Channel 6 Reports Problems at City Animal Shelter Continue

Of all the Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard appointees, I was most impressed with Doug Rae appointed as head of Animal Care and Control.  He was dedicated to his job, brought innovative ideas to the position and seemed genuinely interested in doing more than killing animals.  Rae didn't last long and was replaced by Attorney Teri Kendrick.

If you missed it Joanne Massey of Channel 6 yesterday did a good piece on the southside Animal Shelter.  It continues to be plagued by problems:

Indianapolis Animal Care and Control is once again under fire for what critics call horrendous conditions inside the overcrowded shelter.

Photos provided to 6News' Joanna Massee show urine and feces on the floor in the adoption room, urine on the floor in the hallway and dogs being kept in crates inside the facility's garage.

"They're housing sick animals with healthy animals in the same cages. You have cats attacking other cats, litter boxes overflowing before they're even getting cleaned. It's awful," a person who has worked for the department and has current knowledge of the conditions told Massee under the condition of anonymity.

Veterinary technician Maureen Owen, who treats animals from the shelter at Allisonville Animal Hospital, told Massee she refuses to go inside Animal Care and Control due to the conditions.

"The diseases that are coming out of there are horrible. Every single animal that we have pulled out ... have become ill or are ill when they come," Owen said. "These animals are covered with feces and urine when we get them. You can tell they've been wallowing in their own filth."

To see the rest of the article or view the video, please click here. 

Also Gary Welsh of Advance Indiana has written extensively on the subject.  Here are thre stories he's written since Doug Rae was fired:

More On The Killing Field At Indianapolis Animal Care & Control (Saturday, March 19, 2011)

Indianapolis Animal Shelter Turns Into A Killing Field (Sunday, February 27, 2011)

Animal Care And Control Worsens Under New Ballard Appointee (Thursday, July 8, 2010)