Dangerous dogs continue to plague animal control

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Dangerous dogs have been in the news quite a bit lately. A pit bull attack sent a young man to the hospital last week. Thursday, police responded to at least seven complaints of vicious dogs. One of those dogs had to be shot.

This week’s events are not uncommon.

In February of this year, Indianapolis Animal Care and Control responded to 1,910 calls -- the majority of which concerned stray dogs.

Asked if her department has enough resources to do its job, Indianapolis Animal Care and Control's new administrator Teri Kendrick responded, "Well, that's one of the things we're looking at."

Kendrick’s is no easy task. She has been the Animal Care and Control Administrator for just five months.

She landed the job in October after Douglas Rae was fired. One of the reasons city leaders cited for his firing was their belief that he compromised public safety by not having enough animal control officers on the streets.

Kendrick said she hasn’t yet hired more officers.

"We're in the process of filling three openings," she said.

That will bring the number of animal control officers to 19. But city leaders say history shows us that Indy's stray dog problem worsens as the weather warms. Is the department up to the task?

"Yes, I think it is," said Kendrick. "I think the mayor and Director [Frank] Straub have made it very clear that they are committed to helping us get the resources we need to get the job done."

Kendrick said just this week she met with IMPD Police Chief Paul Ciesielski to talk about how police and animal control officers can better work together to keep citizens safe. But she points out that citizens must be aware of ordinances and comply.

She says dog owners should be aware of the following ordinances:

1. Dogs should be confined in a yard without a means of escape.
2. If the dog is on a chain, it should be 12 feet with swivels on both ends.
3. If the dog has not been spayed or neutered, it can't be chained at all.
4. A dog cannot be chained from 11 p.m. - 7 a.m.