Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are answers to the questions most often asked of us. Please review the answers below before you call or e-mail us. If you've read the FAQ questions and answers below and still have a question for us, you can reach us at indiana-paw@indy.rr.com. Thank you!
"I Can't Keep My Pet. Can Indiana-PAW Help?"
Indiana-PAW isn't a shelter (we focus on animal welfare education), and so there are limits to what we can do to help someone in your situation. Every year, we receive hundreds of phone calls and e-mails from Hoosiers who want to give up their pets. Our agency's role is to provide these citizens with practical advice regarding available options and resources. Here is what we suggest if you are thinking about giving up your pet:
- Try To Work Through Your Problem: Are you allergic to your pet? Are you having problems getting your pet to get along with another member of the family? Is your pet soiling the house or chewing up your belongings? Are you having financial problems? Indiana-PAW strongly encourages you to try to resolve the issue and keep your pet, rather than surrender your pet into our already-choking Indiana shelter system, which is overflowing with unwanted animals - many of whom must be euthanized due to a lack of homes. Here is what we suggest:
- Please review our Indiana-PAW "Points To PAWnder", which can help you through many health and behavioral issues.
- Please post your question or problem on our Bulletin Boards, and our staff veterinary technician consultant and local animal welfare experts will try to help you with your problem, so that you can keep your pet.
- If you are in a domestic abuse situation and need to get out, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) provides an Online Directory of Safe Havens for AnimalsTM Programs.
- If you are having financial problems, you may want to try The Pet Fund, a national non-profit that provides financial assistance for pets who need urgent vet care. There is an application process that can take some time. You can e-mail them at info@thepetfund.com, or call (916) 443-6007. Also, click here for a list of other groups that provide financial aid to pet owners.
- Find Someone You Know: If, despite the above information, you conclude you cannot keep your pet, Indiana-PAW strongly suggests you find a friend, neighbor, family member or coworker who will take the pet. This is because Indiana animal shelters are overflowing with animals. Every day by lunchtime in Indianapolis alone, shelters have been forced to put more than 50 dogs and cats to sleep due to a lack of homes. If you give your pet up, you are taking a significant risk that there will not be a home for your pet, particularly if your pet is older, sick, has behavioral problems, etc. Remember, local shelters are working feverishly to find adoptive homes for animals, but there are FAR more animals at these shelters than there are homes for them.
- Find A Temporary Solution: If you need someone to take your pet for a short period of time, consider looking for a local veterinarian or boarding facility that would house him at reduced cost or on a payment plan, thereby buying you time to find your pet a permanent home, or to resolve the issue in your life that's causing you to consider giving up your pet.
- Contact Local Rescue Groups: If the above solutions do not address your problem, there are dozens of rescue groups in Indiana, and you can find contact information for all of them at the Indiana-PAW "Super Database" that we've created at our website. Please realize, however, that (1) most of these rescue groups are run by volunteers, and so it may take them a while to respond to you; and (2) due to the overwhelming number of homeless pets in Indiana, you may have to call a lot of rescue groups to find one with space for your pet.
- Contact Your Local Humane Society or Shelter: As a last resort, you may need to take your pet to a shelter. Click here to see our Indiana-PAW "Super Database," which contains contact information for approximately 350 Indiana animal shelters and breed-specific rescue groups. BUT, PLEASE UNDERSTAND that if you take your pet to a shelter, there is a substantial chance he will be euthanized. Most animal shelters and humane societies do a good job, but they are so overburdened and overtaxed with dozens of animals coming in the door each day, shoe-string budgets, and understaffing issues that they have to make difficult decisions each day. Shelters only have so much space, and they have to use that space for animals they believe may be adopted. This is heartbreaking, but it is the practical reality. Understand that national statistics make clear that the MAJORITY of pets in shelters are euthanized due to a lack of homes.
We hope the above information was helpful.
