I'm gonna call this meeting of the community affairs committee to order.

Um we're gonna start with introductions of those on the committee and those in attendance.

I am Ellie Brown, uh Counselor District 10.

Uh councillor Allen.

Councillor Renee Allen, District 15, the Fari Sat.

Uh good evening, also good afternoon, Ron Gibson, District 8.

Uh thanks, Madam Chair, and good evening, everyone.

Keith Graves, District 9 on the Indian Embassy side.

Thank you, Madam Chair Vosley, District 12.

And our guests.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Counselor Dan Boots, uh, District 3, Washington Lawrence Townships.

Thank you, counselors.

Um, before we get started, so today we have a proposal uh that we'll talk about, and then we're gonna hear from animal care services.

I want to remind those in the audience because I know many people have come in.

If you are interested in speaking during the public comment part, please fill it out now.

Um, so that way we are able to roll.

We will do our rules before public comment when it comes to that time, but during the time while uh the director and her staff are presenting, the council is the only ones asking questions and talking, and then we will have public comment after that.

So with proposal one 2026 to reappoint Danielle Heinz to the Animal Care Services Board, she has withdrawn her nomination.

Um if or she has withdrawn her uh desire to remain on the committee.

So with consent of those in attendance, uh I would like to withdraw proposal number one.

Consent.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is that that'll work for us?

Awesome.

Okay.

So uh director, uh, you are welcome to go ahead and roll, and uh we will uh get with questions afterwards.

All right, thank you.

Oh my there we go.

Uh good evening, and thank you for giving us the opportunity to update.

I think I'm gonna turn out your close.

So short.

Short.

Uh good evening, and thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide an update on Indianapolis Animal Care Services.

Uh, the first page you're looking at there is just our department overview.

The following metrics will compare a time period from July 1st, 2025 through March 15th, current 2026.

Um, and then they'll also compare from July 1st, 2024 through March 15, 2025, just to give us kind of a side by side comparison.

Uh during this time, we have expanded our capacity to serve the community, increased life-saving placements, and improved operational efficiency while managing a sustainability higher number of animals entering the system.

Our intake and outcome numbers, we have had a 28% increase in live animals coming in for intakes.

Our live outcomes increased by 27%.

Rescue transfers increased by over 46%.

Our adoptions have increased by 17%, and our live release rate has remained strong at 88.83%.

Uh, just to go a little bit further into enforcement operations, which, if you follow along with the the graphs that are in there and the charts, they're kind of hard to read if you're out in the audience.

I apologize, they are small.

Um Billy can scroll through those for you.

We'll go over enforcement.

Um, our animal care enforcement team has also made significant progress in response times.

Our response time was three and a half days.

It is now 10.51 hours.

That on our part reflects a major improvement in our ability to respond to calls and provide service to residents more effectively.

Our volunteer program growth.

We had 18 volunteers joined in February, and we are currently uh training 19 or 39 volunteers.

I apologize.

Beyond just growing numbers, we've also created a comprehensive volunteer handbook.

We have updated our volunteer liability waiver, revamped volunteer roles and training programs, implemented a more structured onboarding process, and revamped our community service process as well.

As Lucian, our volunteer coordinator finishes the behind the scenes administrative work like orientation materials and training plans.

We do plan to shift to a more focus toward recruitment and expanding volunteer opportunities.

On Saturday, we did a St.

Patrick's Day event, an adoption event, and we adopted out 99 animals in one day.

So we're very proud of that.

That was our highest number since in a single day since 2023.

Our animal care and enrichment.

Uh, we want to recognize a few staff members, Sid, our feline care coordinator, and Jessica are canine enrichment coordinator.

Their work on behavior evaluations, enrichment programming, and animal assessments has been instrumental and helping animals move into homes more quickly.

Our kennel staff has been working extremely hard on deep cleaning and sanitation efforts, which improves our environment for visitors and reduces the risk of disease and cross-contamination among animals.

And additionally, we have multiple veterinarians that are coming in and assisting three to four days a week now.

We have partnered and contracted with IndyHumane.

They send in veterinarians on Mondays and Fridays, and then we also have a contract veterinarian that comes in typically Wednesdays and Thursdays, sometimes just on Wednesdays.

