INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — An investigation is underway after a dog died at the Indianapolis Animal Care Services shelter on Wednesday.
In a press release from IACS Director Amanda DeHoney-Hinkle sent on Thursday, a Great Dane named Stitch was confined to the outdoor portion of his kennel for an extended period of time and suffered from severe heat stroke.
Despite emergency intervention, medical staff determined the extent of his condition was irreversible, and, to prevent further suffering, made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize him.
IACS said in anticipation of the extreme heat, the kennel manager informed the kennel supervisor of cleaning procedures for the heat wave on Tuesday.
The release said staff were instructed to clean one side of the kennel at a time, immediately put the dogs back in the indoor portion of their kennels, and move on to the next group. This was to ensure the dogs would not spend too much time in the outdoor portion. However, around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, a staff member informed the kennel manager that they had never been instructed to clean one side of the kennel at a time.
The investigation will determine if any disciplinary action will be taken. In the meantime, IACS leaders said they are taking immediate steps to ensure staff understand policies during severe weather conditions and reviewing operational procedures so emergency protocols are implemented to prevent an incident like this from happening again.
"Our entire team is devastated by the loss of Stitch. Our staff dedicate themselves every day to protecting and caring for the animals entrusted to us, which makes this incident especially heartbreaking," DeHoney-Hinkle said in the release.
IACS also addressed information circulating on social media, claiming multiple dogs have dies in their care.
"Stitch is the only dog in the care of Indianapolis Animal Care Services that suffered or died from heat stroke," DeHoney-Hinkle said. "Animal Control Officers and members of the public brought in several dogs suffering from suspected heat-related illness. Those dogs were not already in our custody, received prompt medical treatment upon arrival, and survived."
IACS said they will provide more details once the investigation is complete.
The 61,000-square-foot facility on Raymond Street opened in May.
