Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control is joining animal shelters across North America to save the lives of shelter cats and ensure every single cat in a North American shelter gets exactly the help they need. It's all part the Million Cat Challenge - a joint campaign of the Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida and the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program.

The Million Cat Challenge is based on five key initiatives that offer every shelter, in every community, practical choices to reduce euthanasia and increase live outcomes for shelter cats.

Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control, along with its coalition partners, has made great strides in saving the lives of cats in our community. In 2010, four years before the Community Cat program was implemented, the live release rate of cats was just 13 percent. Now that’s no longer the case thanks to implementing Community Cats, our growing adoption program and innovative programming. In 2018, 70 percent of all the cats that came through the shelter’s doors were returned to their owners, adopted, transferred to rescue partners or were returned to their neighborhood as a Community Cat.

“Of the over 5,000 cats we see, a quarter of them are surrendered to us by their owners,” Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control director Amy-Jo Sites said.  “ We have been working on creating a program to assist pet owners keep them in their homes. Our focus is to make sure cats in our care are not euthanized because we don’t have enough space.  We have been creating new relationships with businesses and other shelters in an effort to ensure we route cats to the program that would best suit their needs. Being part of the Million Cat Challenge is more than a slogan; it really is a pledge to save lives. “

"The shelters who have taken the Challenge are leading the way in finding and implementing new approaches to saving cats' lives," said Dr. Kate Hurley, director of the UC Davis program.

About the Million Cat Challenge

The Million Cat Challenge was founded as a shelter-based campaign to save the lives of one million cats in North America over five years. The core strategy of the campaign focuses on five key initiatives that offer every shelter, in every community, practical choices to reduce euthanasia and increase live outcomes for shelter cats. The Challenge launched in 2014 with funding from Maddie's Fund, a national foundation established by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals. Challenge co-founders Drs. Julie Levy and Kate Hurley are available for interviews. For more information, visit www.millioncatchallenge.org.

FORT WAYNE, IN - Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control continues its efforts to educate the public on ways to prevent dog bites during national Dog Bite Prevention Week April 7-13. 

More than 700 bites to humans were reported to Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control in 2018. About 75 percent of the bites were to adults and 20 percent to children 12 and under. The vast majority of bites are from our own dogs or dogs we are familiar with.    

Education is the first step to preventing bites. Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control’s Humane Education Department works year round to teach pet safety and bite prevention techniques to the public – with a focus on children. In 2018, the Humane Education Department taught the vital safety precautions to more than 2,000 children in our community.

“It’s important to understand that dogs don’t bite out of the blue,” shelter spokesperson Holly Pasquinelli said. “By teaching adults and children in our community a basic understanding of why dogs bite and how to interpret their dogs body language we’re working to keep them safe and keep dogs where they belong – at home with their families.”

Throughout the week Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control will be sharing bite prevention techniques and information on how to read dog body language on its Facebook page HERE. 

HOW TO AVOID BEING BITTEN BY A DOG

• Be cautious around dogs you don’t know.
• NEVER leave a baby or small child alone with a dog.
• Avoid unfamiliar dogs.  If a dog approaches to sniff you, stand still like a tree. In most cases, the dog will go away when they determine you are not a threat.
• Don’t pet a dog by reaching through a fence or into a car window.
• Always ask permission before petting someone’s dog.
• Don’t run past a dog.  Dogs naturally love to chase and catch things.
• Never disturb a dog that’s caring for puppies, sleeping or eating.
• If you are threatened by a dog, remain calm.  Don’t scream or yell.  If you say anything, speak calmly and firmly.  Avoid eye contact.  Try to stay still until the dog leaves, or back away slowly until the dog is out of sight.  Don’t turn and run.
• If you fall or are knocked to the ground, curl into a ball with your hands over your head and neck.  Protect your face.

PREVENT YOUR DOG FROM BITING

• Treat your own pets with respect and gentle handling.
• Don’t force your dog into a situation that might scare them.
• Socialize your dog or young puppy, so they feel at ease around people and other animals.  Gradually expose your dog to a variety of situations under controlled circumstances; continue that exposure on a regular basis.
• Don’t allow your dog to be in places where they might feel threatened or be teased.
• Attend a dog training class. The basic manners “sit,” “stay,” “off,” and “come” can be incorporated into fun activities that build a bond of obedience and trust between pets and people.
• Avoid highly excitable games like wrestling or tug-of-war.
• Always use a leash when in public to ensure you are able to control your dog.
• Keep your dog healthy with yearly vaccinations.  How your dog feels directly affects how they behave.
• Spay or neuter your pet. Altered dogs are less likely to bite.
• Don’t chain your dog.  Chaining increases aggression in dogs.