But we do have a vet typically anywhere between three to four days a week now.

Still recruiting for a full-time vet, though.

Behavior and liability standards.

Um, we have also transitioned towards a continuous behavior observation practices, which align with current recommendations from organizations such as ASPCA and Best Friends Animal Society.

Rather than relying on an outdated single temperament test, it includes intake and handling assessment.

So as soon as the animal comes in, how is it acting out through its intake exams?

We do dog to dog introductions, medical and behavior history review, previous owner reports, foster reports, staff and volunteer behavioral observations, and bite history reviews.

This approach allows us to kind of assess the legal and liability standpoint for municipal shelters.

I did put some or I have some case law, just to quote in Indiana, the case Brown versus Southside Animal Shelter in 2020 established that shelters may face liability.

If they fail to properly investigate or disclose known aggression history in adopters or two adopters, so courts, what they look for typically are kennel notes, handling observations, dog to dog interaction notes, and behavioral staff evaluations.

Our move towards continuous documentation and observation strengthens both animal placement decisions and legal compliance.

Operational change and revenue.

We have introduced some operational policies to support sustainability.

We have brought back return to owner fees that were no longer being charged, I believe, since COVID.

Those are those are reinstated again, so that just means if an owner has lost their pet, they come in to reclaim it, they are charged those those fees that are in our ordinances now.

And we are trying to or hoping to bring back our adoption fees beginning in May when we hope to be in the new shelter.

And then one thing I do want to update you guys on.

We did get an OSHA complaint at the facility on March 12th.

Um, that OSHA complaint was in regards to a mouse infestation and rodent contamination at the building.

We do know our facility that we are in presents significant challenges, um, as everyone I'm sure is well aware.

We were built on an old dump and we were never you know a dump site and we were never meant to be a shelter running and operating at this capacity.

Uh so we but we are taking that concern very seriously.

Um we are working with building authority and a rodent pest control company.

They actually were in today and set 150 traps, and we'll be back out weekly to set 150 traps to try to try to mitigate that while we are left in that building for about another six weeks.

As part of that process, we are templar temporarily restricted the use of peanut butter in certain enrichment activities to reduce food attractments.

Um we understand that change can be frustrating for some and our volunteers and staff, however, it is important to note that peanut butter is not the only enrichment tool available for the animals.

They are still getting walks, um, interaction with staff, interaction with volunteers, nylobones and toys, and they are still getting enrichment provided to them by Jess.

And that policy will be readdressed once we are in the new shelter where we expect the rodent problem to be pretty much diminished, hopefully.

Uh, new shelter update.

I do want to provide a new update on that.

Um, I was out last week.

The building is pretty much done.

They are actually installing dog kennels now.

Uh looks fantastic.

We're very excited to get everybody in there for a tour.

I start punch list walkthroughs next week.

There will be three of them because the building is so large, we have to do it in three-hour increment increments.

Uh cat cages will be delivered next week, and we'll start installation.

So we're looking very forward to that.

We are still on track to be complete and in the building by May.

So we're hoping the first week of May we will be in and functioning fully out of the new shelter.

Very excited.

Um let's see.

Well, I do want to introduce Billy as our new deputy director, and then I have a vacancy report to go over with you.

You want to scroll to the vacancy report.

So we now have one hired or hired one deputy director.

Our manager of operations.

I'll just go through them all since that's kind of hard to see, so the crowd can hear too.

Deputy director is hired, administrator.

We had two.

We are down to one.

It will be Kelly LaRoche since Billy has transitioned into deputy director role.

Chief Financial Officer is filled.

Manager of operations on that list shows that it is vacant.

It is filled now.

Volunteer coordinator is filled.

Public information officer is filled.

Placement manager, one we have filled, adoption team leads, counselor, adoption counselors, that whole group is all filled.

Rescue coordinator, feline care coordinator, enrichment coordinator, and foster coordinator.

Again, filled, 100% vacant or 100% there.

IndyCare's coordinator, we are back to searching for one.

Our IndyCare's coordinator is actually who took over our operations manager position.

So that is one open position.

We have two IndyCare specialists that is filled.

Enforcement manager, we have filled that with a person who used to work for Indy for quite a quite a long time.

I think it's Jason Kendig.

I don't know if anyone is aware of him.

