23 Cats Dumped on VHS Doorstep

The morning of July 11th, our first few staff members arrived to find four containers on our back porch containing TWENTY THREE cats total. Some are older, some are newborn babies. The photo at left is some of them.

The photo at right is of our overflow room… ALREADY full of floor cages because we have no space, even prior to the 23 dumped cats. 

We will be honest: population levels have not been this unsustainable in over 5 years. Many other shelters nationwide are facing similar crises, and we are no exception. We have been keeping our heads above water lately thanks to our awesome community. But this put us over the edge today and it’s time to sound the alarm.

We do our best to help every person/family who contacts us for help with their animals. Anytime someone truly needs to surrender, we schedule that by appointment to avoid situations exactly like this. And if someone needs help with food or supplies to hold them over until their Intake appointment, we try to offer whatever we can. Then situations like this happen, where someone totally takes advantage of us. Yes, they are safe. Yes, we’re glad they brought them here instead of dumping them in the country. BUT. That does not mean that this was the right way to get rid of your unwanted cats.

Here is some context around this today:

• our senior staff is assisting our animal care staff as we type this, scrambling to get rooms cleaned so we can assess where in the world these kitties will go in an already-full building.

• we have one cat room under quarantine for illness, which means we can’t add any new cats for their safety, which means we have even LESS space.

• our colleagues at Evansville Animal Care & Control (Official) are completely full too, and we have no space to pull animals and help them.

• this is a slap in the face for the people who are actually ON the schedule for this week, who are doing it right and waiting their turn. (Thank you to those people!) There are 45 cats scheduled to be surrendered between now and Saturday. 45. And we just had 23 unexpected ones show up because someone cut in line.

So how can you help?

• FOSTER. We need space for cats to go ASAP. Apply to be a foster parent here!

• DONATE. Monetary donations are king because they help us buy whatever we need at the time. Donate at https://give.vhslifesaver.org!

• VOLUNTEER. We need help cleaning cages 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Email Mackenzee to inquire!

• ADOPT. The more kitties who go home, the more space is permanently opened up! Browse adoptable cats here!

• Please don’t dump animals. Wait your turn. Shelters practice managed intake for a reason.

Since we posted a viral TikTok about these cats, support and donations have come in from all over the world. So THANK YOU to everyone who has supported these kitties' from the beginning, and contributed to their care. Several of them have already been adopted and a few updates have been posted!