Two changes to county ordinances will allow animals taken in by the Johnson County Animal Shelter to be adopted more quickly and at a lower cost to the county.
Donations are being impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, so the changes will help the shelter weather the crisis, leaders said.
Everyday at the shelter, county employees respond to animal emergencies and think about ways to get the animals to loving homes, whether by adopting directly from the shelter or by sending the animal to a rescue, where it will live until a permanent home is found. Many rescues send animals to live with a foster family until they are adopted, said Cari Klotzsche, the shelter’s office manager and rescue coordinator.
Impoundment process sped up
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
Click here to purchase photos from this galleryA key change to the shelter’s policy is reducing the number of days it takes for an impounded animal, one taken in by the shelter, to become property of the county.
Speeding up the process from five days to three will give the county more freedom to move animals out of the shelter and into a rescue or local forever home, said Michael Delp, shelter director. Typically, owners reach out within three days if they truly want their animal back, he said.
The change is not just good for the animals, Delp said. It is also good for the shelter’s bottom line.
Moving animals to rescues or homes more quickly allows the county to spend less on veterinary care, food and employee time, he said. It costs up to $80 per day to care for many of the animals, and more for abused and neglected animals who need extra care, he estimates.
Though the time frame will shorten, shelter employees are still going to do their best to locate an animal’s owners. When an animal control officer picks up an animal or one is dropped off, employees immediately check for a microchip and identification tag and reach out to any registered owners. Employees also post photos of the animal on lost pet websites and social media to cast a wider net, Delp said.
The impoundment time frame only applies to stray animals or animals not surrendered by their owner. If an owner surrenders their animal, it immediately becomes county property, he said.
After the animal becomes property of the county, it is either adopted by a local family or driven to a rescue that is willing to take it in, Klotzsche said. That process can take a few days or more, depending on availability at the county’s trusted rescues.
During the impoundment process, shelter employees have the difficult task of making life or death decisions on an animal’s behalf. If an animal is too dangerous or is too ill to recover, it may be put down, but never for lack of space, Delp said.
Since Delp took over as director in 2009, the euthanasia rate has dropped significantly, from a high of 43% of the animals taken in in 2008. In 2019, the shelter euthanized 141 animals; 80% of those were recommended by a veterinarian, and 20% because the animal had attacked or mauled a human, he said.
Employees also assess the animal to determine if it is adoptable in its current state of physical and mental health, or if it needs further care at a rescue or foster home before adoption.
Adoption fees change
Adoption fees are also increasing several 10s of dollars.
This change is due to rising costs of veterinary care, Delp said. The new fees are $150 for dogs of any age — up from $115, for example — $75 for kittens under six months and $50 for cats older than six months.
The prices reflect the most that any dog or cat may cost, but many are adopted for less, Delp said. The fee that is charged for any animal depends on what care had to be administered at a cost to the county to get that animal ready for adoption, he said.
“We don’t make money on adopting out an animal. We just get back exactly what we put into an animal,” Delp said.
For an animal to be full price, the county would have gone all in for its care, including getting it spayed or neutered, administering shots, microchipping it and treating it for heartworms and fleas, he said.
At any price point, owners also get a collar, identification tag and pet toy to take home with them.
When people can go on Facebook yard sale sites or Craigslist and get a free puppy or kitten, it can be hard to convince people to pay any price for a new pet, he said.
Pandemic interrupts donations
Since the shelter’s donation schedule has been interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, every little bit of cost savings help, Delp said. Local scout troops will hold pet food donation drives for the shelter at their schools, but have not been able to since kids have been learning at home since March.
Though the shelves are still stocked with food for now, donations are down compared to what they normally would be this time of year, Delp said. The shelter is still, so far, on its nine-year streak of not having to purchase any pet food due to the community’s continued generosity, he said.
The shelter is funded by tax dollars and through two main fundraisers, the Fur Ball, an annual fundraising gala in February, and Sarah’s Ride, an annual motorcycle event in August. Many in-kind donations are given too, such as pet food and toys, as well as time by many local groups, Delp said.
Last year, the shelter received $623,904 in tax dollars from the county, which funded 10 employee salaries and benefits packages, as well as everyday expenses of the shelter, such as utilities and facility maintenance.
For animal care expenses, the shelter raises about $60,000 to $70,000 annually, he said. In 2019, donations helped 1,798 animals, including 985 cats, 727 dogs and 86 other animals, such as exotic pets, wild animals and livestock.
Since this year’s Fur Ball happened before the pandemic made its way to Indiana, the shelter didn’t miss out on fundraising for that event. So far, Sarah’s Ride is still set for Aug. 22, but it is hard to say if it will receive the same response as normal, he said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”How to help” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
The Johnson County Animal Shelter needs the the following items:
For dogs: pig ears, nyla bones, kongs, grain free dog and puppy food, dog treats, dog beds, harnesses, leashes and collars or all sizes.
For cats: Purina Kitten Chow – the yellow bag, canned pate cat food, dry grain free, cat food, cat toy wands.
General use: gas cards, monetary donations, original Dawn dish soap, paper towels, hand sanitizer, 13 and 39 gallon trash bags, bleach and laundry detergent.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