He was with Indy Animal Services for quite a few years.

Do you know exactly how many?

He was with us for 10 years, left, and I believe it was 18 and has now come back to serve as our enrichment or enforcement manager.

Customer relations officer, we have one.

We have all three enforcement supervisors have been filled.

And we have 18 animal control officers.

We're slotted for 23, and we have offers out to four of the five positions that are open.

Kennel manager has also been filled.

Kennel shift leader, we have two of them.

They are still there.

Kenneltext, we have 15.

Um, we have an offer out to one currently, we should have 17 total.

Medical manager one, medical shift lead one, veterinary assistant four, and vet assistant two, four, and then one veterinarian that is still open.

We are still recruiting for that.

Uh and we have you know a very strong partnership with our union, Ask Me Local 725.

We we value that friendship and that partnership very much.

Um they are here tonight to support as well, so we want to thank them.

But if you have any questions, I'm open to any questions.

Thank you so much, Director.

Um, I feel like I should give you all before I ask my questions.

I should give you all an update, especially because there's a bunch of volunteers here.

Uh I we adopted Blackjack if you knew Blackjack at the shelter back in the first week of November, and I just want to let you know, four and a half months at our house.

He is a hundred percent a member of the family, my little boy's absolute favorite.

So I want to thank you all for loving him while he was there because he's loving real hard on us now.

Um but uh director, this is great.

We have I have gotten to tour the facility, the new new space, as we look to what you're going to need for that new space.

I know we're gonna have to expand staff, correct?

Because it's a bigger facility, bigger footprint.

Um what is that going to look like going forward?

Uh we have some positions that are open.

We're trying to get them filled.

Um we know that going into that building, we have extra kennel space.

It's the way it's broke down right now.

We have four kennels, we will be moving into ten kennels that are double-sided, so it it will fill like double the cleaning.

So we are definitely going to need probably at least four to five additional kennel staff, um, and then we'll have to evaluate once we're in the building if we're needing additional staff outside of that.

Okay, thank you so much for that.

Um, before I call in the rest of my counselors, I just want to remind anybody in the audience because people came in.

If you're interested in speaking, please sign up on the form that's at the podium.

And after the counselors ask their questions, we will have public comment.

So, counselors, uh questions, comments, concerns.

Counselor Graves.

Thanks, Madam Chair.

Uh, regarding the OSHA uh violation, can you talk a little bit about if this is something that you've seen before?

I know you were uh with the team prior to your current um uh role.

Um have you seen that before?

You mentioned it was on a dump, so I want to know a little bit more about the uh ongoing efforts to uh keep keep uh some of those rodents out of the facility.

Yeah.

It was not I I mean there's there's been mice in the building um from when I was there previously, 2010 to 2016.

Um I I will say I have never seen it this bad.

It is really bad.

Um we have animals, feces, dog food treats, um, things that are spilled, left out.

Unfortunately, I don't know that there's a whole lot we can do in the building that we're in, but we're trying to do as much as we can.

So feeding stations used to be in the hallway where things would get dropped, they'd get left.

Um we're trying to mitigate that.

We've started feeding in the rooms, um, cleaning up whatever you spill, whatever you mess up.

Uh in the mornings, they are deep cleaning the entire front of the kennels, which was a thing they were not doing in the in the beginning.

Um, they're cleaning the tops of the kennels.

Um, there was things that would get put up there that had food on them that would get stuck to the kennel.

So there we understand it's never going to be perfect.

Unfortunately, we we we can't take dogs, you know, food away from the dog, so the food is going to be out, um, but we're just trying to limit ways that we're contributing to it as much as possible.

Thank you for your answer, and thank you for your presentation.

Thank you.

Councilor Gibson.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and uh thank you, uh, director for a very uh extensive uh report, and looks like by all accounts look like you're doing a good job.

My question to you is um you often get a lot of inquiries, and especially recently, and I I I hope you'll be able to kind of address some of those.

I hope you've been copied on some of those emails you received from some of the volunteers and others, and just to try to set the record straight.

If you could do that briefly.

Uh what were the volunteers regarding?

I've gotten some about peanut butter, um, which I kind of addressed.

I think um some of the questions I mean again is about I guess we're we're putting to me uh animals to sleep.

