherry

Mr. Fluff

Walter

Tigger

Wink

Evie

Thumbsy

Hey there, I'm Thumbsy, and I'm here to steal your heart with my goofy charm! Let me tell you a...

Deeja

Hey there, I'm Deeja, and I'm on the lookout for my forever family! Let me tell you a bit about...

Bella

Koosh

Luna

Villa

Bella

Zeus

Hey there, I'm Zeus, and let me tell you, I'm quite the social butterfly! When I first arrived at the...

Chimera

Joey

Hey there, I'm Joey, and I'm here to share a little bit about myself in hopes of finding my forever...

Sid

Shadow

Hi there, I'm Shadow! Let me tell you a bit about myself. I've had the pleasure of living alongside children,...

Macbeth

Hello there, I'm Macbeth, and I come with a special request - I must find a forever home alongside my...

Hamlet

Hello there, I'm Hamlet, and I come with a special request - I must find a forever home alongside my...