KILL 22,000 ANIMALS IN ONE YEAR
Continued
Thousands of innocent animals are dying every year, and the shelters need to be made accountable.
7929 North Michigan Road
Indianapolis, IN 46268
Phone: 317-872-5650
Administration Fax: 317-876-2428
Second Fax: 317-876-2417
Website: http://www.indyhumane.com
Executive Director
[email protected]
Carla Cox
Community Relations, Marketing
[email protected]
317.876.2422
Mike Goss
Shelter Manager
[email protected]
Mike Weaver
Assistant Executive Director
[email protected]
317.872.5650 ext. 115
2600 South Harding Street
Indianapolis, IN 46221
Phone: 317-327-4622
Fax: 317-327-1390
Sorry-they would not give out email addresses.
Lisa Redd
Administrator
2501 City-County Building
200 East Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: 317-327-3601
Fax: 317-327-3980
http://www.indygov.org/mayor/feedback.htm
Humane Society board president says series was unfair but exposed key issues.
By Bill Theobald and Bonnie Harris
Indianapolis Star
October 17, 2001
In response to a series in The Indianapolis Star on the treatment of unwanted animals, Chief Deputy Mayor Michael O'Connor said Tuesday that the city will:
� Review audits of the contract between the city and the Humane Society of Indianapolis. The society was hired last year to operate the city shelter. Based on those reviews, the mayor's office may request more in-depth audits.
� Determine whether the treatment of animals at the city's shelter violates city ordinance. City legal staff will investigate that issue.
Also Tuesday, the president of the Humane Society's board said the series was unfair but exposed important issues in animal welfare. Lucius Hamilton said the Humane Society would be looking at ways to improve its operation but offered no concrete plans.
O'Connor said the city's focus will be on reducing the number of dogs and cats killed at its shelter. Last year, about 12,000 animals were euthanized at the city shelter, and 10,000 were destroyed at the Humane Society shelter.
"We are very concerned," O'Connor said. "We take these matters very seriously."
The six-month Star investigation found that animals at the city shelter are not separated as required by law, resulting in the spread of disease and eventual euthanization. The city also provides minimal veterinary care, even though the ordinance mandates "licensed, regular veterinary care" for shelter animals. Finally, the law mandates that animals -- many of which are strays or have been abused -- receive clean, fresh bedding in their cages every day. That rarely happens.
The mayor, O'Connor said, may call for city funding to support spaying and neutering of animals -- one of the key ways in which other cities have reduced their rates of killing.
O'Connor said the Peterson administration inherited the problems at the shelter from the administration of former Mayor Stephen Goldsmith.
Under Peterson, he said, the city has made progress at the shelter -- including an air-handling system installed this summer -- but officials realize more must be done.
They had hoped the Humane Society could help slow the killing of dogs and cats.
"We're, I think, as disappointed as anybody that those euthanasia rates haven't been lowered," O'Connor said.
At the Humane Society news conference, Hamilton said, "I can assure you that over the next few months, if we can find that we could be fulfilling our mission more effectively, we will take the necessary steps to do even more than we already do."
The Star found the Humane Society has not done enough to help lower the number of unwanted animals in the community.
The society has refused to fund high-volume, low-cost spay-neuter clinics, and its education programs tend to be traditional and limited. It hasn't studied the problem and attitudes in the community in order to better target its resources.
Hamilton claimed the series omitted important information.
The Humane Society said those omissions included mention of its foster care program for puppies and kittens. Volunteers take home animals and care for them until they are old enough for adoption, saving more than 300 puppies and kittens from euthanasia every year.
Marsha Spring, society executive director, said the paper should be ashamed for publishing video and photos of euthanized dogs and the killing process.
"If I have to say 'shame on you' for anything, since you said shame on me so many times in your article, I'm going to say people have been absolutely, totally upset over seeing that. I really do have to say 'shame on you' for doing that."
Editors at The Star said they took great pains to tell the story responsibly and completely -- and that included publishing some graphic photographs.
"Ms. Spring raised issues that many of our readers raised. And what we're telling them is that a great deal of thought and discussion went into the decision to publish these photos," said Nancy Winkley, deputy managing editor.
"To not publish them would have left the results of the investigation incomplete."
Many readers have commended the newspaper for publishing the photos.
Said Marilyn Moores, former city-county councilwoman who spearheaded efforts to improve the city shelter:
"It's high time that people got dragged out of the comfort of their ignorance to see the reality of the barrels and barrels of dead dogs and cats that are caused directly by people not spaying or neutering their pets."
She said the barrels show a lot, too, about the efforts of the city and the Humane Society.
"We've seen dramatic and graphic proof that what has been done to date has fail
Contact Bill Theobald at 1-317-444-6602 or via e-mail at [email protected]
or