Uh a lot of a lot of questions about that.

About euthanasia rates.

Um, I mean, we're taking in more animals, inevitably you're gonna have to euthanize more animals.

We also want to make sure we are putting out um animals that are safe for the public.

Um we're following ASPCA guidelines, best friend guidelines for dog dog interactions, um, trying to get those animals in rescues, um, trying to do what's best for the public and public safety and for staff that have to handle these animals as well.

So there it there has been, there likely has been an increase in euthanasia, but our live release rate has not decreased.

So we are still life, you know, saving lives and getting animals out of the building.

Yeah, I feel confident that you and your staff are doing whatever you can to try to keep as many alive and adopted and out there.

Yeah, those are hard decisions.

We never want to have a.

So I I I I believe that and uh support that.

Uh, what about the volunteer hours?

We made a compromise.

They are there um Monday through Friday till 8 p.m.

on the weekends.

It is still 7 p.m.

because we're there all day, it's a weekend.

Um, but the the weeknights they are there till eight.

It's not 9 p.m., but it is later than 7 p.m.

when it was when I originally started.

Okay.

And uh my final question, uh Madam Chair, is uh to you, Director, is um how do you feel about your your your your role and uh how how was the morale of your your staff?

I would say right now, morale is doing great.

We're getting the right people in the right positions.

Um everyone's excited to move to the new shelter.

The shelter in general where we're at now is cleaner than when I first arrived.

Um you're always gonna have a disgruntled employee here and there.

I think that's normal with any business.

Uh but I would say right now, from what we can gauge, morale has been improving quite a bit.

Um, and I think the union could also back us on that if they you know most of our staff is union, so well, good to hear.

Uh stay encouraged and keep it the good work.

Thank you very much.

Councillor Bitts.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Director, for the presentation.

Just following up on Councillor Gibson's comments and questions about the euthanasia rate.

Yes.

One area of uh concerns has been shared with me is the animal rescue and then return process.

If a rescue does not work out and the dog is returned or the animal is returned, it's been indicated to me that that is the weak point in the chain where those dogs or animals are more likely to be uh euthanized than others.

So just describe the process for me in particularly uh answer the question do the rescuer organizations, if they bring a dog back and you do not know what to do with it.

And your choices to possibly euthanize that animal, is that rescue agency again then notified that hey Bruno, my former dog's name, which I did get from the rescue.

Um if he has to be put down, do you notify that agency that hey Bruno that you just brought in two days ago is likely to be put down in a day.

Do you do that and then just describe the general process, please?

Do you are you asking like if an if an adopter takes an animal and brings it back?

Rescues don't typically bring animals back.

Okay.

Um so if one is adopted and it comes back, we would reevaluate or depending on how severe or how severe what the reason was it was brought back in.

Is it in because it kept trying to escape?

That animal is probably gonna go back on our adoption floor and be adopted back out.

If it is coming back in because it's attacking other animals, they've worked with the trainers that we've provided them, uh, and the trainers can't do anything with there that you know they've decided that this dog is not going to be safe around other animals, and that animal will likely be euthanized.

Uh and the trainers can't do anything with there that you know they've decided that this dog is not going to be safe around other animals, and that animal will likely be euthanized.

Okay.

And so describe who are exactly rescuers.

Are those individuals or the organizations?

Uh they're usually, and I mean, they're 501c3 organizations generally.

Um I don't think we use any rescues that are not 501c3 organizations that don't own, you know, function and organize their own rescue.

Um a lot of them are foster-based, some of them do have their own shelter um setups, but a lot of them are foster-based.

Do they ever bring an animal back to you for any reason?

Not that I can think of, not that since I've been there, we've not had any.

I believe it's happened once.

Yeah.

Um, and just because the doll became too dangerous for them to have it.

Sure.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Counselors, any other questions?

Okay.

So we're going to do public comment, and our clerk is going to read off the uh rules and all that fun stuff.

But I want to reiterate this is a Marion County Indianapolis meeting that's for Marion County residents to redress their government with grievances.

So you need to be a Marion County resident to come up here and speak.

Um we're going to go through this.

Uh everyone will have two minutes.

We have the buzzer, uh and we'll go over those rules.

But the goal is to make sure that we're hearing our constituents and our residents.

