Indy animal shelters overcrowded, offer free pet adoptions during May event

Cate Charron, Indianapolis Star
·2 min read
5

If you're looking for a new friend named "Lasagna," "Sir Cornelius" or "Notorious D.O.G," a local animal shelter event will help you connect.

Two Indianapolis animal shelters, IndyHumane and Indianapolis Animal Care Services, are offering free adoptions to entice potential pet owners to take home a new animal as shelters hit crisis levels of overcrowding.

The price cuts are part of the national BISSELL Pet Foundation's "Empty the Shelters” event, a national grant-funded initiative to move pets out of shelters into loving homes. The foundation can provide funding twice a year to participating shelters that apply.

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IndyHumane is waiving adoption fees through May 15 for adult cat and dog adoptions. Indianapolis Animal Care Services is continuing its free adoptions for all 130 adoptable animals until further notice.

Available pets can be found on the IndyHumane and Indianapolis Animal Care Services websites.

To check out the other 14 Hoosier shelters offering pet adoption deals, pet lovers can head to the BISSELL Pet Foundation website.

After staffing and kennel shortage issues, Indianapolis Animal Care Services only intakes animals in emergency situations, noting all animals are at risk to be euthanized. In a Wednesday news release, the shelter said are asked to take in 45 animals a day and have a 6-week wait for eligible surrender appointments.

"Emergency" conditions: Indy's animal shelter faces 'dire' overcrowding. How to help even if you don't adopt.

How to adopt

According to its Facebook, IndyHumane is appointment only. Patrons can fill out an adoption application online.

IndyHumane, 7929 N. Michigan Road, is open from noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The shelter is closed on Mondays.

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Interested pet owners can drop into Indianapolis Animal Care Services at 2600 S. Harding St. or expedite their trip by filling out an adoption application online for a specific animal.

The shelter has walk-up adoptions daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Friday through Sunday. On Thursdays, they are open an extra hour, closing at 6:30 p.m.

Contact IndyStar Pulliam Fellow Cate Charron at ccharron@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @catecharron.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis animal shelters drop fees to boost dog, cat adoptions