IACS restricts animal intake following a recent dog shelter death

Indianapolis, Indiana – Indianapolis Animal Care Services officials declared on Thursday that the organization will only be accepting animals on an emergency basis going forward.

This occurs when a dog “suddenly and unexpectedly passed away less than 24 hours after first exhibiting signs of illness,” according to a press statement from IACS. According to the announcement, the shelter took this decision out of extreme prudence.

IACS submitted test samples from the dog, but the findings are still pending. The number of fresh animals admitted to the shelter will be restricted while it awaits test results. According to the press release, this allows the shelter to oversee and possibly even care for its current clientele.

The announcement stated that “shelter management is putting together protocols and planning how they will be implemented, depending on test results, under the guidance of shelter medicine experts.” The release stated, “IACS will restart intake of animals in non-emergency situations if test results are negative or after a suitable quarantine period. In the interim, the shelter will still accept animals that have been harmed or pose a risk to public safety.

The animals will still be up for adoption, officials said, even while the shelter puts its temporary intake policies into effect. There were 162 dogs and 43 cats available for adoption at the shelter as of Thursday. The shelter is located at 2600 S. Harding St. and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.