Vets & Pets of Southern Illinois

Vets & Pets of Southern Illinois A program of Wright-Way Rescue.

Founded by an Emergency Department nurse at the Marion VA, Vets & Pets provides temporary foster care for the dogs of veterans during hospitalization—so no veteran has to choose between their health and their best friend.

A lot of people ask us what happens when a veteran needs Vets & Pets.A phone call comes in.Sometimes it’s a veteran.Some...
06/11/2026

A lot of people ask us what happens when a veteran needs Vets & Pets.

A phone call comes in.

Sometimes it’s a veteran.
Sometimes it’s a family member.
Sometimes it’s a healthcare provider trying to help someone who has one more thing to worry about.

We start by learning about the veteran, the pet, and what support is needed.

Because every situation is different.

Some dogs may need foster care.
Some may need a structured kennel environment.
Some may need extra patience while they adjust to a temporary change.

But the goal is always the same:

Give the veteran peace of mind.

Give the pet safety and care.

Create the bridge of hope that helps veterans and their dogs get through a difficult season.

Learn more at
vetsandpets-si.org 🐾♥️🤍💙

🐾❤️🤍💙 Here’s Buddy — holding down the fort while his hero heals.Today, Buddy’s veteran went in for surgery. Before check...
06/10/2026

🐾❤️🤍💙 Here’s Buddy — holding down the fort while his hero heals.

Today, Buddy’s veteran went in for surgery. Before checking into the hospital, he made sure Buddy was safe and cared for — because that’s what we do. No veteran should ever have to choose between their health and their best friend.

Buddy is living proof that when a community shows up, barriers disappear. He’s safe, he’s loved, and he’s ready and waiting for the day his veteran walks back through that door.

This is what removing barriers actually looks like. 🇺🇸

If you’d like to support veterans like Buddy’s — through fostering, volunteering, or donating — here’s our link: vetsandpets-si.org. Every act of support sends one more veteran through the door to the care they’ve earned.

🐶 Land of the free. Because of the brave. And because of people like you.

06/09/2026

If you are a veteran who has been delaying medical care because you have no one to care for your dog, please reach out to us. We can help. 618-534-5642

🐾 Our kennel is open and ready!Right now, one of our veteran’s dogs is being lovingly cared for by a foster volunteer — ...
06/09/2026

🐾 Our kennel is open and ready!

Right now, one of our veteran’s dogs is being lovingly cared for by a foster volunteer — which means our kennel has room for more.

If you are a veteran facing a hospital stay with no one to care for your dog, please don’t let that stop you from getting the treatment you’ve earned. We started this program because that choice should never have to be made.

We will make sure your dog is safe, loved, and waiting for you when you come home.

No veteran should ever say no to their own care because of their pet. If that’s you — or if you know a veteran in that situation — please reach out or share this post.

🌐 vetsandpets-si.org
📧 [email protected]
📞 618-534-5642
📍 8459 Old Hwy 13, Murphysboro, IL 62966

06/06/2026

Celebrating one year of being Facebook official and looking forward to many more!!

Can you believe that today makes ONE YEAR since Vets & Pets of Southern Illinois became Facebook official? From a simple...
06/06/2026

Can you believe that today makes ONE YEAR since Vets & Pets of Southern Illinois became Facebook official? From a simple concept to partnering with SICF and Wright-Way Rescue, acquiring and upgrading our own kennel, our grand opening, awesome collaborations and friendships…all made possible by a community that cares about its Veterans and their beloved companions. From the very bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!!!
🐾♥️🤍💙 We look forward to serving this community for many years to come!

06/06/2026

To our Vets & Pets family: You are helping create a safety net that didn’t exist before.

Three veterans. Four dogs. Three very different journeys.When Vets & Pets opened earlier this year, we didn’t know exact...
06/06/2026

Three veterans. Four dogs. Three very different journeys.

When Vets & Pets opened earlier this year, we didn’t know exactly what the first few months would look like.

What we did know was that veterans facing hospitalization shouldn’t have to choose between getting the care they need and worrying about the pets they love.

Since our grand opening in February, we’ve had the privilege of helping three veteran-pet pairs.