So if when you come up, uh, if you could give us your zip code, because that helps us know if somebody is one of our constituents and we can get directly to you and be able to help assist that way.

Um, especially if you've emailed us because we may not have gotten your address through the email to know what district or what zip code you're in.

Um so, madam clerk, if you could go ahead.

Thank you, madam chair.

Before we open the floor to public comments, we would like to remind committee members and the public of a few ground rules.

So everyone can have a fair chance to speak and be heard.

It is important that we each observe the following rules.

First, each speaker will be limited to two minutes.

Second, any public comments must reasonably relate to the agenda item under consideration.

Third, speakers who stray from the item under consideration or become unduly repetitious, may be asked to move on to their next point or conclude their comments.

Finally, attendees who cause disruptions that prevent the committee from proceeding through tonight's agenda in a reasonably effective manner will be removed.

Please remember that some types of threatening speech or enticements of violence are not protected by the First Amendment at all.

We will deal with those issues if they come up, but we do not think they will.

And now, Madam Chair, if a committee member asks for consent to adopt these rules, we can proceed with public comment.

Consent.

Thank you.

Um I also want to remind everybody in the crowd that you guys are talking to us.

So feel free to talk to us.

Don't uh talk directly to animal care.

If you have questions, ask us, we'll be the ones who would then return the question.

Um so could you go ahead and read off our we'll read off the first person up and then the next person in line so that way you're aware.

Okay, thank you, madam chair.

There are four people that signed up, so I'm gonna read all four, and as they come, they could be able to line up.

Angela Hobson, Laurie Collins, Amy Gong, and Mayanna Ruez.

Thank you.

Come on up.

It's like a parade.

Just start.

Yes, please give us your name, your zip code, and then my name is Angela Hobson.

I run the SOAR initiative.

My zip code is currently 4 stick 222.

Um at that site, we also operate 11,000 square foot building that serves the city of Indianapolis, hospitals, um, housing programs and services, and IACS is also one of our partners.

We work with most facets of departments of ISES every single day.

We talk to ACOs, we talk to people in rescue, we talk to people in medical, um, and we also support rescues and individuals in the community with help to access to vet care.

Um I am impressed with what ICS is progressing towards.

I know that there is going to be a lot of emotion, and I understand it.

Both both valid and things that hurt, right?

This is hard work.

Um, I trust the judgment that they are making with euthanasia, they are not easy.

And we have some of our community that they want to do the best for every animal they can.

But I understand that.

We all want that, but they have to be able to be adaptable once we put in that work.

The shelter is not the place for those those types of rehabs, it's too crowded.

It's too crowded.

Um, it so I don't have any complaint on the direction that we're headed.

And if I do now, I feel like I can directly talk to the appropriate management person and get direct feedback.

Does that make sense?

Like I can work with them.

That being said, I do think that the council should think about increasing the salary if it's through, I don't know if it's through the union or if it is something that's through the city for the rescue coordinator.

We have a good rescue coordinator that is moving positions because the salary doesn't meet the work.

It moves the majority of the animals that are in need, difficult animals, potentially dangerous animals, medical animals that are expensive, into other agencies that helps reduce the burden to the city of the shelter.

So it is important perhaps that we consider doing that.

Thanks.

Thank you, Angela.

Next, please.

Hi, my name is Lori Collins.

I'm the director of Lucius House Bully Rescue, and we are 4627.

Every single day, my team and I we work on the front lines of the city's animal welfare crisis.

We see the dogs come out of our communities, out of the shelter, and out of situations where they have been failed long before they ever got to us.

I want to start by saying this because it matters.

I do recognize that there has been improvements.

We see dogs picked up off the streets more consistently when calls are made.

That matters.

It's important, and I want to acknowledge that.

But I do need to ask respectfully and honestly, improvement to what end?

What we see on the ground and what's presented in reports, they're not lining up.

I can tell you that there's some things that are critical and that we review the process.

Through a public records request, we now know the following.

It takes four weeks for a stray dog from the time it's requested to be picked up.

Four weeks.

Same for our own dog.

Guess what?

In the city of Indianapolis, after 14 days, if somebody's helping a stray, they own that dog.

So then it's an owner surrender.

