INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Animal Care Services has launched a new list that will be updated weekly to help prevent euthanasia of healthy, adoptable dogs.
IACS introduced the "Preventing Euthanasia List" this past week. The list will include up to 20 animals that IACS staff believe would be a good fit in a variety of homes.
The idea is, by getting the animals adopted on this list, it will free up some resources for staff to focus on the more difficult-to-place pets — those with health and behavioral issues who are at risk of being euthanized.
In times of crisis, IACS explained, shelters are forced to create an "At-Risk List" that details the animals most at risk of being euthanized due to limited capacity or staffing.
“The at-risk list typically consists of animals that have a history of behavior issues and animals that are suffering at the shelter due to the stress of the kennel environment,” said Trennepohl. “But if the trend continues, we could be looking at having to euthanize healthy adoptable animals.”
IACS made the Preventing Euthanasia List in an effort to clear kennel space and ultimately prevent having to make the "At-Risk List" at all.
GALLERY: Meet the dogs on IACS' 'Preventing Euthanasia List'
The pets on the Preventing Euthanasia List are animals IACS staff believe would be capable of doing well in many situations, whether that be in adoptive homes or foster homes.
“With 229 dogs in our care, getting the dogs on this list out of the shelter and into adoptive or foster homes allows us to focus on finding homes for the dogs that have more specialized needs," said IACS Deputy Director Katie Trennepohl.
In less than a week, all but five dogs on the shelter's first ever Preventing Euthanasia List had been adopted.
IACS has been over capacity for months and, since Sept. 1, nearly 180 animals have been brought into the shelter. Above all else, the shelter said, it needs homes for medium to large dogs.
The Preventing Euthanasia List will be implemented as long as the shelter remains over capacity.
IACS will release an updated list every Friday on its website and social media pages.
All animals, including those on the list, are free to adopt and come spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped.
