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It’s graduation season for high school and college students. The city’s animal shelter is hoping it’s also time for the pets there to graduate into forever homes.

From noon to 7 p.m. May 17 and 18, Indianapolis Animal Care Services is hosting a graduation-themed adoption event. The cats and dogs have been vaccinated, microchipped and spayed or neutered.

All adoption fees are waived, and anyone who adopts a pet will take home a goodie bag. They are also offering a free leash and collar, plus a voucher for a vaccination clinic for anyone who adopts one of the nine dogs that have been at the shelter for more than 100 days.

You can meet the pets at the shelter, 2600 S. Harding St. They did a graduation photo shoot for the adoptable dogs, complete with the fun backdrops of school photos.

Resources for adopting a new pet

• It can take time for a dog or cat to adjust to a new home. Indianapolis Animal Care Services keeps a list of resources, including articles about how to understand a dog’s body language, how to teach your kids about dogs and tips for the first 30 days with your new pet.
• Indy CARES partners with the shelter to support owners so they can keep their pets. They have food, crates, leashes and partnerships with veterinarians who offer low-cost services. You can apply for temporary assistance online.
• IndyHumane has a pet food pantry and more resources, like community clinics and a helpline you can call with questions.
• FACE Low-Cost Animal Clinic does spaying, neutering, vaccines and preventive care.

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.

Mirror Indy reporter Sophie Young covers services and resources. Contact her at sophie.young@mirrorindy.org.

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Help animals graduate from the city’s shelter on May 17 and 18 

by Sophie Young, Mirror Indy
April 29, 2025

<h1>Help animals graduate from the city’s shelter on May 17 and 18 </h1> <p class="byline">by Sophie Young, Mirror Indy <br />April 29, 2025</p> <p>It’s graduation season for high school and college students. The city’s animal shelter is hoping it’s also time for the pets there to graduate into forever homes.</p> <div class="wp-block-group alignright has-light-gray-background-color has-background"> <h5 class="wp-block-heading eyebrow-nogap" id="h-if-you-go" style="text-transform:uppercase"><mark class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">If you go</mark></h5> <h2 class="wp-block-heading eyebrow-nogap" id="h-iacs-graduation-adoption-event">IACS Graduation Adoption Event</h2> <p>🗓️ Noon to 7 p.m. May 17 and 18<br />📍 Indianapolis Animal Care Services, 2600 S. Harding St.<br />🎟️ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1383149486171407/?active_tab=discussion" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">More information</a></p> </p></div> <p>From noon to 7 p.m. May 17 and 18, Indianapolis Animal Care Services is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1383149486171407/?active_tab=discussion" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hosting a graduation-themed adoption event</a>. The cats and dogs have been vaccinated, microchipped and spayed or neutered.</p> <p>All adoption fees are waived, and anyone who adopts a pet will take home a goodie bag. They are also offering a free leash and collar, plus a voucher for a vaccination clinic for anyone who adopts one of the nine dogs that have been at the shelter for more than 100 days.</p> <p>You can meet the pets at the shelter, 2600 S. Harding St. They did a graduation photo shoot for the adoptable dogs, complete with the fun backdrops of school photos.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-resources-for-adopting-a-new-pet">Resources for adopting a new pet</h2> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>It can take time for a dog or cat to adjust to a new home. Indianapolis Animal Care Services <a href="https://www.indy.gov/activity/bringing-home-a-new-pet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">keeps a list of resources</a>, including articles about how to understand a dog’s body language, how to teach your kids about dogs and tips for the first 30 days with your new pet.</li> <li>Indy CARES partners with the shelter to support owners so they can keep their pets. They have food, crates, leashes and partnerships with veterinarians who offer low-cost services. You can apply for <a href="https://form.jotform.com/240785324292156" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">temporary assistance online</a>.</li> <li>IndyHumane has <a href="https://indyhumane.org/pet-resource-center/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a pet food pantry and more resources</a>, like community clinics and a helpline you can call with questions.</li> <li><a href="https://faceanimalclinic.org/about/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FACE Low-Cost Animal Clinic</a> does spaying, neutering, vaccines and preventive care.</li> </ul> <p><em>Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is <a href="https://mirrorindy.org/donors/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">funded through grants and donations</a> from individuals, foundations and organizations.</em></p></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/adoption-indianapolis-animal-care-services-event/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org&quot;&gt;Mirror Indy&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-Mirror-Indy-square-logo-1.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=50940&amp;amp;ga4=G-X0R0QW371R&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://mirrorindy.org/adoption-indianapolis-animal-care-services-event/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/mirrorindy.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

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