Committee Approves Amanda Dehoney as Animal Care Director on July 23, 2025
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Community Affairs Committee Approves Amanda Dehoney as IACS Director on July 23, 2025
The Community Affairs Committee of the Indianapolis City-County Council met on July 23, 2025, to consider Proposal 208-2025, which confirms the mayor's appointment of Amanda Dehoney as director of the Animal Care Services Agency (IACS). After a presentation by the nominee, councilor questions, and public comment from three volunteers, the committee voted unanimously to send the proposal to the full council with a "do pass" recommendation.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Amy Gong (Irvington, IACS volunteer): Welcomed Dehoney, supported review of volunteer hours, and encouraged collaboration.
- Jessica Perry (Broadway, IACS volunteer): Welcomed Dehoney, emphasized the need to restore volunteer hours and restart volunteer onboarding, noting the six-month halt on new volunteers.
- Monica Griffin (Perry Township, IACS volunteer): Welcomed Dehoney, cited a loss of 4,500 volunteer hours from January–May 2024 to the same period in 2025, and called for mutual respect and expanded volunteer opportunities.
Discussion Items
- Amanda Dehoney presented her qualifications: 20 years in animal welfare, including service at IACS (2010–2016) and as director at Greenfield Hancock Animal Management (9 years). Key accomplishments: designing a new 13,000 sq. ft. shelter, improving staff morale, increasing volunteers from 2 to 75, and reducing euthanasia. Her goals for IACS include maintaining union relationships, boosting staff morale, building a structured volunteer program, increasing transparency, and strengthening the advisory board.
- Councilor Questions:
- Councilor Graves asked about staff morale and animal well-being. Dehoney reported positive early observations and noted that animals are being walked daily with behavior meetings.
- Councilor Roberts praised the presentation and emphasized the importance of communication and strengthening the advisory board.
- Councilor Hart asked about her problem-solving approach; Dehoney described a process of stepping back, assessing the challenge, and determining the best outcome.
- Councilor Boots raised concerns about reduced volunteer hours, the lack of a volunteer coordinator, managed intake policies, the five-day stray hold (later clarified as three-week appointment delays), and the absence of background checks for adoptions (my-case). He urged Dehoney to address these issues.
- Councilor Brown (chair) expressed interest in a public meeting for Lawrence residents, as the city relies on IACS.
- Billy Bowling (IACS operations administrator) clarified that stray intake appointments are currently scheduled three weeks out, not the five-day hold period discussed.
Key Outcomes
- Motion by Councilor Roberts to send Proposal 208-2025 to the full council with a "do pass" recommendation.
- Vote: All ayes, unanimous.
- The appointment will be considered at the full council meeting on August 11, 2025 (corrected from August 12).
Meeting Transcript
Hello, everybody, welcome. My name is Allie Brown. I'm the chair of the community affairs committee. We are going to be having our meetings tonight. We're going to start with introductions. We'll start to my left. And then we'll go right. Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Michael Paul Hart, representing District 20. Thanks, Madam Chair, and good evening, everyone. My name is Keith Graves. I represent Council District 9 on the east side. Thank you, Madam Chair. Kristen Jones, District 18. Thank you, Madam Chair, Nick Roberts, District 4. Thank you, Madam Chair, Dan Boots. I'm sitting in, and I appreciate the chairman's opportunity to participate this evening. District 3, thank you. Thank you. So tonight we're hearing one proposal. Oh, I'm Allie Brown, District 10. Uh tonight we're hearing one proposal, which is proposal number 208 2025, which approves the mayor's appointment of Amanda Dehoney as the director of the animal care services agency. So just to set expectations for everyone tonight, what this meeting is. This is our public comment meeting on this bill. So what we're gonna do is Director Dehoney is going to give her presentation. Counselors will then ask questions. We will then call up for public questions. For you guys, you see these two dangly things, those are the microphones, so you can choose to stand under either one of those, but that way you get picked up. I know it's like the best technology of the 70s, still living here at the city hall. Um so that's how it'll go. You'll get two minutes. There is a timer, it's the rules of the council. So when you hit two minutes, I will ask you to sit down. I know it's not fun, and I know it's weird to talk very fast, but uh it's it's how we roll through here. And then after we hear public comment, questions go back to counselors, and then we'll vote whether to send this on to the full council with a do pass recommendation or uh do not pass recommendation to our council meeting that happens August 12th, I believe. 11th, sorry. So we'll go ahead and get started. Um Director, would you like to go ahead? Thank you, everyone, for coming tonight for allowing me to be here. Just make sure the mics are on. We get a lot of complaints in this room. It's just a little thing. Okay, I'll start over. Thank you, everyone for coming and allowing me to be here. My name is Amanda Dehoney Hinkle. Um I am hoping you will pass the vote for me to be director of IACS. Um, I especially want to give thanks to Allie Brown and Councillor Nick Roberts for being my sponsorship and the entire committee for having me here tonight. And a huge thank you to the very hardworking staff at IACS. Um, I'm excited to work alongside of you and some of you again. And a big thank you to our volunteers whose dedication keeps our shelter operating and our animals safe.
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