Humane Society of Indianapolis invites media to attend ribbon cutting for new Animal Welfare Center and Vaccination Clinic
IndyHumane’s new clinic offers vaccine services and other resources through collaborative partnership in underserved area of Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (8/17/2012) – The Humane Society of Indianapolis is hosting a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, August 22, 2012 to celebrate the opening of the long-awaited Animal Welfare Center on the near Westside of Indianapolis. The ceremony will begin promptly at 10:30 a.m. with opening remarks from John Aleshire, CEO of the Humane Society of Indianapolis. There will be additional remarks from Deputy Mayor Olgen Williams, Humane Society of Indianapolis Board Chairman Jim Luce, and Animal Welfare Center Director Kirsten VantWoud. Larry and Candi Reuben, namesake donors for the Center, will be present for the ceremonial ribbon cutting. The facility will be open for a tour following the ceremony.
The Animal Welfare Center is located at 456 N. Holmes Ave. in the Haughville neighborhood. IndyHumane will be one of the first of its kind in the nation to provide animal welfare partner groups with a physical address and presence in the city’s target neighborhoods. The opening of the center represents a bold step in addressing animal overpopulation in Indianapolis.
About the Center: The IndyHumane Animal Welfare Center will house the Albert G. and Sara I. Reuben Vaccination Clinic and will offer low cost cat and dog vaccines. The center will also provide pet-care resources and assistance with community animal concerns via the efforts of the IndyHumane Outreach/Education Coordinator and our partner groups: Spay-Neuter Services of Indiana, Friends of Indianapolis Dogs Outside (FIDO), Indy Pit Crew, and Casa Del Toro.
“Opening the Animal Welfare Center is the first phase and will provide basic vaccination services to an area where affordability and access are major hurdles to patrons when it comes to caring for their animals,” Animal Welfare Center Director Kirsten VantWoud says. “The second phase, open as soon as funding is complete, will be a low-cost, high-volume, spay and neuter clinic that will target lower income areas and the zip codes that bring in the most animals to Indianapolis Animal Care and Control.”
According to VantWoud, “Without the Center, Indianapolis would remain mired in the same cycles of existing animal welfare programs that are largely inadequate, terribly expensive and substantially inhumane. We’re hoping to begin fixing this problem, and our first step will be offering basic services so people can keep their pets protected, healthy, and in the house.”
About IndyHumane: The Humane Society of Indianapolis is the leading voice for the welfare of animals and improving their quality of life. IndyHumane is the first choice in providing direct services for shelter cats and dogs, including adoption, foster home placement, behavior training, appropriate medical care, and affordable spay/neuter services. As the voice for the animals, IndyHumane brings together like-minded animal-focused individuals and groups to educate the public about animal welfare issues and concerns. For over 100 years, it’s all about the animals.
A private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that receives no public or private government funding, the Humane Society of Indianapolis is Indy-based and independent, and is supported solely by contributions, grants, bequests, investments, and adoption and service fees. For more information and current adoptable animals, visit http://IndyHumane.org.
Contact:
Kirsten VantWoud: 317-872-5650 x 136
kvantwoud@indyhumane.org