What Should I Do If My Dog Bites Someone?

Even if the bite can be explained (e.g., someone stepped on your dog’s tail), it’s important to take responsibility for your dog’s actions.

Did you know that Indiana law requires a biting animal (dog, cat or ferret) be placed in ten (10) day rabies quarantine even if they are vaccinated?

Many people are hesitant to report bites because they are afraid of the outcome. Once a report is filed, Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control must determine the severity of the bite, where the bite occurred (at home or off property) and how many times the animal has bitten. Those factors will determine whether or not the animal will be placed in the home for the quarantine period or housed at Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control for the ten (10) days required by state law. Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control does not automatically put biting animals to sleep.  Owners that report bites are doing the responsible thing for the safety of other animals and the bite victim(s), human or animal. Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control wants nothing more than for the people and animals to be safe and healthy. Our goal, whenever possible, is to keep your animal at home where it belongs.

 After a bite occurs, the following steps should be taken:

• Confine your dog away from the scene of the bite.
• Check on the victim’s condition. Wash wounds with soap and water.  Professional medical advice should be sought.
• Report the bite.  Call Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control inside the city and the sheriff’s department in the county.
• Consult your veterinarian for advice about dog behavior that will help prevent similar problems in the future.
• If someone else’s dog bites you, seek medical treatment, and then call authorities with everything you know about the dog to help animal control officers locate the dog. 

Dogs are wonderful companions.  By acting responsibly, owners not only reduce dog bite injuries, but also enhance the relationship they have with their dogs. For more information about bite prevention programs at the shelter and educational materials click HERE. 

Fort Wayne, IN - With frigid temperatures in the upcoming forecast, Animal Care & Control is urging pet owners to take precautions and plan ahead. A new Fort Wayne City ordinance requires animals be brought into a temperature controlled structure when temperatures dip below 10 degrees and/or when a wind chill warning has been issued by a local, state or national authority. It’s also important to remember that animals cannot remain outside longer than 15 minutes without access to adequate shelter and potable water no matter the temperature, according to city ordinance.

Animal Care & Control is offering free straw to any Fort Wayne City resident in need of animal bedding during these cold days of winter.  Pet owners are urged to continually monitor the needs of pets and the temperature whenever the animals are outdoors. The shelter has a limited supply of community cat houses available for providers free of charge.

The shelter offers these additional winter pet care tips –

• An animal that spends time outside must have access to a proper shelter specifically designed for an animal.  The shelter must be free of leaks to wind, snow, and rain.  Face the opening of the shelter to the east or south away from prevailing winds or fasten a heavy door flap to the top of the doorframe.  When temperatures dip below 10 degrees and/or a wind chill warning is issued the animal must be brought into a temperature controlled structure.

• Monitor temperatures and bring the animal inside to a temperature controlled structure when temperatures dip below 10 degrees and/or a wind chill warning is issued.

• Use straw or cedar chips for bedding. Towels, blankets and hay are insufficient because cloth draws moisture and hay will mold.

• Insulate the animal's house and raise it several inches above the ground with concrete blocks to prevent snow from drifting inside.  Frame the elevated area with boards or sand bags to prevent winds from gusting under the animal's house.

• Animals need extra food to help generate enough body heat to stay warm and must have unfrozen water to drink at all times.  A heated water bucket is a great investment. 

• All dogs and cats living within the city must wear the required city pet registration tag on a properly fitted leather or nylon collar. 

• Keep all cats inside.  Those who spend time outside can experience frostbite, or become lost or injured.

• Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach following cold weather walks.  Dogs can easily ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking their paws.  Check paws for cuts caused by snow or encrusted ice.

The shelter also wants to remind residents that if you see something, say something. Never hesitate to call the shelter regardless of the day or time to report an animal in need of help within the city. Call 260-427-1244 during normal business hours or 260-449-3000 after hours and on weekends. Your call could mean the difference between life and death for an animal in need.