The humane society is raising money to prepare for displaced animals

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) – After an eventful week, the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival is now behind us.

Not only did the festival offer a wide variety of treats, but it also facilitated important fundraising efforts for many nonprofit organizations.

This includes the Vanderburgh Humane Society.

The festival was held as part of preparations to welcome animals displaced from shelters in Florida.

It was a busy week on Franklin Street, not only for the many people enjoying the fun, but also for the many nonprofit organizations that lined the street.

“Just wonderful, the weather was absolutely beautiful, the community came out,” said Kendall Paul, CEO of the Vanderburgh Humane Society. “Not only do they come to get their favorite foods, they also support their favorite nonprofits. So it was great to see some familiar faces.”

It was a smile for the VHS as they offered their usual menu of fried green tomatoes, fried green beans, lemon shake-ups and more.

VHS officials say they took in over $45,000 during the week.

They say that money is of great benefit to them, but the week has other benefits too.

“Beyond just the money, it also gives people an opportunity to just connect with a nonprofit, get our name out there again and make sure people understand who we are and what we do,” Paul said .

VHS officials say they are working with Best Friend Animal Society to take in pets displaced from Florida animal shelters due to recent storms.

To that end, they held an adoption event over the weekend and waived adoption fees to free up space at the shelter.

They say they had over 800 animals when they started and adopted over 200 within three days.

“Just absolutely incredible, so thank you to the community for getting involved, just wonderful,” Paul said. “We still have 600 animals in our care.”

VHS officials say they, like other local shelters, are still overcrowded.

Once they start taking in displaced animals, there will still be a lot of work to do to care for the native animals.

They say it means a lot to them when the community supports them, whether through adopting animals, volunteering or buying treats at their stand.

“Any way they can support us makes our team feel valued and makes them realize that the work we do is so incredibly important,” Paul said.

VHS officials say they need the community’s continued support to find homes for any animals still in their care.

For more information about the Vanderburgh Humane Society, visit their website.

To keep up to date with everything they do, visit their Facebook page.

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