Vanderburgh Humane Society

What Vanderburgh Humane Society does

Vanderburgh Humane Society (VHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization founded in 1957 and headquartered at 400 Millner Industrial Drive in Evansville, Indiana. It operates as an open-admission shelter serving more than 11,000 families annually across the Tri-State region of southwestern Indiana, southeastern Illinois, and northwestern Kentucky. Core services include animal intake and adoption, owner-requested surrenders, low-cost spay and neuter surgery, low-cost vaccine and microchipping clinics, community cat Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs, end-of-life services, and lost-and-found pet reunification. The organization has achieved a 91% live release rate, meeting the industry-recognized no-kill benchmark of 90% or higher.

VHS runs a portfolio of specialty community programs that extend well beyond traditional sheltering. These include Safe Pets (free up-to-30-day boarding for pets of domestic violence victims, in partnership with YWCA, Ozanam Family Shelter, and Albion Fellows Bacon Center), Help for Heroes (veteran-focused veterinary and pet food assistance), Margie's Pet Food Pantry (pet food for economically disadvantaged families, rebranded July 2025), Humane Education (3,000–4,000 children annually), and enrichment programs such as Cardio for Canines and Mutt's Morning Out. Two wholly-owned operating sub-brands anchor revenue diversification: River Kitty Cat Café, a downtown Evansville satellite adoption center and coffee/tea/wine/baked-goods venue acquired in November 2019, and Happy Tails Resale Shop, a campus-based thrift store opened in November 2014 that generates nearly $250,000 annually for VHS operations.

The revenue model is a diversified nonprofit blend with no consistent government, tax, or national-organization (ASPCA, HSUS) support. Funding sources include individual and corporate donations, planned giving, foundation grants, adoption fees, service fees (surrenders, spay/neuter, vaccines, euthanasia), revenue from River Kitty and Happy Tails, and affiliate/cause-marketing partnerships with Chewy, Rover.com, and BarkBox. Technology integrations are limited to standard nonprofit SaaS — Giveffect for donations and volunteer coordination, ShelterLuv for animal management, Petcube for live cat lounge streaming, Petco Love Lost (facial recognition) for lost-pet reunification, and Square for retail payments — with no proprietary technology stack.

Name

Vanderburgh Humane Society

Legal name

Vanderburgh Humane Society, Inc.

Website

https://vhslifesaver.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vanderburgh Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal shelter founded in 1957 in Evansville, Indiana, providing adoption, low-cost spay/neuter, and specialty community programs to more than 11,000 families annually across the Tri-State region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910), Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (459910)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB)

Keywords

• Animal sheltering services
• Low-cost spay neuter
• Pet adoption programs
• Humane education outreach
• Animal welfare nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Evansville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Private donations from individuals, corporate matching programs, and grants from foundations. VHS receives no consistent funding from government sources, taxes, or national organizations like ASPCA or HSUS. The general operating budget is approximately $3.6 million annually.
2. Service Fees: Fees for animal surrender ($30 for dogs/cats from Vanderburgh County, $50 for litters), adoption fees, spay/neuter clinic services, vaccine clinic services, and euthanasia services ($30).
3. Happy Tails Resale Shop: Thrift store operated on VHS Main Campus selling housewares, toys, books, furniture, and pet supplies. Raises nearly $250,000 annually to support VHS programming and operational expenses.
4. River Kitty Cat Café: Satellite adoption center and café offering coffee, smoothies, tea, beer, wine, and baked goods. Cat lounge visits require a small fee to support cat care until adoption. Opened July 2017, celebrated 1,000th adoption milestone.
5. Brick Walkway Campaign: Commemorative brick sponsorship program for $100 per brick, allowing donors to be a permanent part of the shelter building in memory or honor of pets/loved ones.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Vanderburgh Humane Society operates as an open-admission animal shelter providing animal intake, adoption services, and lost/found pet reunification. It runs a Low-Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic and Low-Cost Vaccine Clinic, and delivers specialty community programs including Safe Pets (temporary housing for pets of domestic violence victims), Help for Heroes (veteran pet support), and Margie's Pet Food Pantry (food assistance). The organization also operates two revenue-generating sub-brands: River Kitty Cat Café (satellite adoption center and café) and Happy Tails Resale Shop (thrift store).

Product overview

Vanderburgh Humane Society operates as an open-admission animal shelter offering a comprehensive portfolio of animal welfare services centered around three pillars: Spay/Neuter, Adoption, and Humane Education. The core offering is the main shelter providing animal intake, adoption, and lost/found services. The Low-Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic and Vaccine Clinic serve as key preventive care modules, while specialty programs include Safe Pets (domestic violence assistance), Help for Heroes (veteran support), and Margie's Pet Food Pantry (food insecurity assistance). The organization also operates two revenue-generating sub-brands: River Kitty Cat Café (satellite adoption center and café) and Happy Tails Resale Shop (thrift store). Additional enrichment programs include Mutt's Morning Out and Cardio for Canines for canine enrichment, Community Cat TNR for feral cat management, and Humane Education for community outreach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Margie's Pet Food Pantry: Pet food assistance program renamed in July 2025 in honor of longtime volunteer Margie Cox, who passed away in February 2024. Provides pet food to needy families to prevent pets from going hungry or ending up in shelters.
• River Kitty Cat Café
• Happy Tails Resale Shop

