Surrender a Pet

We are a limited-admission facility.  We do not put animals down (euthanize) due to space or time constraints. We only take in as many as we can commit to each week.

You will need to call for an appointment, for both strays and owner-surrenders.   We know there are many more animals in need than we can take in. We are often booked several weeks in advance. Some people have had to wait more than a month for an appointment. Please do everything you can during the wait to find a home for your pet yourself, or modify your lifestyle so that you are able to keep your pet. We're sorry, but due to limited financial resources we can't help further. We don't receive any funds from HSUS or ASPCA. All donations are local. 

• Please, download the 2013 Animal Welfare Alliance Resource Flyer for a comprehensive list of low-cost pet services, food pantries, and more. We hope this will help keep the animal in your home and out of the shelter.
• Check out our advice on  re-homing your pet to a friend, neighbor or family member who is interested in having a pet.
• Refer to our Pet Advice & Resources for help with behavior and other problematic issues.

If you’ve exhausted all options to keep your pet or find a new home for him or her, call 317.872.5650 x 0 to make an appointment. We don't have staff to answer calls live, so please leave a message and we'll call back as quickly as possible. Strays in your possession for 30 days or longer are considered owned. We do not accept feral cats, small mammals or wild animals, though we can help you find a rescue organization that can help.

If you are not able to wait for an appointment and must surrender the animal immediately you can contact the Indianapolis city animal shelter (IACC) listed below.  IACC is inadequately funded by tax dollars and is overwhelmed. They took in 17,741 animals in 2010. 8,879 were killed primarily due to lack of space. That means 24 animals lose their lives 365 days per year. 

Indianapolis Care and Control (IACC)

Indianapolis Animal Care and Control

2600 South Harding St.
Indianapolis, IN  46221

Weekdays: 10am - 6pm
Wed: 10am - 7pm
Sat: 10am - 6pm
Closed: Sun. & Holidays

• No appointment is needed, but there may be a wait time at the receiving door.
• To request assistance or report animal abuse, call the Mayor's Action Center at 317.327.4622
• You can also submit a request on-line: http://www.indy.gov/egov/mayor/mac/Pages/home.aspx
• For general questions for Animal Care and Control, call their business office at 317.327.1397
• For after-hours urgent animal matters, call the police non-emergency number at 317.327.3811.

 

For Stray and Feral Cats

For assistance with outdoor cats, contact IndyFeral.org or call 596-2300. IndyFeral is a a resource for caretakers and friends of stray and feral cats.

 

IndyHumane does not require any fee to drop off an animal, but donations to help care for the animal are gladly accepted. We do not receive any tax money or funding from national animal welfare groups for the care of our animals. All of our efforts are supported solely by private donations.