One veteran was able to focus on recovery knowing his Mastiff and Chihuahua were safe. After discharge, he was reunited with both dogs.

Another veteran’s circumstances changed during recovery, and he was unable to resume care of his dog. Because she was already safe and receiving care, we were able to help her transition into Wright-Way Rescue’s adoption program, where she is now searching for her next chapter.

Soon, a third veteran will undergo surgery while his dog, Buddy, continues to thrive in foster care.

Three different stories.

Three different outcomes.

But the same mission.

To provide peace of mind during a difficult season and ensure that both veterans and their pets have support when they need it most.

Today, all four of our kennel spaces are available and ready for the next veteran who may need us.

We’re also preparing to install new guillotine kennel doors that will help us safely care for dogs who are frightened, stressed, or more difficult to handle during times of crisis.

Looking back over these first few months, one thing has become very clear:

This mission works because of community.

The volunteers.
The fosters.
The donors.
The partners.
The people who share our posts and tell others about what we’re building.

You are helping create a safety net that didn’t exist before.

And we’re just getting started.

vetsandpets-si.org 🐾♥️🤍💙
wright-wayrescue.org 🐾💕

06/05/2026

Edit to add: Y’all, I forgot to let you know that this pup’s actual name is Miss Richardson. Rikki Tikki is just a nickname I gave her! So if you’re looking for her on the Wright-Way Rescue website, she is a black mouth cur named Miss Richardson. She would be a delightful addition to your family. 🐾♥️🤍💙

Thank you WPSD for sharing this sweet girl’s story with Southern Illinois! 🗞️🐾

If you haven’t watched this story yet, please click the link — and then SHARE it. Every share puts her in front of someone who just might be her forever family. She deserves that family. Soon.

In the meantime, she is available for adoption RIGHT NOW through Wright-Way Rescue. If you or someone you know has been thinking about adding a dog to your family, please don’t wait. She is sweet, smart, and exceptional — and she is ready to go home.

🐾 Visit Wright-Way Rescue’s website to apply.

💙 Tag a friend who needs a dog like this in their life.

📲 Share this post — it costs nothing and could change everything.

🐾 Some partnerships are just meant to be.After serving his country as a Marine, this veteran spent some time finding his...
06/04/2026

🐾 Some partnerships are just meant to be.

After serving his country as a Marine, this veteran spent some time finding his way — trying out different jobs before discovering he was born to drive. Long-haul trucking, coast to coast. He loved the life, but those long miles start to feel longer without someone riding shotgun.

A friend offered him a mastiff puppy. He was tempted — genuinely tempted — but one look at that cab and he knew it just wasn’t fair to the dog. He passed, with a little regret.

That very same night, at a truck stop in Paducah, a scruffy little pup caught his eye. Scrounging around, doing his best. This veteran — the kind of man who will absolutely try to feed a stray dog from his own dinner — started tearing off pieces of ham, trying to win him over.

Buddy accepted every single piece. Then accepted the whole package. 😄

When the veteran finally gave up and walked away, something bumped him firmly in the back of the legs. He turned around, and there was this little dog, looking up at him like well, are we doing this or not?

One more piece of ham — paid willingly — and that was that. Sixteen years of highways, sunrises, and a copilot who never complained about the radio.

When his health finally made hospitalization unavoidable, this sweet man held on as long as he possibly could. Not out of stubbornness. Out of love. He couldn’t bear the thought of Buddy not understanding where he’d gone. So he waited. And waited. And put his own health on hold.

No veteran should ever have to make that choice.

That’s exactly what Vets & Pets of Southern Illinois is here for. We’re here so that loving your pet is never a reason to delay the care you’ve earned and you deserve.

When this veteran finally reached out to us, everything changed. He got the help he needed. Buddy got the love and attention he deserved. And they are both now looking forward to one very happy reunion. 🐾🇺🇸❤️

If you or a veteran you know is hesitating to seek medical care because of a beloved pet — please reach out to us. That’s exactly why we’re here.

vetsandpets-si.org 🐾♥️🤍💙

Address

8459 Old Highway 13
Murphysboro, IL
62966

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