For the second time this year, the BISSELL Pet Foundation will be providing financial assistance to make pet adoption through the Bartholomew County Humane Society substantially more affordable.
Beginning Monday and continuing through the end of the month, families and individuals can adopt a fully-vaccinated, spayed or neutered dog or cat with a locating microchip for only $50.
Usually, $120 would be charged to provide these services for a dog and $80 for a cat, according to Terry Turner, the Humane Society’s Customer Care manager.
In addition, the Humane Society has also established Thor’s Pantry, which can provide free food to pet owners who can’t afford to buy it themselves.
“We’re doing all we can do to help alleviate struggles with inflation, which too often leave pets taking a back seat to many other things,” according to Turner.
Individuals who wish to adopt an animal should fill out an application at bartholomewhumane.org and make an appointment by emailing [email protected] or by calling 812-372-6063.
The reduced-fee adoption event, known nationally as Empty the Shelters, resulted in about 48 pets finding a new local home during the first half of May, he said.
While the Humane Society has a large number of fully-grown dogs, Turner said the shelter does not have a large selection of puppies, Turner said.
But when it comes to cats, it’s an entirely different matter.
“It’s kitten season now,” Turner said. “We’re seeing several coming in that are only 7 or 8 weeks old that somehow got separated from their mother. Right now, we have about 60 kittens.”
He also revealed the Humane Society has good news to share with supporters and advocates. Within the past month, the animal shelter began hosting a low-cost vaccination clinic every Monday, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Available low-cost vaccines are for DH2pp (distemper, hepatitis type 2, Parvo and parainfluenza), as well as dewormer, rabies, 5 in 1 for dogs, 4 in one for cats, bordetalla and heartworm.
Indianapolis veterinarian Dr. Jessica Snyder, who is handling the Monday clinics, is also spending two hours every Friday carrying for animals housed at the shelter, according to Turner.
Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, The BISSELL Pet Foundation was founded in 2011 by Cathy Bissell, whose husband is an heir to the Bissell line of floor care products.
Empty the Shelters is the nation’s largest funded adoption event, which has helped more than 226,000 pets find homes in the United States and Canada since 2016.
