VHS Blog

The No-Kill Myth

Jan 04, 2019

It's one of the first things people notice about an animal shelter or rescue organization these days. Some people even ask us outright. "Are you no-kill?" "Are you a kill shelter?"The answer to both of those questions is no. Here's why."No-kill" is nothing more than a marketing term designed to present an emotional appeal to the public. What it actually does is far more damaging. You've probably seen the Facebook posts with trendy terms like "k...

Hoarding: The Problem With: "If Only I Had a Big Farm..."

Jul 31, 2018

One of the phrases we hear most often in sheltering is "If only I had a big farm..." followed by something like, "I'd take them all home," "I'd start my own rescue," "I'd be a crazy dog lady," etc.As lighthearted as the intent is, what they actually mean is... "If only I could be a hoarder." That's the underlying message that can lie behind innocent statements about wanting to help as many animals as possible. Of course most ...

Dreaming of an Easter Bunny? Adopt, Don't Buy!

Mar 26, 2018

THE EASTER BUNNY PROBLEMEvery year around this time, the commercial world slaps pictures of beautiful tiny baby bunnies all over everything. Pictures with the Easter bunny, Easter egg hunts with live bunny meet & greets, and so on. And you can almost hear the children all together in a chorus: "Mommy, can I have a bunny?"Resist the temptation to buy them a baby bunny from a store* just to make them happy. This is the perfect teachable moment for your kids on responsible pet ownersh...

Advice Regarding Lost and Found Pets

Jun 20, 2017

The staff at the VHS receive many calls each day regarding people finding an animal or losing their beloved pet. We want to help as many owners and pets as possible get reunited. The following is some advice that we regularly issue to our callers to assist them in doing all they can do to help a lost or found pet get returned to their family safely.Accidents happen but PLEASE REMEMBER that prevention is the best way to avoid the heartache of losing a fuzzy family member.Keep up to date tags on y...