Indianapolis Animal Care Services unveils 2026 budget and timetable for new shelter

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Animal Care Services Director Amanda Dehoney Hinkle and CFO James Finlayson presented the agency's proposed 2026 budget to the Indianapolis City-County Council Community Affairs Committee on Sept. 9 and outlined the timeline and features for a new shelter slated for completion March 31, 2026, with a likely public move-in by May.

The presentation, the agency's first budget submitted since becoming an independent entity, said the overall operating budget is effectively down about 1.5 percent from the prior year largely because of increased internal chargebacks tied to the new facility. James Finlayson told the committee the agency “followed OFM's direction and identified the target amount for reserves” and that the character 1 operating budget increased by $49,810 to support a 2.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment for most staff and a 3 percent increase for AFSCME-represented employees.

IACS emphasized performance gains in recent years: a live-release rate averaging 91 percent in 2024 (up from 84 percent the prior year); more than 2,000 high-risk animals transferred to…