"I Can't Afford To Get My Pet Spayed/Neutered, Vaccinated, Or Microchipped. What Should I Do?"
Thank you for being a responsible pet owner, and wanting to have your pet spayed/neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. These are basic things that every pet should have to ensure that they live a long and healthy life. And, by spaying/neutering your pet, you will not only ensure that your pet is as healthy and well-behaved as possible, but you will also be doing your part to ensure that no kittens or puppies are born in a state like Indiana that has a pet overpopulation crisis. Indiana-PAW has collected the following resources to assist you in locating affordable options for spaying/neutering, vaccinating, and microchipping your pet:
- Low Cost Spay/Neuter Resources
- Low Cost Vaccines, Exams & Microchipping
- The Pet Fund is a national non-profit that provides financial assistance for pets who need urgent vet care. There is an application process that can take some time. You can e-mail them at info@thepetfund.com, or call (916) 443-6007. Also, click here for a list of other groups that provide financial aid to pet owners.
"I've Lost My Pet! What Do I Do?"
Sadly, more than 30% of pet owners will have a pet get lost at some point, and few things in life are as frightening or emotionally upsetting as this experience. Hopefully, you have been a responsible pet owner, and have proper identification on your pet that will enable the two of you to be reunited. Sadly, most Americans don't think of this until it's too late, and as a result, fewer than 2% of lost cats entering shelters are ever reunited with their owners, and only 15% of lost dogs entering shelters are reunited. If you're pet has become lost, here's what to do:
- Check Local Shelters & Humane Societies: The first thing you should do is visit your local humane society or animal shelter. You MUST go in person (shelters have far too many animals to identify by telephone description, and every year, shelters accidentally euthanize lost animals after the owner called and identified the animal and the description didn't ring any bells with shelter staff, who were caring for hundreds of other animals). Even pets with microchips and tags can accidentially be euthanized in busy shelters. DO NOT rely on someone on the phone saying your pet is not there! Visit the Indiana-PAW "Super Database" to find the location of area shelters. ALSO, visit the shelters MULTIPLE TIMES, in case your animal wasn't there the first time.
- Contact Your Veterinarian: Next, contact your veterinarian. If your lost pet was wearing their collar with their rabies tag, your vet may get a call from the person who finds your pet. Make sure your vet knows your pet is lost, so they can help reunite the two of you if someone comes in or calls.
- Make Sure Your Contact Information Is Up-To-Date: If you've lost your pet, and your pet had a microchip, be sure you contact your pet's microchip registry company to see if anyone has contacted them, and to verify they have the most up-to-date contact information for you. Here's a short list of the most popular microchip registries:
- AKC Companion Animal Recovery - 800-252-7894 or http://www.akccar.org/
- Avid PETtrac - 800-336-2843 or http://www.avidmicrochip.com/
- Home Again Pet Recovery Service - 866-PETID24 or http://homeagainid.com
- 24PetWatch - 866-597-2424 or http://www.24petwatch.com/
- Check With Neighbors: Many lost pets are found within just a few blocks of home. Let everyone in your neighborhood know that you are missing your pet, in case one of them finds her.
- Publicize In The Area You Lost Your Pet: Lost and found signs, simple though they may be, are still very effective. Hang posters in areas close to where you lost your pet, and in areas where pet owners congregate (e.g., pet stores, vet offices, dog parks, animal shelters, etc.). Someone may have found your pet, and may see the poster.
- Publicize On The Internet: You can also post on our Lost & Found Bulletin Boards and on Dog Detective, an excellent national website.
- Giving Up: If, sadly, you do not find your pet, use the opportunity as a learning experience. In the future, make sure your pet has identification, and that you are vigilent about not leaving your pet unattended in the yard, and keeping them safe and secure.
"I've Found A Pet. What Should I Do?"
