Grants to help address Indy's strays

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A coalition of private and public animal welfare organizations have joined forces and agreed to invest more than $2 million help reduce the number of stray dogs and cats in Indianapolis.

Three local organizations — Lily Endowment, the Tony Stewart Foundation and the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust — fronted the money. The grants will go toward educating pet owners and increasing spay/neuter services in Central Indiana.

"We expect to see significant reductions in the number of homeless and unwanted dogs and cats in Indianapolis, a major increase in pet adoptions and a decrease in animal abandonments to this shelter," said Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trustee Kent Agness.
The plan calls for targeting specific areas of the city where there’s a higher density of stray animals.

Along with providing spay and neuter services, the grant money will be used to educate the public. Experts say spaying and neutering animals not only decreases the animal population, it helps improve public safety by reducing the likelihood of animal attacks and bites.

"We plan to create, deploy and execute a persuasive public relations information campaign that will promote the importance of spay neuter, adoptions and have it done through a variety of media outlets," said John Aleshire, CEO of the Humane Society of Indianapolis.

The marketing campaign is called "Love me. Fix me." Its message is simple — healthier pets make for a healthier community.