Yes! All cats and dogs will be spayed/neutered, given age-appropriate vaccines, (including rabies and distemper/parvo/panleuk), Heartworm or Feline Leukemia/FIV tested, and micro chipped!
Rain or shine the event will go on! The majority of our event is indoors at the South Pavilion. We will have an enclosed outdoor area to walk the dogs but all the cats/dogs will be in cages inside and out of the elements.
We expect over 1000 cats/dogs from as many as 25 different shelters and rescue organizations to be available for adoption at the event. As animals are adopted and cages empty, the organizations will try to bring new animals. ALL animals that are brought in must already be spayed or neutered.
No, personal pets are not permitted at this event. We will have limited space and the environment will not be conducive to a proper introduction. All organizations will have handouts that explain proper introduction techniques and you are encouraged to ask for suggestions before taking the animal home. If you think it is critical to do a meet and greet between your personal pets and the adoptive pet before committing to adoption, please talk to the organization you are adopting from. It may be possible to put the animal on hold and schedule a meet and greet at a later date.
If you plan on adopting it would be helpful if you could bring your own sturdy cat carrier or secure dog collar and leash. Feel free to leave those items in your car until you have selected your pet. However, for visitors who come unprepared, we will have cardboard cat carriers and dog slip leads to safely get your pet home.
We would encourage you to give your new pet AT LEAST 2 weeks to adjust to his or her new home before deciding it’s not going to work out. Keep in mind they have had a very busy and stressful couple days. They need some time to get used to the new sights, smells, people and possibly new pets in their lives! If you have given the pet time to adjust and it’s still not working, please give the organization that you adopted from a call. They can give you advice on any problems you are having or can schedule a day/time for you to bring the animal back to their facility. Please keep in mind that the adoption fee at most rescues and shelters is considered a donation and may be non-refundable.
Please call the organization you adopted from right away. They will give you information to treat the animal at home for minor symptoms or will ask you to bring the animal back to their facility to be examined by a veterinarian. We have a huge veterinarian staff on-hand to examine and care for the animals prior to the event and at the event both days to keep an eye on rudimentary symptoms. We will do our best to adopt out only healthy animals but it is inevitable that some animals may not show symptoms until days after they are already home.
Absolutely not. All of the cats and dogs that will be available for adoption at this event are already part of an adoption program at an accredited organization. They have all been spayed/neutered, vaccinated and examined by a veterinarian and fully vetted. If you need to surrender a cat or dog, please contact Indianapolis Animal Care Services
Absolutely! Adopting a pet is a 10-15 year commitment. We want the entire family to be a part of the decision! However, there will be a large number of animals in a relatively small space so please keep a close eye on small children. Please do not allow them to stick their fingers in the cages or get too close to the dogs on leash.
There will be screenings provided by the rescue groups bringing the animals to the event. All groups have slightly different screening processes that they have in place and will be performing the same screenings they do at their shelters. PLEASE NOTE: No rescue group has to adopt out any animal to anyone they feel would not be a good fit. Please know that our first priority is the safety and well-being of the animals.