INDIANAPOLIS — Amanda Dehoney-Hinkle has stepped into the role of director at Indianapolis Animal Care Services (IACS).
With 15 years of leadership experience in municipal shelter operations and animal control, Dehoney-Hinkle tells WRTV she is eager to tackle the challenges facing the agency and enhance the care provided to the animals within the shelter.
"I started out at a young age working the medical side of animal welfare," she recalled. "I had the opportunity to go to the shelter, look for a pet of my own to adopt, and I knew then that I wanted to be in the sheltering side of animal welfare. That kind of drove my passion to get into that.”
Her journey in the field began in 2010 as an animal control officer in Indianapolis, where she eventually advanced to the role of deputy chief of kennel operations by 2016. After a stint in Hancock County, where she oversaw the construction of a new shelter facility, Dehoney-Hinkle now finds herself back in Indianapolis.
“I’ve always hoped that I would get the opportunity to come back to IACS. I jumped on it and I'm very excited to be in my role now,” she said.
Mayor Joe Hogsett appointed Dehoney-Hinkle to her new position on Monday.
As she settles into her new position, Dehoney-Hinkle emphasizes her immediate priorities: “Listening, learning, understanding the challenges that we're facing right now, the current state of IACS where we're at, and then what solutions do we need going forward.”
She acknowledges the importance of assessing current operations and developing strategies in collaboration with staff and volunteers.
WRTV asked Dehoney-Hinkle about overcrowding at IACS.
“It’s a challenge that all shelters across the country are facing. We face it every year. It's the same challenge. You're constantly full. It's never going to stop being full,” she explained. “It's how do we provide them with the best care and the most humane care that we can while they're in our shelter, and what resources can we provide the community to hopefully keep them out of our shelter.”
Looking ahead, Dehoney-Hinkle is enthusiastic about the new IACS facility off Raymond Street, which will expand capacity. The new facility is set to open early next year.
“I think it's going to be amazing. We’re excited to see the ways that this transforms the way we care for our animals. It's going to be great,” she said.
WRTV asked her what the biggest challenge facing IACS is currently.
“I would say intake is probably going to be our biggest challenge, and I think that's a challenge across the country that all shelters face,” she said
When asked what her message to the community Dehoney-Hinkle said this:
“My goal is to create the safest, most humane shelter that it can be for the city and the community,” Dehoney-Hinkle said. “I'm in this with them, and I look forward to working with the volunteers and staff to make that just what everyone wants it to be.”