On paper, this might sound like a lot of time that could help.

It might sound like opportunity, and it might sound like it presents as progress, but progress for who?

Because in the community, we're still seeing dogs euthanized for space.

We're seeing dogs euthanized after failing behavior evaluations while they're injured, scared, or completely shut down.

We still see rescues begging for fosters ready to step up, but not being looped in early enough to be able to actually intervene.

What does this four-week hold for the community look like if the outcome is still the same?

Time alone is not the solution.

Transparency without context is not the solution.

Statistics without outcomes are not the solution.

What matters is not how long an animal is in the building.

What matters is whether that time is being used to actually save them.

Are they getting true decompression time?

Are they receiving appropriate behavioral support?

Are rescues being notified early enough to help?

Or are we simply extending the timeline to inevitable outcomes?

Because from where many of us are sitting, it feels like we're measuring time.

Thank you.

Thank you, Lori.

Thank you, Lori.

Next speaker, please.

Hi, good evening.

My name is Amy Gong.

I'm a Marin County resident and volunteer of uh ICS.

Um so what I have to comment on is what I understand to be a new policy going into the new shelter.

I haven't heard about it in a while, so it could have changed.

Um but from what I understand, dogs will not get be guaranteed to get out of their kennels once a day like they are now.

Currently, they get out once a day for cleaning, they're removed from their kennel, and if they get out twice a day, it's because the volunteers would get them out.

Um in the new shelter, they're gonna have double-sided kennels.

So instead of being removed, they'll just be put on the other side and the kennel will be cleaned.

Um kennel staff, from what I understand will not have responsibility to remove the dogs from their kennels every day.

Um that will be optional for them after their required duties are finished.

Uh, there is a staff canine enrichment coordinator who gets dogs out, but she's only one person.

Um there are a lot of dogs, and there's even more capacity in the new shelter.

Volunteers can also get dogs out, um, but it still results in just a fraction, especially with the numbers still down a lot and the reduced volunteer hours.

Um, my comment is about that.

Um, I have talked to people from a couple other shelters nearby, so Hamilton County Municipal Shelter, Cincinnati.

They both have double-sided kennels, um, and they still have staff get dogs out at least once a day.

Um time out of the kennel with people, improved stress and quality of life.

Um, I think the new shelter is gonna be an improvement in a lot of ways, but in this way, I think we're going in the opposite direction, and I hope that that will be reconsidered.

Thank you.

Thank you, Amy.

Um next speaker.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Mean Ruiz.

My zip code is 46208.

I sit on the board of directors of Lucius House Bully Rescue, and I am the foster coordinator of that rescue as well.

Um, wanted to look back at the goals stated last July for um our director.

One of them was transparent internal and external communication as well as regular engagement with partners.

I know we had cited um the South Side Animal Shelters case earlier and calling for more transparency, but wanted to point out an example of a dog whose name is Lucky, who was up for um euthanasia deadline this past week.

He was brought back after reportedly biting and attacking the adopter at hand.

And the owner requested that he be euthanized because this dog apparently had tried to bite fight 15 times, one five.

And that was not disclosed when I inquired about his record.

Actually, his records were copy and pasted into an email, and I didn't have the full kennel history where it actually said that he was approved for euthanasia, and then the decision was rescinded upon because he was acting affectionate during intake.

So conveniently left that out, and then the decision was revoked, and then he was still up for rescue placement until he was ultimately euthanized yesterday.

So he was not placed, and thank God that he was not placed because he could have really hurt somebody who's a massive mix.

But I would try to poke holes in what the administration is saying and ask really probing questions about you know what kind of information are we relaying?

Uh how valid is it?

What do we have proof of and what do we not have proof of?

And I'd also um urge you to ask about what the plan for moving animals from the old shelter to the new shelter is.

But that's it.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So Lucky was brought to the shelter by an original owner, and that owner said he's a biter.

This is a problem we'd like him put down.

He somehow ended up up for adoption.

He was available for rescue only.

Rescue only.

Okay.

And then so a rescue took up.

One of us could take him.

Okay.

You know, sorry, I'm just trying to follow.

That's fine.

It's confusing for sure.

Um, yeah, so a rescue organization could take him and then adopt him out after they pass whatever medical or behavioral evaluations that there may be.

