Residents speak out to animal shelter

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Residents speak out to animal shelter

By Heather Gillers
heather.gillers@indystar.com

Residents aired concerns ranging from adoption to public safety to animal health at a monthly meeting of city animal shelter officials Wednesday.

The Animal Care and Control Advisory Board heard requests for more adoptions, better kennel conditions and more thorough screening of prospective owners. Concerns focused on those who want to adopt the shelters' pit bulls, a breed sometimes used for dogfighting or mistreated by owners.

"There are so many of the wrong type of people that want to adopt pit bull terriers," Amy Lyon, founder of the dog rescue group ASTRO said at the meeting.

Director Douglas Rae, who joined the shelter last month, plans to end the city's policy of euthanizing pit bulls admitted to the shelter. The idea that has drawn praise from animal rights groups and criticism from dog bite victims, including a Northside woman who lost part of her leg in a pit bull mauling last month.

Rae said he plans to dedicate more staff time to adoption counseling and to thoroughly review other kennel practices. He said he also intends to examine operations in the field, where animal control officers capture threatening and loose dogs.