hope for our animals.

hope for our community.

While wandering a deserted beach at dawn, stagnant in my work, I saw a man in thedistance bending and throwing as he walked the endless stretch toward me. As he camenear, I could see that he was throwing starfish, abandoned on the sand by the tide, backinto the sea. When he was close enough, I asked him why he was working so hard atthis strange task. He said that the sun would dry the starfish, and they would die. I saidto him that I thought he was foolish. There were thousands of starfish on miles and milesof beach. One man alone could never make a difference. He smiled as he picked up thenext starfish. Hurling it far into the sea, he said,

‘it makes a difference for this one.’”

– Loren Eiseley

“

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hope for our animals. Hope for our community.

If indyhumane were to close its doors tomorrow, what would happen?

However, it’s much bigger than this.

hope.

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A simple word, but a word that is so very important. The Humane Society of Indianapolis provides hope for our animals and hope for our community, as you will see in the stories to follow.

The hope for our city, when it comes to solving the animal overpopulation problem, woulddisappear because more animals would be born than could possibly ever be placed inhomes. Fewer families would be guided to pet care and educational resources. Thousandsof families would never know the joy of loving and saving a rescued pet.

Where would homeless animals seek refuge? What would happen to the animals already in our shelter? Medical services would be lost. There would be more euthanasiain our city. These logical, matter-of-fact answers immediately spring to mind.

Who we areServing Indianapolis and the surrounding counties since 1905, the Humane Society of Indianapolisprovides vital services to both animals and people.

A private, nonprofit organization that receives no government funding, the Humane Society of Indianapolis is supported solely by contributions, grants, bequests, investments, adoption fees andother fees for service. We receive no tax money, United Way funds, or regular contributions fromother animal-welfare organizations such as the ASPCA or Humane Society of the United States.

At IndyHumane, our animals don’t have an expiration date - there is no predetermined time limitfor how long an animal can remain on the adoption floor. We don't ever put animals down because of space or length of stay.

The Humane Society of Indianapolis is the leading voice for the welfare of animals andimproving their quality of life. IndyHumane is the first choice in providing direct servicesfor shelter cats and dogs, including adoption, behavior training, appropriate medicalcare, and affordable spay/neuter services. As the voice for the animals, IndyHumanebrings together like-minded, animal-focused individuals and groups to educate the public about animal welfare issues and concerns. For more than 100 years, it's allabout the animals.

Since 1905, the Humane Society of Indianapolis has provided shelter and care to animals in need on their way to loving homes. Originally started to help both animalsand families in need, the Humane Society eventually switched to focus solely on animalcare. In its current location at 79th and Michigan Road since the 1960s, IndyHumane’sfacility is now more than 32,000 square feet on 16 acres.

In a caring and nurturing environment, the work of IndyHumane deepens the bond between people and their companion animals. Whether you are ready to adopt a newpet, participate in dog training, give your dog a run in our Pet Park, or volunteer yourtime to help our animals, you can celebrate your love of animals at IndyHumane.

IndyHumane offers several programs that serve residents in Central Indiana:

Volunteer programsThe Nonie Krauss Foster Care Program

Adoption servicesThe Albert G. and Sara I. Reuben Low-Cost Vaccination Clinics

Dog trainingEducation and outreach

Central Indiana’s first off-leash dog parkLow-cost spay/neuter services

Behavior helpline: 317-876-2173

OUR MISSION

OUR HISTORY

WE’RE MORE THAN JUST ADOPTIONS

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$ 50 $100 $150 $200 $250 $300 $350 $400

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in 2012 indyhumane

found homes for

2,776 homeless pets

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homeless pets

triton

Triton arrived to IndyHumane with severe wounds and swollenlegs. After sedating Triton, IndyHumane medical staff found thereto be hundreds of puncture wounds – both old, new, and in various stages of healing – which is a key indicator that a doghas been used as a “bait dog” for dog fighting practice.

“Love” is part of everything we do at IndyHumane. From our dedicated staff and board members to our committed volunteers, there’s a reason we all continue this work

day-in and day-out. It’s for dogs like Triton. Dogs who have never known love.

Triton had never seen a peanut butter-filled Konguntil he arrived at IndyHumane. Skeptical at first, he

eyed the mysterious object and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. But, then he took that first lick, and from that

point on Triton began a strict prescription diet of one Peanut Butter Kong per day!

To see a dog like Triton emerge victorious from a brutal, cruel situation like dog fighting gives hope that we can make a changeand make a difference. We made all the difference to Triton.

camiladignity and respect

Camila, a tiny cat with tremendous heart, arrived at IndyHumane covered in foam insulation, with trash and fast food wrappings stuck to her fur. At IndyHumane, our visionis that all Central Indiana animals are treated with dignity and respect and live free fromcruelty, harm and neglect. Camila was treated with the utmost care and respect, and thispoor cat soon began to travel the road to recovery.

From the start, there was no guarantee we could save Camila, and our staff was wellaware of that. But, our medical team got to work right away, carefully removing the expanding foam and trash from Camila’s fur, which they soon discovered was a striking,silvery gray color.

