Rally for Homeless Animals

I'm going to be heading to this rally from 10AM to noon and thought I'd go ahead and post this opportunity for anyone who is interested. At the rally you can learn how Hoosiers can enact and enforce more humane animal welfare policies that can decrease the number of homeless and unwanted companion animals that must be killed each year. Whether you can make it to this rally or not, you can help. The info posted below is info that I received (via e-mail) from Indy Pit Crew.

Can't attend the Rally? The animals still need your help!

What you can do

Contact your City-County Councillor and tell them why you are concerned about what the City is doing for the stray and homeless animals.

Contact the Humane Society of Indianapolis' Board of Directors and tell them that you care about what happens to our homeless animals.

Attend monthly public meetings at Indianapolis Animal Care and Control to speak on behalf of the animals.

Educate yourself! Become versed in the language and philosophies of responsible animal sheltering and use your skills to make change.

Write a letter to the editor and share your views.

Donate to Spay-Neuter Services of Indiana or FACE Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic. These agencies fund thousands of spay/neuter surgeries every year in Indianapolis. With the increase in homeless animals being dumped on our streets, we must support the organizations that proactively work to curb the euthanasia rate and animal suffering in Indianapolis.

Important Background Information

The City of Indianapolis and the Humane Society of Indianapolis are currently discussing the formation of a Task Force to look into the issues of homeless and stray animals in our community. This has already been done. In 2002, a mayoral commissioned task force studied the needs of Indianapolis' homeless animals and wrote a detailed report on improvements that must and should be made. Essentially, the task force report was ignored!

Why should our city be spending the time and money on another task force report? The needed evaluations have already been done.

What we need is ACTION, not meetings!
The animals cannot afford to wait for another task force to put out another ignored report.

To read an updated Community Assessment and the original Task Force Report, please click here.

Or you can visit Spay-Neuter Services of Indiana, Inc., at www.spayneuterservices.org and click on "Community Assessment"

Rally FAQ

• Why a Rally?
  There are many citizens and not-for-profit groups that are interested in helping the City of Indianapolis address the cruelty and suffering that stray and homeless animals experience. We want to make it clear to the City that we care about what is happening to the animals, that we are watching and that we expect improvements.

• Can we bring picket signs?
  Absolutely! This rally is the opportunity for the people of Indianapolis to speak out about what they see happening to the homeless animals in our city.

• What will be doing at the Rally?
  Making a statement! Making connections! Discussing solutions! We will have information for you on what to do to help the animals and how to do it. There are options available that will help keep the animals off the streets and out of the euthanasia room. We will welcome any and all public input. The entire community must work together if we want to help the animals. At 11:00 am, we will march to the City-County Building.

• Who is hosting the Rally?
  The Rally is being organized by a group of citizens and animal welfare groups dedicated to working together to make a difference for our homeless animals.

• Should we bring our pets to the Rally?
  We are not encouraging people to bring their pets to the Rally because large groups of people or a strange environment can be stressful for animals. Please use your best judgment and consider the comfort of your pet.

• Where will we be meeting and how long will the Rally last?
  We will be meeting on the east side of Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis. The Rally will last until noon, rain or shine.