AnimalsHow to Surrender

Reservations Required:

HSI accepts the surrender of owned cats and dogs by appointment only. This "Reservation Required" system is designed to help pet owners make an informed decision before they give up their pets due to destructive or aggressive behavior, an inability to be housetrained, living arrangements, health issues or because the animal does not get along with children or other pets.

Pet owners wishing to bring in pets for adoption will be required to call HSI first (317/872-5650 x126) and discuss their situation with a phone counselor. If, after reviewing the situation and options available to the pet owner, the phone counselor agrees that bringing the pet to HSI is the best alternative, an appointment to drop off the pet will be scheduled.

Surrender Appointment:

Owners are asked to bring any veterinary or vaccine records along with their pet to the surrender appointment. During the appointment, HSI evaluation staff will do a health and behavior evaluation of the pet. Any options that are available for the pet and owner will be discussed at that time. If HSI determines during the appointment it cannot accept an animal, the owner will be offered advice and resources to help them explore all possible options. The evaluation appointment may take up to 45 minutes.

Guaranteed Attempt To Place Program (GATP)

The Humane Society of Indianapolis is excited to announce a program that will allow pet owners an opportunity to monitor the progress of their pet while it is waiting to be placed in a new home. The name of the program is the Guaranteed Attempt To Place (GATP) program.

When surrendering a dog or cat to HSI, the GATP program is the only way to ensure an owner the option of reclaiming their pet. The program provides individuals the assurance that the animal will be placed for adoption, or gives them the opportunity to monitor the pet's progress and reclaim the animal if it is not adopted.

Eligible Pets:

  • Must be a dog or cat
  • Must be 6 months of age or older
  • Must be previously altered (spayed or neutered)

The GATP fee:

  • $80.00 fee: Program fee and all background and health information (temperament profile, history, veterinary records) must be provided when the animal is surrendered for consideration into the GATP program.

At the time of the evaluation appointment, if the pet is eligible, the owner can elect to enter the pet into the GATP program. The pet will be placed on the adoption floor for a period of fourteen (14) days.

If an animal is deemed not adoptable for any reason during the placement process, the owner has the option of reclaiming their pet.

For more information please contact HSI at 317.872.5650 ext. 109 or email us.

Bite Cases

One important question that you will be asked is: Has this animal bitten anyone and broken the skin in the last ten days?. If the answer is yes, Indiana law requires that we follow certain procedures. Please contact Animal Care and Control (317) 327-4622 or your veterinarian for options.

PLEASE SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE IMMEDIATELY. BITES ARE SERIOUS!

Euthanasia and Disposal Requests

The Humane Society of Indianapolis does offer euthanasia and disposal services to the community, including cremation and memorial packages. We will only do euthanasia requests for the types of pets we normally house at the shelter. The fee for euthanasia is $10 and basic disposal is $10. Cremation and memorial package fees vary. For more information, please call the Humane Society at 317-872-5650 ext 126.

Continuing Care Fees & Tax Deductible Donations

HSI offers a long list of services to animals coming into our shelter.
These services include:

  • Physical exam
  • Vaccinations
  • Spay or Neuter Surgery
  • Food
  • Shelter
  • Microchip
  • Behavior Assessment & Enrichment
  • Additional medical services when necessary

The average cost incurred by the Humane Society of Indianapolis to care for an animal during its stay at the shelter is $180. We ask that each patron assist in deferring the cost associated with caring for the animal they are surrendering. Although ownership and responsibility for the animal is transferred to the Humane Society, the cost of caring for that animal continues.

Our minimum Continuing Care Fee for surrendering a dog, cat, puppy or kitten is $20. If the patron is surrendering a litter, or mother and litter, the first animal is $20 and each additional animal is $5. The minimum Continuing Care Fee for surrendering rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, etc is $5 per animal.

Any contribution above the minimum Continuing Care Fee is considered a tax-deductible donation.

We hope you will agree that the continuing care fee is a small price to pay for the animal to be sheltered and protected while we search for a new home.

Behavior Evaluations

In order to be placed on our adoption floor, every animal must pass a series of behavioral evaluations. These evaluations include assessments of the animal’s responses in the kennel, their reactions when being handled by a staff member (handling involves actions that would typically be performed by an owner or groomer), and response to other animals. Additionally, we look for resource guarding issues – animals becoming aggressive or violent when their food or toy is moved. Typically, we will wait at least two days to perform these evaluations to give the animal a chance to adapt to its new surroundings.

Physical Assessment

We are concerned with the health of every animal brought to us, both the continued well-being of the animals already up for adoption, and to ensure the healthiest animals possible at the time of adoption. Veterinary technicians and assistants perform a physical exam on every animal possible to assess any apparent disease or disability. If it is determined that the animal needs a more detailed evaluation, it is referred to our staff veterinarian. Once the animal passes the health screening, it will either go to the Veterinary Services Department for spaying or neutering, or it will go to the adoption floor if it has already been altered.*

Veterinary Services Department

In February of 2000, the Veterinary Services Department at the Humane Society of Indianapolis was created to care for animals surrendered to the shelter with medical issues. Staffed with veterinarians, veterinary technicians/assistants, and dedicated volunteers, the capable Veterinary Services team spays or neuters all animals put up for adoption.

From February 2000 through December 2007, the Veterinary Services staff has performed 23,656 spay/neuter surgeries reducing the overpopulation of unwanted animals by as many as 85,000 per year. In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats. In six years, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically produce 67,000 dogs. Our Veterinary Services team works diligently to reduce the number of unwanted pets by spaying or neutering every animal put up for adoption before it goes to the adoption floor.

The staff conducts a full physical examination of each animal upon arrival and also handles a wide variety of medical issues. Broken limbs, upper respiratory infections, wounds, embedded collars, and countless other health care problems are handled daily with care and compassion. Many animals are given a second chance they wouldn’t otherwise have due to the efforts of the Veterinary Services staff.

Thank You

The Humane Society of Indianapolis is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for animals while searching for permanent loving homes. We thank you for doing the right thing by bringing the animal that you can no longer care for, or stray animals, to our shelter.

Animal Abandonment

Occasionally a patron will chose to abandon an animal on HSI property by leaving the animal outside in a carrier, tied to the fence, or simply running loose. In accordance with the city/county ordinance:

Ordinance 103 Section 531-402: It shall be unlawful for a person to abandon any animal on public or private property in the city, and a violation of this section shall be punishable as per provided in section 103-3 of this code; provided, however, a fine imposed for any such violation shall not be less than $200.

The Humane Society of Indianapolis must report any instances of animal abandonment to the local authorities.

* Providing the animal has passed all other screenings for adoption.