Welcome to the Indy No-kill Initiative!
The Indy No-Kill initiative seeks to implement proven techniques to Indianapolis to reform the animal welfare community to a philosophy where killing sheltered animals is not the automatic solution to every problem, but only a last resort and used on a small percentage of animals. While to many this may seem an impractical solution to the animal issues faced in our community, it has been proven to be not only practical, but cost effective. It's also a wonderful rallying point for a community that wants to prove itself a sophisticated, world-class city.
Call for animal control board chair's removal following filing of ethics complaint
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On Friday, January 8, 2010, a complaint was filed with the chair of the Ethics Committee of the Indianapolis City-County Council against David Horth, chairman of the Indianapolis Animal Care & Control (IACC) board. The complaint was filed by Greg Brush and Warren Patitz, representatives of two local animal welfare organizations. Mayor Greg Ballard was also copied on the complaint and a request made that Mayor Ballard dismiss Horth from his position on the IACC board.
Shelter chief's probation terms cast serious doubt on recent comments by mayor's office and acting public safety director
Mayor Ballard's office dismissed Warren Patitz as chairman of the Indianapolis Animal Care and Control (IACC) board on Wednesday, September 23, just two hours before the beginning of the scheduled board meeting. The Mayor's office relayed to the media that stray dog calls remain a top complaint to the Mayor's Action Center since 2005 (Indy Star, September 24, “Ballard cans head of animal-control board”). This concern was cited despite a decrease in dog bites in 2009, and IACC fielding over 2000 more service calls under Rae's leadership than had
Time running out to sign petition of support
Time is running out to show your support for the improvements made and still coming at Indianapolis Animal Care & Control!
Weds 9-9-09 IACC board meeting cancelled
About 11am, Sept 9, it was announced that the IACC board meeting scheduled for 6pm this evening has been cancelled. The Public Safety director's office announced there would not be a quorum, as two board members wouldn't be able to attend. When asked, board chairman Patitz said he had not received any notice that any board members would be absent, but for some interesting reason, their absence was reported by the PS office, who does not by law appear to have any direct authority over the operation of the IACC board as outlined in sec. 251 of the ordinance.
Volunteers and partner group hold first-ever spay/neuter event at city's animal shelter
Bright and early on Labor Day, a small army of volunteers met at Indianapolis Animal Care & Control (IACC) to spay and neuter some of the shelter's animals. The shelter routinely spays and neuters animals that are being put up for adoption. Normally this is done by taking the animals from the shelter to a veterinarian under contract with the city. But on this day, the spay & neuter surgeries were happening within the shelter itself.
City to privatize animal shelter???
A new and chilling rumor has surfaced regarding Indianapolis Animal Care & Control (IACC). It's chilling because although it's unsubstantiated, it tends to pull together a lot of pieces of the current puzzle. Right now, IACC is under more intense scrutiny than any time in history. Reports are that administrator Rae is on a very short leash, having to account for every action and file frequent reports; Public Safety (PS) is sending muscle in dark suits in weekly or more often to interrogate staff over any and every detail.
Attack of the Silencer (a.k.a. First Amendment Squasher)
Those of you who attended the Wednesday, August 12 IACC advisory board meeting saw a new face at the table: Erin Pratt. Ms. Pratt is the assistant to the director of public safety. Her role at IACC board meetings is not known, and not described in the ordinance. But at the August 12 meeting, she was The Silencer. She sat quietly throughout the entire meeting until the public comments. When a lady named Joanne Brizzett (sp?) stood up and began to speak, Ms. Pratt sprang into action.
View from an IACC volunteer
Ghandi once said that how a society treats its animals is the best indication of its civility. The recent stories regarding Doug Rae of Indianapolis Animal Care and Control, particularly the segment I watched on WRTV 6 are peculiar in that no one can exactly pin down one good reason why he is apparently on probation.
What's (not) wrong with IACC?
Those who read the one-sided story by Heather Gillers in the Star Wednesday morning would've been certain that Indianapolis Animal Care & Control (IACC) was literally falling apart. It must be so, if the head of the agency is put on probation. I mean, in 2008 when investigators confirmed that the agency was violating Indianapolis law and their own internal policies and animals were being abused and mistreated there was no probation for Adminsitrator Steve Talley or Kennel Manager Kirsten Vantwoud. Obviously things must be worse at the shelter now?
