INDIANAPOLIS — As winter approaches, Indianapolis Animal Care Services is asking for the community's help in making sure that stray and lost animals don't end up in the shelter.
Due to COVID-19 precautions, IACS has had to make changes that limit the number of staff members in the building. This has caused their resources to be limited.
This is why IACS is working to make sure that the shelter prioritizes emergency intakes such as cruelty, injured, abandoned, and bite cases.
IACS is still accepting stray or found animals, but is asking residents to take a few steps before making an appointment to bring the animal to the shelter:
- Check for a collar and tag. Some pets have a collar with the phone number stitched in.
- Post a photo and information of where the pet was found on Indy Lost Pet Alert, NextDoor, your neighborhood social media group, and your social media accounts. Most lost and stray pets tend to stick close to home.
- Take the animal to the nearest vet clinic to check for a microchip.
- If there’s a microchip, contact the owner and reunite the pet with its family. If there’s no microchip, hold onto the animal (if you can) and continue searching for its owner. The shelter offers resources to help residents hold onto stray or lost animals until the owner can be found.
“IACS’ number one priority is to keep our essential team members, volunteers, the public, and the animals of Marion County safe,” Chief Communications Officer Brandi Pahl said in a release. “We live in a great community where we all take care of each other. By helping stray pets get back home safely without coming to our shelter, you are reducing the stress on that animal, helping them get back home quickly, and keeping a kennel space open for another pet that is in need.”
