Every day, at least one good Samaritan is helping the Johnson County Animal Shelter thrive.
Scout troops and churches have built benches, picnic tables, bat houses and animal enclosures at the shelter. A baseball league brought 90 children to help with landscaping over the summer.
Families that have adopted animals from the shelter pull up in trucks stuffed with donated food and toys, and volunteers plan events to raise money to pay for medical care of the animals being housed at the shelter. Children have forgone birthday gifts and asked birthday party guests to bring items for the animal shelter instead.
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Elementary school classes compete against each other to see who can donate the most items to the shelter. A county commissioner donates money that makes it possible to offer free adoptions a few times a year.
Nearly daily, the shelter gets donations of food for the animals. So many donations of food roll in that the shelter has not had to use taxpayer dollars to feed the animals in eight years.
The Johnson County Animal Shelter’s $623,904 budget is used to pay the salaries of workers and utility bills. The annual budget is approved by the Johnson County Council.
Everything else the shelter has is thanks to its many volunteers, said Michael Delp, Johnson County Animal Control director.
A need to organize those volunteers led officials to create a new position at the shelter, Delp said. The reason volunteers are likely drawn to helping the shelter is because of the animals it serves, Delp said.
“People love animals,” he said.
The Johnson County shelter operates differently than most government shelters. Workers have not had to euthanize an animal due to space issues in nearly a decade, which was a goal of Delp’s when he took over.
Volunteers also respond to calls for specific needs outside of food, toys and larger projects at the animal shelter. When the shelter runs low on needed supplies, such as bleach or dish soap, a call out on social media usually does the trick in no time, Delp said.
A recent social media post late last week featured a need for pads and included an Amazon link. Within days, people commented that they had ordered items and sent them to the shelter.
“The public always responds. They are fantastic,” Delp said.
A few years ago, a woman came into the animal shelter and asked for a tour. She told Delp she was going to leave part of her estate to the shelter in her will. Earlier this year, Delp discovered she had kept that promise.
“If someone comes in and wants a tour, give them a tour,” he said.
Lil Deans, a volunteer at the animal shelter, is helping organize a black-tie ball dubbed the Johnson County Fur Ball.
The February event raised $21,000 this year. That money helps cover the costs of medical care for the animals.
Madison Street Social Club and the Shelbyville Eagle Riders raised $31,000 in the annual Goin’ to the Dogs motorcycle ride, organized in memory of Sara Woods. Woods died of a car accident in 2008 and her family’s friends have organized the event nearly every year since her death. More than $89,000 has been raised.
Without the help of volunteers, Delp suspects the shelter would go the way of shelters in other areas, which often have high employee turnover and dingy facilities.
“We would be like a lot of other animal shelters — dingy, dark, dirty, scraping by,” he said.
But its not, and it’s the animals that reap the benefits.
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8: Years since the animal shelter has had to buy food with taxpayer dollars
$400,000: Money donated directly to the shelter in the last 10 years
$25,000: Estimated value of donated items annually
$623,904: Animal control’s annual budget
10: Years since the animal shelter has had to euthanize an animal due to space issues
$21,000: Amount raised at the 2019 Johnson County Fur Ball
$31,000: Amount raised from Goin’ To the Dogs Memorial Ride
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Animal adoption fees at the Johnson County Animal Shelter are being waived for December.
The shelter at 2160 Graham Road, Franklin, is waiving all adoption costs for their annual Home for the Holidays adoption program.
Brian Baird, a Johnson County commissioner, donates to the shelter to cover the fees.
For more information, call 317-736-3924.
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What: Johnson County Fur Ball
When: 7 to 11:30 p.m. Feb. 15
Where: Sycamore at Mallow Run, 7070 W. Whiteland Road, Bargersville
Cost: $75 for a single ticket. Other ticket packages are available.
Buy tickets at johnsoncountyfurball.com
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