Camila’s story has a happy ending. She was placed in a loving home quickly after she recovered. We don’t always know what the outcome will be in difficult cases such asCamila’s. We cannot save every animal who comes through our doors. But, we can providehope for each individual animal and the quiet dignity that comes with knowing he or shewill be treated with respect.

$ 50 $100 $150 $200 $250 $300 $350 $400

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homeless pets

homeless pets

StarlahopeStarla may now look the part of the happy, energetic, adolescent dog, butshe has an emotional story. She first came to IndyHumane as a transferfrom Indianapolis Animal Care and Control. They originally confiscatedher as a cruelty case, and we discovered that she had been tied up outside in the middle of winter – in approximately a foot of snow.

With her charming personality and knack for being truly adorable, weinitially thought Starla would be quickly adopted. However, after her initial examination, it was discovered Starla was in need of major surgeryto remove a cancerous portion of her jaw. This was quite shocking to seein such a young dog, and our veterinarians worried she may not make itthrough this difficult, painful procedure.

Our vets wouldn’t give up on Starla, and they were ready and ableto tackle this challenging situation. Through the kindness of donors,Starla’s medical costs were covered after a plea went out via socialmedia. And, Starla received the medical care she so desperatelyneeded. She received the surgery, recovered in record time, and afew weeks later was adopted and found her loving, caring foreverhome. Without IndyHumane, Starla would not have been takenin, sheltered, cared for, and healed. You may think, “That’s onedog out of so many.” But, that’s just it – she was one dog, and thehardworking staff at IndyHumane wouldn’t give up on her. Throughtheir faith in her recovery, she was given hope for a better life. She was just one dog, but her care at IndyHumane made all the difference for her, and her new family.

IndyHumane is dedicated to the homeless and unwanted animalswho find themselves at our door. We promise these animals theyare safe with us. And, that’s a promise we make to each individual animal, regardless of their condition when they arrive.We cannot do this important work alone, and this is why weneed your help and support – for animals like Starla.

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compassion

With your compassionate support, you can provide the hope for an even better city–and a better future for our animals.

What would have happened to Starla, Camila, and Triton without IndyHumane?

Starla may not have received the life-saving medical care she needed to survive andthrive. Camila could have lived her life on the street, but the expanding foam wouldhave been a continued hindrance to her existence, and, eventually, her survival. Tritonwould have never known hope, respect, compassion, and love – and quite possiblywould have died in the cruel dogfighting arena.

Starla, Camila, and Triton were lucky and received the care they desperately needed at IndyHumane. But, others are not so lucky.

Indianapolis has a pet problem. Animal overpopulation and a lack of available resources lead to thousands of pets surrendered to Indianapolis Animal Care and Control or to IndyHumane.

Our staff is working to solve this problem, and we’ve already taken several steps in theright direction. We opened the IndyHumane Animal Welfare Center in 2012 to directlycombat the surrender of companion animals to Indianapolis Animal Care and Control.Through this facility, we provide low-cost pet care services, vaccinations, and spay/neuter services. The goal is to gradually chip away at city-wide intake rates, and byproviding low-cost alternatives, we're beginning to see a change. City-wide intake and euthanasia rates are both gradually coming down.

We have the tools. We have the vision. We have the commitment. We have partnershipsneeded to address such challenges as feral cats, dog fighting, and animal abuse andneglect. We have a solid plan that will make Indianapolis a model for responsible, humane, effective animal welfare initiatives across the nation. All we need is financialsupport of individuals and organizations that believe in our vision and are ready to help us create lasting change in Central Indiana.

Now is the time to help us provide hope for the animals of our community. We have thevision, passion, energy, and enthusiasm to change the face of animal welfare in our city.Now all we need is the financial support of individuals, concerned citizens, corporatesponsors, foundations, and others to continue to save animals like Starla, Camila, andTriton – and the many others who so desperately need our help.

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“There are no happy endings. Endings are the saddest part, So just give me a happy middle and a very happy start.”

-Shel Silverstein

Please help us continue to create happy new beginnings for the animals who arrive on our doorstep, and help us continue to provide hope for our community. We’re proud to be your IndyHumane, and we thank you for your support.

All photos courtesy of Lise Greil Photography

CompassionWe respect every animal that comes through our door as a valued life and make medically

appropriate decisions in the best interest of the animals.

respectWe recognize the strong bond between humans and animals and are compassionate

in the decisions we make and actions we take that impact that relationship.

collaborationWe work with other animal-focused individuals and groups to ensure that animals

have a strong voice to advocate for their welfare.

integrityWe can be trusted to do what we say we will do. We tell the truth, even when it may be painful. We make decisions based on what we believe is the right thing to do for

the animals, their owners and prospective owners.

fiscal responsibilityWe are good stewards of the resources entrusted to us, including financial and human resources.

FRIENDS FOR LIFE.

7929 N. Michigan Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268-1915 317-872-5650 IndyHumane.org