If you've found a missing pet, unfortunately, it's not very likely that you'll find the owner. For reference, fewer than 2% of lost cats entering shelters are ever reunited with their owners, and only 15% of lost dogs entering shelters are reunited. But you definitely want to try:
- Check For A Microchip or Identification: The first thing you should do is, obviously, look to see if the pet has a collar with tags with the owner's phone number. If they don't, then you should go to your local humane society, animal shelter or veterinarian. They will use a microchip scanner to see if the lost pet has a microchip, which will allow the pet's owner to be identified and contacted. They can also look to see if the pet has an identification tattoo. Use our Indiana-PAW "Super Database" to locate humane societies and shelters.
- Call The Microchip Registry: If the pet has a microchip, you should contact the microchip registries listed here to inform them that the missing pet has been found, so they may contact the owner.
- Check With Neighbors: Many lost pets are found within just a few blocks of home. Let everyone in your neighborhood know that you have a found a pet, in case it belongs to someone closeby. Tell your mailman as well, because he is in your neighborhood every day.
- Publicize In The Area You Found The Pet: Lost and found signs, simple though they may be, are still very effective. Hang posters in areas close to where you found the pet, and in areas where pet owners congregate (e.g., pet stores, vet offices, dog parks, animal shelters, etc.). Even if the owner doesn't see the sign, a friend or family member may.
- Publicize On The Internet: You can also post on our Lost & Found Bulletin Boards and on Dog Detective, an excellent national website.
- Giving Up: If you are unable to find the owner and unable to keep the pet yourself, please take a look at our section above on giving up a pet. In addition, if you decide you must take the pet to a local humane society or animal shelter, BE SURE to take them to the shelter that's closest to where you found the animal, as that will increase the likelihood that the pet will be found by its original owner. If you take the pet to a shelter in another county, the chance that the pet's owner will find the pet is reduced to practical 0%.
"Someone I Know Is Neglecting Or Abusing Their Pet. What Should I Do?"
Sadly, in Indiana, pets are legally considered to be nothing more than property. Thus, owners have tremendous latitude regarding the care they provide (or fail to provide) to their pets. Consequently, many communities in Indiana tolerate behavior that most people would consider to be mistreatment of animals. Click here to find Indianapolis laws regarding animals -- see Chapter 531 for animal ordinances, a well as the chapter regarding roles and responsibilities of the Animal Care & Control Division, and the Animal Care & Control Board. If you see someone abusing or neglecting their pets, Indiana-PAW does not have any police power, but we strongly encourage you to take the following steps:
- Call Your Local Animal Abuse Hotline: If you visit our Indiana-PAW resources page, you can find a list of animal abuse hotlines for various Indiana cities and counties, and we encourage you to call those numbers. There are also several Indiana groups that work to help abused or neglected animals (such as FIDO - Friends of Indianapolis Dogs Outside), and that help free-roaming cats (such as IndyFeral).
- Contact Local Animal Control/Humane Society: In abuse situations, your local county may have assigned responsibility to the local humane society or animal shelter to handle abuse or neglect cases. You can find contact information for every humane society and animal shelter in Indiana at the Indiana-PAW "Super Database" at our website. Even if they can't help, they may be able to tell you who can.
- Contact Your Local Law Enforcement: In some parts of Indiana, the local animal shelter has no police power over abuse/neglect cases. In those areas, if you see abuse or neglet of an animal, you need to call your local law enforcement. So, grab your phone book and start calling the non-emergency numbers for your local police or sheriff.
- Change Your Local Laws: Sadly, in many parts of Indiana, things that most of us would consider animal abuse (e.g., keeping a dog chained in a yard excessivley) is technically not illegal. In those cases, you should consider devoting your time and energy to working to get laws on the books that more accurately reflect the important role that animals play in enriching our lives. If you want to learn about animal welfare legislation, consider getting involved with a group like the Animal Advocacy Network of Indiana (AANI).
Good luck in gaining help for the animal you've observed being mistreated, and thank you for caring.