READ THE FOLLOWING COMPLETELY BEFORE SUBMITTING A REQUEST
Indianapolis Animal Care Services is currently over capacity. Any animal surrendered to the shelter is at risk of euthanasia.
While we understand circumstances arise that may make it difficult to continue caring for a pet, our shelter is currently overcrowded with animals and we lack the space to continuously accept new animals in our care without planning. Therefore, you MUST schedule an appointment to surrender your animal. Appointments are being scheduled out 8-10 weeks due to the number of requests we receive daily. This allows our staff to properly care and provide for the animals presently in our building. We cannot immediately intake animals for moves, evictions, new babies, etc.
If you have an injured animal or if you witness an animal displaying concerning behavior, or you are experiencing a pet emergency, please contact the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622.
The shelter does have resources available that may allow you to keep your pet in the home. Indy CARES is a program that can offer medical care assistance, spay and neuter help, behavior support, companion pet supplies, safety-net temporary fostering, and education. If you need help, please visit indycares.org for more information.
You must be a Marion Country Resident and have a government issued ID to schedule an appointment or use Indy CARES services.
REHOMING ASSISTANCE:
Sometimes, rehoming your animal is best. But, for the best interest of your pet, it is important to know that the county shelter is not the best place for an animal and should only be a last resort. Animal shelters are a very scary place for pets and IACS is overcrowded with no open kennels. If the pet can find a new home without coming to the shelter, that’s the best option.
As a first step, please post your pet to http://rehome.adoptapet.com for a minimum of 14 days. You'll be able to create a profile and share the pet's story with thousands of potential adopters, hopefully skipping the shelter completely. Visit our LinkTree for additional rehoming resources: https://linktr.ee/indycares.
You can also search for possible openings at local rescues by searching Petfinder’s Database found here: Search for Animal Shelters & Rescue Groups | Petfinder
BEHAVIOR CONCERNS:
With the current over-crowding, and the influx of requests for stray and owner surrenders, we do not have ability to take in animals immediately, nor care for potentially aggressive dogs. We do NOT do aggressive dog euthanasia’s without a report being made through our Enforcement division. Contact the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622 or put in a request via the web HERE.
If you feel you are in need of immediate surrender due to an aggressive dog, again, contact the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622 or put in a request via the web HERE.
Requests for the surrenders of owned aggressive animals will more than likely result in euthanasia. Because of this, without a reported bite history, please pursue the following options for your owned pet:
- Reach out to a trainer-one who is a behaviorist to get an assessment and recommendation. There are organizations who can assist finding or paying for them.
- Consult your veterinarian to get an objective assessment of your pet and discuss options
- If your veterinarian recommends behavioral euthanasia, schedule with them.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES:
There are many organizations that may be able to assist with the care or rehoming of your pet.
Pets.Findhelp.com: allows you to search for human and animal support services in your area.
Indy CARES Linktree: a list of accessible resources from low-cost veterinary care, eviction rights, and more.