Every year, nearly 125,000 dogs and cats are taken in by animal shelters in Indiana, and nearly 40 percent of these homeless animals are euthanized. This alarming number, provided by the Spay-Neuter Services of Indiana, can be reduced through sterilization.
Our state invests significant resources in animal control efforts. Stray and roaming animals are usually poorly cared for and can be carriers of disease, and some of these diseases can be transmitted from animals to people. Stray animals also pose a threat to healthy pets and livestock. Then there’s nuisance problems, like spraying from cats, fecal pollution, and aggression toward citizens who are out for a walk or playing in our parks.
Private and public animal care and control facilities work tirelessly to find responsible owners for homeless animals. But, they are facing an uphill battle. There are still a lot of people who allow cats and dogs to reproduce with little chance of finding homes for offspring.
Many citizens also dedicate personal time, finances and resources to reduce pet overpopulation and euthanasia.
Lawmakers are stepping up their efforts by tasking the board of animal health to establish a registry of animal care facilities. This will foster better communication between state officials and the number of rescue groups across Indiana. Policymakers are working to also obtain more comprehensive data concerning the number of homeless animals in our state and euthanasia rates. As of July 1, 2021, all dogs and cats in animal care facilities must be spayed or neutered before adoption. This will considerably help regulate the animal population.
While some communities offer low-cost, sometimes even free, spay and neuter services, people in rural communities may not be able to access these resources. Perhaps we can incentivize more home-town veterinarians to provide free spay and neuter services by offering them tax credits. These tax credits could help cover their overhead costs associated with the services, and some of the heavy financial burdens placed on the state could be offset. I plan on presenting a bill to do just this during next year’s legislative session.
As we all work to combat pet overpopulation, please be part of the solution by always spaying and neutering your pets, adopting pets from legitimate shelters or rescue groups, and encouraging others to do the same. And remember, thoroughly consider the responsibilities and consequences of pet ownership before deciding to adopt – it’s a lifetime commitment.
For questions or input, contact me at 317-232-9833 or by email at h75@iga.in.gov.
Bacon, I call on you to debate to hold your seat. No more hiding from the electorate, no more phony feel good pet press releases, debate Bacon, debate. What are you afraid of?
July 1, 2021 – Are you kidding me!!! This requirement deadline should have been established long before now and been in effect for years already. Peoples’ treatment of animals, all animals, is pathetic for the most part. I commend the local rescues and shelters who fight an uphill battle every day. They take the stress while the general public goes on its merry way oblivious to the on going abuse taking place in our area. and all over the world. But know this. We animal caregivers will win the long battle in the end because it is right and just and merciful.
For anyone who is interested, my spouse and I have started a sanctuary for elderly, abused, and disabled dogs. This also includes medically compromised dogs. We have been doing this in some form in our home for a few years now and recently have found a place to remodel and use to carry out our charity to greater effect. Please wish us luck and consider donating if you can. Our vet bills are ever present and get higher as our population gets older. This plus feed and medications keep our finances tight. I have filed for our 501(c)(3) (which takes a while to get a response from) and currently are a state non-profit corp and have our EIN. We hope to get a facebook page and website up in the fall but right now the physical facility comes first. Thanks for listening.
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