Enforcement Cases
Protecting animals through law enforcement action and helping citizens understand basic animal care provisions required by city ordinance is an important function of our department. Our Animal Control Officers work with neighborhood associations and citizens reporting concerns of animal cruelty, neglect, over-crowding, and ordinance violations to improve conditions for animals in Fort Wayne as we protect the public's safety.
Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control Enforcement Division
43 Cats Removed from a Fort Wayne Home
January 19, 2010 - Animal Control Officers removed 43 cats from a Fort Wayne home after receiving a complaint about stray cats being fed and harbored. Officers discovered the cats inside a home that was discribed as having a strong smell of cat urine. The cats were all sick with advanced upper respitory infections and euthanized by request of the owner.
Criminal Animal Cruelty
After a thorough investigation by Fort Wayne Animal Control Officers, a Fort Wayne man was charged through the prosecutor's office and pled guilty to Class D felony animal cruelty and was sentenced to 18-months in prison after bludgeoning a Dachshund to death with a medieval multi-blade weapon. The dog nipped the defendants’ daughter after she entered the neighbor's yard where the dog was tethered.
Livestock Violation
Defendant, unaware that he lived in the city limits of Fort Wayne, was raising hundreds of rabbits and chickens, which caused a sanitation issue. The man was fined $500 + court costs. Contact our department at 427-1244 if you have questions regarding the keeping of livestock within city limits and what ordinances and statutes apply to the care of those animals.
Owner Responsibility
Defendant believed that since her ex-spouse took possession of their dog in their divorce, he should be responsible for the dog's city pet registaration tag and rabies vaccination. The defendant had ownership of the animal at the time of the violation and was fined $150 + court costs. Anyone that ownes or harbors an animal is held responsible for the animal at the time an infraction is found.
Rescue Foster Home: Violation of Numbers Limits
Animal control officers were dispatched to a Fort Wayne based rescue group foster home after receiving complaints that the caregiver was keeping 16 rescue dogs in her home, exceeding the numbers limits of dogs/cats allowed on any one city property, which does apply to rescue groups. Our department provided immediate assistance be removing eleven of the dogs under protective custody. When animals are admitted as protective custody status, the owner or rescue continues to be the legal owners of the animals and are given ample time to correct conditions, comply with the ordinance, and find alternative housing for the removed animals. All eleven dogs were placed safe and sound in foster homes within the rescue's network. No fines or penalties were imposed.
Ignored Void of Compliance Citation
A city resident, choosing to ignore a standard-issued 30-day void of compliance citation for the purchase of a required City pet registration and state required rabies vaccination was summoned into court. The summons followed a second 30-day reminder that also went ignored. Fines were reduced from $500 to $100 upon compliance. Compliance with a citation is a simple process of visiting a veterinary clinic for a rabies vaccination and to purchase the city pet registration tag and then notifying our office.
