INDIANAPOLIS -- It's illegal in Marion County to do so, but that hasn't stopped people from abandoning six animals on Humane Society of Indianapolis property in a month.
According to Marion County ordinance, it's "unlawful for a person to abandon any animal on public or private property in the city."
There were staff and volunteers inside the building each time these animals were dumped, and IndyHumane staff would like to encourage people to come inside, talk to them, and discuss options for their pets.
"We know people care, and we believe they want to do the right thing for their animals. So we are asking our community to please think about the many dangers a pet may face if left unattended on IndyHumane property. It's extremely dangerous, and also against the law, to leave an animal abandoned outside. During the winter months, abandoning animals is especially dangerous. Had our staff and volunteers not found these animals, their stories could have turned out much differently," said Kirsten VantWoud, IndyHumane Chief Operations Officer.
Since December 30, 2016, the following animals were abandoned on IndyHumane property:
- December 30 - volunteer found a shivering Chihuahua (Mochi) running on IndyHumane property. Surveillance footage showed he was abandoned 10 minutes prior.
- January 25 - a skinny terrier mix (Cookie) was found abandoned at the IndyHumane Animal Welfare Center. He was tied to a fence. Cookie is in need of medical sponsorship to treat pressure sores, most likely caused from being kept in a small kennel or crate for long periods of time
- January 28 - a 1-year-old tabby (Benny the Jet) was found near IndyHumane's vaccine clinic
- January 30 - two adult cats (Hitch and Hike) were left along just outside IndyHumane's vaccine clinic. A volunteer noticed a man walking with a cat carrier shortly before the cats were discovered.
- January 31 - a puppy (Felix) was found tied to a lamp post in IndyHumane's north parking lot. A crate and pet supplies were discarded nearby.
All of the animals have been adopted except for Cookie.
If you need help with your pets, call the shelter at (317) 872-5650 ext. 0, or call 211 to discuss available resources across central Indiana.
