Shelters are bursting at the seams, and fosters and adopters are needed now more than ever.

Millions of Companion Animals in Shelters Across the Country

When you hear about the number of animals in shelters across the United States it can be jarring. According to the ASPCA 6.3 million animals enter shelters every year in the United States alone.

Approximately 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.1 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats.

The ASPCA says that of the 6.3 million animals that enter shelters, about 4.1 million get adopted every year. That leaves more than 2 million animals with no place to go. Unfortunately of those 2 million animals, hundreds of thousands end up needing to be euthanized for lack of space and funding. You can find the full statistics from the ASPCA here, but as you can imagine, they are staggering.

Esther is available for adoption through the VHS (Photo by CHS)

Tri-State Shelters are Struggling

While the numbers above are statistics for the entire country, the pet overpopulation crisis is certainly being felt here in the Tri-State area.

Also feeling the overcrowding heat are our friends at the Vanderburgh Humane Society. The VHS took to Facebook today to explain that they are currently at MORE THAN 100% CAPACITY. They are actually operating at about 124% of their capacity, meaning animals are coming In quicker than they are going out to homes.

Chavonne is available for adoption through the VHS (Photo by VHS)

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How does 124% capacity work? The Vanderburgh Humane Society broke it down in a post today:

KENNELS FULL BEYOND CAPACITY
It's #InternationalDogDay, but to be honest, it feels reeeeally hard to celebrate right now when every shelter in our region and around the country are absolutely drowning in dogs.
We’re at 124% capacity. How do those numbers add up?
66 kennels
82 dogs in the building (41 in foster care) including 5 dogs pulled from Evansville Animal Care & Control (Official) just today because their kennels are also completely full.
14 dogs already scheduled for surrender this week + 7 dog surrender forms pending
Dogs are staying in visiting rooms, floor crates, offices… everywhere. And there's still no end in sight. We know it's a broken record by now and we're not the only ones.
The bottom line is: we need adoptions, and we need them THIS WEEK. Here are some of the pups we have available:
Numerous Shepherd mixes: Ellie, Trixie, Bambino
Huskies: Roscoe, Koosh
Nothin' but hound dogs: Garth & Trisha
Longest residents: Maddie, Esther, Chavonne, & Dennis -- the four pictured in these photos.
Families who are considering adopting: these pups need you ASAP.
The VHS is open for adoptions Tuesday-Saturday from 12-6. Our adoption process is easy and affordable... no invasive home inspections or crazy across-the-board fence requirements. Browse available dogs and apply for the one you're interested in quickly & easily online: https://www.vhslifesaver.org/adopt/adoptable-dogs#
Thank you for your support!