Indianapolis Animal Care Services is urging Hoosiers to adopt pets, as the shelter has reached full capacity. Adoption fees have been waived for all pets.
Roxie Randall, manager of community outreach for the shelter, said that while the number of pets usually increases during the winter months because of weather, staffing shortages have exacerbated the problem.
“We are out of space to set up dog crates for any incoming dogs, and every available kennel we have has a dog in it as well. … We’ve got animals everywhere.”
Randall said they determined it was “in the animals’ and staff’s best interest to move to emergency intakes only.”
The shelter warned in a Facebook post announcing the change that this puts animals admitted in emergency cases at higher risk of euthanasia.
Emergency intakes are subject to staff discretion, Randall said, but a circumstance that would constitute emergency intake would be aggressive animals or pets that are in need of medical care.
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The shelter offers a “Cuddle before you commit” program, where IACS will take back animals after two weeks so families can get a feel for whether the pet is a good fit for them. Randall said that this program has led to an increase in adoptions.
Randall also encouraged people to foster animals for any length of time. The shelter provides all supplies for foster families, including access to the on-site veterinarian and medication.
If people can’t foster or adopt, IACS is always looking for volunteers, both in-person and virtually. Those wanting to help can also donate, either money or supplies, to IACS and share posts from the shelter’s social media.
“It just takes the right person seeing an animal’s bio and picture and before you know it, they’re leaving with their new adopted family, off to their forever home,” she said.
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IACS is hosting a pet adoption drive this Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m. at the shelter, located at 2600 S. Harding Street. If the weather permits, dog adoptions will take place outside; and cat adoptions will be inside.
At the adoption event, the shelter will also be offering goody bags while supplies last to help families “get jump started with their new furry friend,” Randall said.
You can see a list of animals available for adoption on the shelter’s Petfinder page. You can also fill out an adoption application online.
Contact IndyStar trending reporter Claire Rafford at crafford@gannett.com or on Twitter @clairerafford.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis animal shelter: ACS offering free pet adoptions Saturday