Terre Haute Humane Society Breaks Ground on Low-Cost Veterinary Clinic

Terre Haute Humane Society Breaks Ground on Low-Cost Veterinary Clinic

Thanks to generous support from the City of Terre Haute and the Vigo County Board of Commissioners, and corporate donations from Saturn Petcare and Elanco, the Terre Haute Humane Society broke ground on a low-cost veterinary clinic.

The clinic, which the shelter hopes to have completed by the end of 2023, will be constructed next to the existing shelter facility at 1811 South Fruitridge Avenue. Terre Haute’s Keymark Construction is leading the project, which will offer low cost spay/neuter and vaccination services to the public and the shelter.

The city and county will each be contributing $250,000 of American Rescue Plan funding toward the veterinary clinic, which the Shelter estimates will cost $731,000 to build with additional funds needed to fully equip the clinic. The Shelter has also received significant financial support from two corporate partners – $10,000 From Saturn Petcare and $20,000 From Elanco. The Shelter plans to fundraise and seek grants to cover the additional costs.

“We are so thankful to the City, County, Elanco and Saturn Petcare for their support of this project, and excited about the opportunities that this will provide for pets and pet owners in our community,” said Ray Buechler, Terre Haute Humane Society (THHS) Board President. “Currently, there are no consistent options in our area for low cost spay/neuter and vaccinations for cats and dogs. We perform approximately 10 to 12 public spay/neuters per month, and appointments are booked out 3 months in advance. This new veterinary clinic will be such a positive addition for the shelter and our community.”

“The Terre Haute Humane Society is an important long-standing community asset and resource, and we are happy to back this project. This clinic will be a continued partnership and effort of collaboration between city, county and non-profit. Congratulations,” said Mayor Duke Bennett and Commissioners Mike Morris, Chris Switzer and Mark Clinkenbeard in a joint statement.

Buechler says that, in Indiana, the average cost to spay a female dog is approximately $500 and to neuter a male dog is $425; cat spays are $325 and neuters are $225. Typical annual vaccinations for dogs and cats cost $90. In contrast, at a low-cost veterinary clinic in another part of the state, a female dog costs $85 to spay and male dog $70 to neuter; cat spays cost $55 and neuters are $40; and vaccinations for dogs and cats cost $49.

“We have so many individuals who call and come in, and they love their pets, but they just can’t afford all of the expenses for their care,” Buechler said. “By constructing a low-cost veterinary clinic that offers greatly reduced spay/neuter and vaccination costs to those in need, we will be able to give them another option so they can help keep their pets and keep them healthy.”

If you would like to make a donation to support the veterinary clinic, visit https://tinyurl.com/thhsclinic. For more information, or to discuss other opportunities to support the Terre Haute Humane Society, contact Ray Buechler at ray.buechler@thhs.org.

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The Terre Haute Humane Society is a non-profit animal shelter that has been providing medical
care, food, and shelter to owner-surrendered, mistreated, abandoned, and neglected animals
since 1913. As the only animal shelter in the area, the Terre Haute Humane Society is the
county’s primary resource for the management of the domestic animal population and for public
education on proper animal care. Accordingly, the Terre Haute Humane Society offers adoption
programs, microchipping and spaying/neutering services, a pet food pantry, and public
education events. For more information, visit thhs.org or call 812-232-0293.