Products and services

• VHS Main Shelter Services Open-admission animal shelter providing adoption services, intake surrender processing, lost and found pet services, and comprehensive animal care for dogs, cats, rabbits, and other companion animals in Vanderburgh County.
• Low-Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic Affordable spay and neuter surgery services for publicly-owned animals and 13 other animal welfare agencies in the Tri-State area, including focused initiatives for pit bull-type dogs (Pit Stop) and accidental litters (Yo Mama).
• Low-Cost Vaccine Clinic
• Safe Pets Program Free temporary housing (up to 30 days) for pets belonging to domestic violence victims fleeing abusive situations, provided in partnership with YWCA, Ozanam Family Shelter, and Albion Fellows Bacon Center. Since tracking began in 2013, has helped more than 180 victims place their animals in temporary care.
• Help for Heroes
• Margie's Pet Food Pantry Pet food assistance program providing food to needy families to prevent pets from going hungry or being surrendered due to lack of resources, named in honor of longtime volunteer Margie Cox.
• River Kitty Cat Café Downtown Evansville cat café operating as a satellite adoption center for VHS, featuring adoptable cats, coffee, tea, wine, beer, smoothies, and macarons with proceeds benefiting VHS animals. Approximately 20 adoptable VHS cats call the café home at any given time.
• Happy Tails Resale Shop Thrift store located at VHS Main Campus selling housewares, toys, books, furniture, and gently-used items, generating approximately $250,000 annually to support VHS programming.
• Mutt's Morning Out
• Cardio for Canines Exercise and enrichment program enabling community members to exercise with shelter dogs at Garvin Park every Saturday morning.
• Community Cat TNR Program
• Humane Education Programs
• Brick Walkway Campaign
• Poorly Drawn Pet Portrait

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Orphan Kitten ClubflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates the world's first and only grant program dedicated exclusively to funding care and protection of neonatal kittens (0-8 weeks old). VHS is the 4th organization in Indiana and 111th nationwide to join as Mightycat Partner, receiving funding for medications, specialty food, and equipment like heat disks and incubators.
• YWCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDomestic violence shelter organization. Safe Pets program participants must be working with YWCA before acceptance into the program for temporary pet housing.
• Ozanam Family SheltercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency family shelter organization. Safe Pets program participants must be working with Ozanam before acceptance into the program for temporary pet housing.
• Albion Fellows Bacon CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDomestic violence advocacy organization. Safe Pets program participants must be working with Albion before acceptance into the program for temporary pet housing.
• Best Friends Animal SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship organization in the no-kill movement. VHS is a Best Friends Network Partner, working toward shared goal of saving shelter animals.
• ChewyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVHS receives $15 donation for each new Chewy customer who uses their unique referral link. Also accepts items through Chewy Wish List for direct supply donations.
• Rover.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPet sitting and dog walking service. VHS receives $30 donation when supporters book services through their unique Rover.com link.
• BarkBoxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMonthly dog subscription box. VHS receives portion of purchases when 'VHS' is used as promo code.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals): Largest national animal welfare organization offering adoption, spay/neuter, veterinary, and shelter services across a national footprint. Comparable in mission and service lines, but operates at far larger scale with national donation marketing.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National leader in the no-kill movement and VHS's network partner. Comparable because Best Funds operates the same mission (ending shelter euthanasia) and runs the network partnership that grants VHS funding and credibility; broader scope makes it an incumbent rather than direct peer.
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): National animal welfare advocacy and direct-service organization running shelters, rescue operations, and spay/neuter programs. Aligned mission and services; explicitly cited by VHS as a funder it does NOT receive from, reflecting direct donor-pool competition.
• Petco Love: Corporate-supported national foundation funding shelter partners on vaccination, adoption, and lost-pet initiatives. Comparable because Petco Love is an active direct funder and partner of VHS, providing vaccine and program grants in multiple service lines.
• BISSELL Pet Foundation: National pet welfare foundation offering grants, adoption events, and shelter support focused on reducing pet homelessness. Comparable as a comparator funder active in the same shelter-support ecosystem (vacant-litter intervention, spay/neuter assistance).

Regional players

• Humane Society of Southwestern Indiana (Evansville, IN): The regional alternative provider serving the same Evansville/Tri-State catchment area with overlapping intake, adoption, and low-cost veterinary services. Direct comparator because both organizations compete for local donors, surrenders, and adoption demand in the same geography.

Direct peers

• Kentucky Humane Society: Regional open-admission shelter serving the Louisville metro with adoption, low-cost spay/neuter, vaccine clinics, and similar specialty programs (e.g., Pets for Life). Closest geographic and operating-model comparator within ~150 miles of VHS's catchment.
• Indianapolis Humane Society (IndyHumane): Mid-size Indiana open-admission shelter offering adoption, low-cost spay/neuter and vaccine clinics, surrender services, and behavior support. Directly comparable on size, service mix, and Indiana operating context.
• PAWS Chicago: Mid-size, privately funded open-admission shelter running a comprehensive low-cost spay/neuter and vaccine clinic, pet food pantry, and large adoption pipeline. Direct operating-model and revenue-mix comparator to VHS at larger scale.
• Austin Pets Alive!: Innovative privately funded no-kill shelter renowned for saving the most vulnerable shelter populations (e.g., neonatal kittens, parvo puppies). Directly comparable because VHS's Orphan Kitten Club partnership reflects adoption of similar life-saving programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vhslifesaver
• Facebookfacebook.com/VanderburghHumaneSociety
• Instagraminstagram.com/vhslifesaver
• TikToktiktok.com/@vhslifesaver
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vanderburgh-humane-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vanderburgh Humane Society