Committee hears widespread concerns over interim director and recent policy changes at Indianapolis animal shelter

The Indianapolis Community Affairs Committee on Thursday heard more than three hours of oral testimony, questions and public comment on Proposal 5, the nomination of interim director Kelly Diamond to lead Indianapolis Animal Care Services. The committee did not take a vote; the nomination is scheduled for the full City-County Council on March 3.

The hearing centered on a set of operational changes instituted since the current leadership team took over in February 2024 — most prominently a shift to a managed‑intake policy, reduced volunteer hours, and the shelter’s decision to stop using the MyCase criminal‑records service as part of adoption vetting. Staff and volunteers testified that those changes have increased animals’ time in kennels, reduced rescue and intake capacity, and undermined morale.

Interim director Kelly Diamond told the committee she and her leadership team inherited a “sinking ship” and said some critical changes were made for safety and liability reasons. “Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformation out there, not necessarily on purpose,” Diamond said, and described adjustments to public and volunteer hours as intended to improve staff oversight and safety. Diamond said volunteers’ on‑site hours were revised to 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and that the shelter plans to revisit hours once a volunteer coordinator is hired. She also said the shelter remains without a veterinarian and that adding basic positions and competitive pay is a priority.

But shelter staff on the dais and dozens of volunteers, rescuers and veterinary professionals in the audience described more urgent problems. Billy Bowling, IACS administrator of operations, described conditions before management changes as unsustainable and said recent off‑site adoption events and a population‑management plan reduced the number of animals living in crates. He and other staff credited changes with improving staff morale and daily operations, but acknowledged substantial remaining challenges.

Several staff members offered operational details that the committee pressed the interim director to address. Kalyn Helsen, manager of enforcement operations, said response times for priority calls had been as long as five days in December and had fallen to an average of three days in January, attributing some delays to staffing and scheduling practices. Bree Joyce, IndyCares coordinator, said the shelter’s managed‑intake policy had been intended to stabilize occupancy and to allow the shelter to focus on medical care, diversion and re‑established rescue partnerships, but warned that if intake were opened without additional capacity the only immediate alternative would be increased euthanasia.

Volunteers and rescue leaders described other effects. Darcy Kurtz, founder and executive director of nonprofit Fido, said her organization had taken in 10 dogs over eight months because IACS could not accept them. Multiple speakers described animals confined in soiled kennels, missed medical care for neonatal or injured animals and an absence of a dedicated community‑cat coordinator; several rescuers said they are seeing more stray dogs and pregnant females on the streets. Dr. Amanda Falcone, a veterinarian who treats animals pulled from IACS, told the committee she had seen animals placed on sedatives without documented medical evaluations and that some rescues and adopters were not told about medication use.

One disputed policy change drew particular attention: the shelter’s discontinuation of MyCase use as part of adoption screening. Former and current staff said the prior policy used MyCase to screen for violent offenses closely tied to animal safety and applied a three‑year lookback; others argued the tool was applied inconsistently and risked bias. Diamond told the committee that the shelter is relying more on interviews and county animal‑incident records in Chameleon (the shelter’s internal system) and sought to avoid decisions that introduced bias or relied on information outside Marion County.

Public commenters pressed the council to reject the appointment, to require a national search, or to impose additional oversight. Many volunteers urged immediate restoration of evening volunteer hours, saying the volunteer program provides tens of thousands of unpaid hours annually and that the hour reductions have reduced kennel cleaning, enrichment and the animals’ opportunities for socialization. Several rescues and municipal shelter leaders from neighboring counties offered to help or to meet with councilors; Rebecca Stevens, president & CEO of the Humane Society for Hamilton County, told the committee she and neighboring shelters had already borne financial and operational burdens by taking animals diverted from Indianapolis.

Council members asked for follow‑up detail. Councilor Michael Hart (District 20) and others asked Diamond for timelines and specific plans for hiring a volunteer coordinator, a veterinarian and other vacancies; Diamond said interviews for a CFO were underway and emphasized plans to request future support for staffing and supplies. Councilors reiterated that no committee vote would occur at the meeting and reminded speakers the full council will review the nomination on March 3.

The Committee adjourned after public comment without a formal vote on Proposal 5. The hearing produced an extensive record of contested operational choices: Diamond and her leadership team argued the changes were necessary to stabilize the shelter and protect staff and animals; many staff, volunteers, rescuers and veterinarians testified that the same changes have reduced access, increased animal suffering in the community, and worsened morale. The council’s next step is the full‑council consideration of Proposal 5 on March 3, when members may vote on Diamond’s appointment.

(For clarity: committee members stated explicitly at the start of the meeting that no vote on Proposal 5 would be taken in committee and that the full council will consider the nomination on March 3.)