VHS Blog

Happy Pride Month!

Jun 01, 2021

June is Pride Month! According to GLAAD, Pride is celebrated in June "to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in New York City on June 28, 1969, which most historians consider to be the birth of the modern LGBT movement."Photo credit: Gina MontanarelliSo what, you ask, does Pride have to do with an animal welfare organization?It's simple. Every single day, we help animals in all kinds of situations. And every single one of those situations has at least one (and of...

Wildlife Tips: What to Do If You Find "Orphaned" Babies!

Apr 04, 2021

There is one specific thing that our community's people can do to most effectively help wildlife who appear to have been abandoned.And that is: nothing.Really. Nothing. We get frantic calls frequently this time of year about people finding "abandoned nests of baby bunnies" or an "abandoned baby bird" or various other manner of "abandoned" wildlife. Here are a few things to remember regarding wildlife in southwestern Indiana.1) The babies are most likely NOT...

What "No-Kill" Really Means

Jan 04, 2021

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?"Even though the VHS has finally reached the industry standard "no-kill" benchmark of a 90% or higher save rate (91% in 2020), the answer to both of those questions is no. Here's why."No-kill" is primarily a marketing term designed to present an emotional appeal to the pub...

Beware of Online Puppy Scams

Dec 08, 2020

Beware of pet-related scams!They start with online photos of cute animals when you Google "cute puppies for sale near me!"Attorney General Curtis Hill and Indiana State Veterinarian Bret D. Marsh, DVM, are warning Hoosiers to watch out for online pet-adoption scams.Both offices have received complaints recently from citizens who have made down payments on animals they found on the internet — only to learn after paying multiple fees and never receiving animals that they were duped...

Pets in Media

May 01, 2019

Nearly everything we do is influenced in some way by media and pop culture. It's just the world we live in. Animal welfare is no exception. Have you ever paid attention to the nuances and messages being portrayed in media regarding animals? If not, listen a little closer next time. Good or bad, there are certainly some clear stereotypes out there!Issue: The Dog Catcher/Animal Shelter StereotypeYou're already picturing it, aren't you? Chance with his porcupine quill-covered face in Ho...

How To Afford Your Vet Bills

Aug 06, 2018

Part of pet ownership is providing veterinary care, just as part of parenthood is providing medical care for your kids. Vet care used to be exclusively paid for out of pocket, and often at a hefty price, with little to no options for those larger vet bills. But this is 2018! There are lots of options to help pay for vet care! All of us who have loved a pet have probably experienced a big vet bill at some point or another, whether for a broken leg, UTI, getting into something poisonous, or even j...

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...