I almost I I did actually ask Laurie to pull so that we could behaviorally euthanize him because I did not believe that he should be placed in a home.

Okay.

She said no.

Not easily.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you for the clarification on that.

Do we have any other comments from the public?

Anyone else like to speak?

Okay.

Based on public comment, I have a couple of questions for you, Director, if that's okay.

Um, I'm I'm so sorry.

Come on up.

I'll go pretty fast.

I don't want to hear that buzzer from the gong show.

Um I'm Vince Gardner, I'm the president of Ask Me Local 725, and we work hand in hand with the uh individuals uh with the director and the new deputy director, as well as making sure that uh things are being followed by the contract and and making sure we have a safe place for the employees to work.

Even though I'm new in this role, I know I'm a lot shorter than Steve Quick, and he held his position for a long time.

I'm actually proud of the way that the process is moving forward with myself, my new administrative staff with the staff of uh ACS.

Speaking on behalf of the individuals that work in the in the department over there, everybody is ecstatic about the new building.

I've been here over 16 years, and uh this is the first time since I've been employed with the city of Indianapolis that I've been able to see two brand new buildings, one being in solid waste and one going into animal control.

So I want to tip my hat off to you guys with the council, you guys and girls with the council for approving the measures for us to be able to have those facilities for the individuals to work in, and I think it will help in the long run with morale, with uh better treatment of animals, with just making it a better place for everyone to come to work and be happy to be there.

I'm really grateful for everyone that has helped us in this process.

I'm very proud of what of our experience working with animal control, and I hope we could just work out the kinks because wherever you at, you're gonna have kinks.

And if we did have bumps in a row, we wouldn't have uh a need for improvement.

But you're gonna have sunny days and you're gonna have rainy days, but you can't have the rainbow without the rain.

So we'll work through these things, we'll try to get to the other side, and I just want to thank everybody for giving me a moment to speak.

Thank you so much, sir.

Any other public comment?

Okay.

A couple of follow-up questions.

One is can you talk about the four-week hold and what the process is?

If I find a dog running in Lawrence, right?

I know I have Lawrence Animal Care and Control, which also just picks him up and brings them to you guys.

Um, but so I catch I catch a pup in my house.

I can't really keep him.

I've got two dogs, right?

I don't know the vaccination status.

What would I do?

How does that work?

There is, I think right now our current hold time is four weeks.

If you find an animal, we are taking animals if there is space allows us to.

If people walk up to the back door, we are doing that again.

They were not previously.

Um we will ask people, are you able to hold the animal?

If they say yes and they are willing to, then that is what we ask them to do, and we allow them to do that.

Um we try to push that as much as possible just to manage intake because our manage our intake can go from we have a great adoption event.

We're at 85% in literally the next day after officers come in off the street, what they're bringing in overnight, um, what people are walking up are already scheduled appointments for surrenders.

We can be at 102 the next day, 102%.

It fluctuates so much through the week.

Um, if we do get space, there have been times I think it was around in December, we were calling people that had been scheduled out, like hey, we have space.

Do you want to bring it in now?

Um, so it's just part of a managed intake program.

And it depends if they say the animal is aggressive or they cannot absolutely keep it.

We are bringing the animal in.

Okay.

And then my other question is, and it was a good one, and it's I've gotten to tour the new shelter really excited.

How are we transporting the animals?

The officer, the vehicles, the transport trucks that we have.

Okay, yeah.

So same thing, cats and the farm animals, because we have a horse trailer.

We have a trailer.

Okay.

We don't have any farm animals at that time.

You don't need anybody to ride a horse from the west side to the east side or anything, right?

Okay, so it'll be in managed vehicles driven by staff, I would assume because of insurance reasons.

Yes.

Okay.

Okay.

Counselors, are there any other questions, comments, concerns?

Okay.

We have nothing to vote on.

Um, so uh without anything else, I'm gonna go ahead and call the meeting to adjourn or call ask for a motion to adjourn.

Um, and I appreciate you being here.

I appreciate all you volunteers for the amount you care.

Like I said, I get to benefit.

His name is Reggie now, and he's super cute.

So thank you so much for loving on blackjack and everybody else at the shelter.

Thank you all.

Have a great uh rest of your Wednesday.