INDIANAPOLIS — The long-awaited updated and larger animal shelter for Indianapolis Animal Care Services (IACS) at 5001 E. Raymond St. will soon be open. Construction will be finished in March and IACS will be moving into the space in April. The City will be hosting a public grand opening in early May.
Improvements include:
• 234 dog kennels (182 are indoor/outdoor). There are currently 210 kennels.
• 80 cat condos
• All dog and cat spaces have access to natural light through windows or skylights.
• 61,000 total square feet — more than double the size of the current shelter.
• State-of-the-art vet care space
• 2-acre public dog park (managed by Indy Parks)
• 2 outdoor and 3 indoor cat group play rooms
• Large barn and 2 acres of pasture space for livestock animals
• 12 outdoor dog runs
• 10 indoor public visitation rooms
• Large outdoor meet-and-greet space
• Dog walking path around site and pond (secured inside fence for shelter use only)
The new shelter will address the long-standing problem of the shelter having no room for new admissions of cats and dogs. The old shelter was originally built for short stray holding, and was never meant to be used as an animal welfare center. Despite the best efforts of rescue groups and spay/neuter advocates, the number of strays and owner surrenders continue to climb.
The Friends of Indy Animals organization raises funds to support the IACS in its efforts to help animals in the city, They have created programs to help pet owners with training, kept pets out of the shelter through IndyCARES, and much more. Visit friendsofindyanimals.org for more information and to donate.
