VHS Adoption Spotlight

I JUST FELT LIKE SHE "

NEEDED ME

IGGY

VHS ADOPTION SPOTLIGHT

If there's anyone who knows about adopting an animal in this city, it's Kalea Baize. Now in her fourth year serving as Adoption Supervisor at the Vanderburgh Humane Society, she's a life-long animal lover, having grown up in Boonville surrounded by horses, donkeys, goats, cats and dogs - "all kinds of stuff." In her adult life, she's primarily adopted senior dogs, but when she locked eyes with "Iggy" over six months ago, everything changed. "I just felt like she needed me," Baize recalls. And that's because Iggy - much like her sister Taffy - was born noticeably smaller than her other pittie siblings, with warped legs to boot - a condition eventually alleviated through extensive physical therapy. However, Iggy, just shy of a year old now, is still a compact little thing, weighing in at only 25 pounds. According to Baize, she makes up for her diminutive stature with an outsized personality befitting the runt of a litter.

"She has a huge attitude," Baize notes with a laugh. "It was a little bit challenging at first, but she's also really smart. With me working in the animal field I was kind of prepared for that - we pretty much started her in training right away." To date, Iggy has charmed her way through beginner, intermediate and advanced classes - she's even earned her AKC Good

Canine Citizenship. But Baize has even bigger things in store for this absolute sweetheart. "I'm planning on taking her to do therapy classes because she just really loves people and loves going new places," she explains. "With her special needs [Iggy requires prescription food due to a poorly developed colon],

I don't know if she's going to have the longest life. But I think if I took her to therapy classes, she would really enjoy it."

Safe to say Iggy hit the adoption jackpot. Baize brings her to work most days where she often gets to play with Taffy who was adopted by another VHS staff member. By all accounts, the two pitties are loving sisters, completely oblivious of their limitations. Plus, Iggy has a feline friend at home - an eight-year-old furball also with special needs. Says Baize, "She's had a great life so far - she's only 10 months old but has done just about everything."