Shorter holding period for stray animals means faster adoptions
INDIANAPOLIS – On Monday, October 4, the Indianapolis City-County Council approved a set of ordinance revisions that will give adoptable stray animals a better chance to find new homes.
"By reducing the mandatory holding period for stray animals to four days, we'll be able to move animals onto the adoption floor—and into new homes—much more quickly," said Jeff Bennett, administrator of Animal Care & Control. "Right now, we're missing opportunities to find placements for adoptable animals." The current holding period for stray animals is six days, meaning an animal cannot be evaluated for adoption for nearly a week.
The shelter is filled beyond capacity most of the year, with the majority of animals being held for investigation purposes or for the required six-day holding period. As a result, only one of the four dog kennels and one of the two cat rooms house adoptable animals. Reducing the holding period will create valuable kennel space for adoptable animals with little impact on lost animals being returned to their owners.
Animal Care & Control statistics indicate the normal length of stay at the shelter before a lost animal is returned to its owner is under three days. "Owners typically search the shelter immediately when a pet gets lost," said Bennett. "And we're able to contact owners if their animal has a microchip or other form of identification." Increased use of implanted microchips enables the shelter to more quickly reunite owners and lost pets.
By moving more adoptable animals through the shelter and into homes, euthanasia rates should decrease over time. In addition animals will be less likely to catch or spread disease within the kennel. "Cities such as San Franciso and San Diego, considered 'progressive' in terms of animal control and animal welfare, have four-day holding periods. Phoenix, Arizona, has a three-day holding period," said Animal Care & Control Board President Darcie Kurtz. In Indiana, the City of Fort Wayne has a three-day holding period.
Other ordinance revisions:
Creation of a bonding provision for certain animals held for investigation
Animals held for investigation spend weeks, sometimes months, housed in the city shelter. The city prosecutor and Animal Care & Control often argue that these animals should not be returned to their negligent owners.
Currently owners whose animals are returned by the court are required to pay accrued kennel fees. The bonding provision will require owners who seek to have their animals returned—against the wishes of the City Prosecutor's Office and Animal Care & Control—to post in advance a bond covering estimated kennel fees. If the bond is not posted, the animals would become the property of Animal Care & Control, shortening the sometimes agonizing length of stay for animals under investigation.
Change in adoption fee schedule
Animal Care & Control currently charges a total of $45 per adoption transaction ($35 for adoption, $10 for a mandatory microchip). Every adoption animal has been vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and housed in the shelter for a number of days. The average cost incurred per adoption is estimated to be $52.
Raising the total fee to $60 ($50 for adoption, $10 for a mandatory microchip) will enable Animal Care & Control to more adequately cover costs, while still remaining the lowest-cost local adoption option.
The ordinance revisions come after a year of work by the Indianapolis Animal Care & Control Board, which studied the policies of other cities and heard testimony from the public regarding the proposal. The board voted unanimously in favor of the changes at its July 2004 meeting. "I strongly believe that Animal Care & Control and the animals of our community will greatly benefit from these changes," said Kurtz. Animal Care & Control anticipates phasing in the revisions later this year, with the adoption fee increase taking effect January 1, 2005.
For more information call Indianapolis Animal Care & Control at 317.327.1397.