Indianapolis is in crisis…

There is a huge canine overpopulation problem in Indianapolis. https://rb.gy/pdgrj Irresponsible owners and backyard breeders are the cause. To address this crisis, I've created a Change.org petition and an action group called Indy Dog Advocates to get the Indianapolis City-County Council, Mayor and Marion County Prosecutor to address the situation.

Indianapolis Animal Control Services (IACS) get more animals every day than are adopted out or pulled by rescue groups. This is unsustainable. Because of the strain these numbers cause, dogs are often euthanized because they can’t be placed for adoption, aren’t pulled by a rescue and a variety of other reasons. Consistently, four in one dogs are euthanized at IACS. We have produced a public awareness video about the crisis: https://youtu.be/0LuLz_m47Yo .

We propose a three point plan to deal with the issue. First, increasing the availability of low cost spay/neuter services is an obvious part of the answer. For low-income citizens, low cost spay/neuter services are available from several sources in our city. However, the need far outstrips the availability. The city should make grants to these organizations so they can expand their operations to serve more people and meet current demand.

This proposal will address the current crisis, help save innocent lives in our city shelter and reduce the number of dogs in horrible circumstances  https://rb.gy/iu2va. These situations are made possible by the incredible number of homeless dogs.

The second part of the solution is mandatory licensure of all breeders with mandatory microchipping. Backyard breeders contribute considerably to canine overpopulation and suffering. Backyard breeders often keep their dogs in deplorable conditions and supply dogs for dog fighting rings. Additionally, it is imperative that breeders be required to microchip all of their dogs so that a dog that ends up in IACS can be returned to the breeder. Failure to microchip should result in a substantial fine.

The final point of the proposal is essential to its over all success. Enforcement. IACS will need additional resources to deal with the additional dogs which will make their way into IACS custody during the first few years. It will need an additional employee to issue breeder licenses and levy fines for failure to get a license. Additionally, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office needs to establish new guidelines and positions to enforce the existing animal neglect and abuse laws. Currently, the prosecutor’s office very rarely pursues animal cruelty cases.

Mahatma Gandhi said: “the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.” As things stand, Indianapolis is certainly not measuring up. However, this three point plan would allow the city shelter, and rescues, to stop struggling to survive. We CAN make meaningful change to the canine overpopulation crisis, help local rescues and the city shelter, and ensure that dogs have better lives. Please check out the petition, which explains the proposal in detail, SIGN and SHARE with your friends. https://chng.it/WWJTSgWTmV