The Best Outcome for Man’s Best Friend

“Jack Jack” the German Shepherd had a heartbreaking story, but a happy ending.

“A police officer found the dog bleeding,” says Amy-Jo Sites, director of Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control (FWACC). “The officer put a tourniquet on his legs because the dog’s toes had been shot off.  Jack Jack came to us in rough shape, but because of money people donated to our Angel Fund, we were able to provide the medical care he needed, and he was eventually adopted.”

Located on Hillegas Road on Fort Wayne’s near northwest side, FWACC takes in more than 10,000 animals annually. Because it’s a municipal facility, the shelter is categorized as an “open admission” or “open access” shelter.

“That means we are obligated to accept every animal that comes to us as long as the animal is from our jurisdiction, which includes the cities of Fort Wayne and New Haven as well as Allen County. Regardless of the animal’s health, temperament or adoptability, I have to say ‘Yes,’ says Sites. “So, we have to figure out who’s going into a foster home, who’s going up for adoption, who can be taken by a rescue group or our coalition partner, Humane Fort Wayne and, sadly, ultimately, who has to be euthanized because of lack of space or because the animal is not medically or behaviorally sound. It’s like a chess game. We have to figure out which pieces we’re moving where in order to make the best possible outcome for every animal that we see.”

Named director in 2016, Sites has worked for FWACC since 2004 and has seen tremendous improvements over the years, including the expansion of programs designed to give as many animals as possible a forever home. Same-day adoptions are available at the shelter and each of its partner locations.

“We try to make it as easy as possible to adopt and we will coach you through it and provide you all the resources you need. The only reason we turn down an applicant is if there is a documented record of violence or an active cruelty case.”

Sites also believes transparency is the key to gaining community support and awareness.

“We’re not sugar-coating anything or hiding anything,” she says. “The reality is that we have a problem in our community with an over-population of animals. The only way to rectify that is to have more standard access for our community and more affordable spay and neuter options. The end result is that you have unwanted litters, or you have instances where bad breeding occurs, and you have problematic animals that often end up coming to us.”

Sites says the shelter can safely house 125 dogs and 180 cats, and up to 20 small animals like bunnies and birds. However, she points out those numbers are not ideal in terms of space.

“Ideally, we should only be housing 60 dogs. That would give each dog a full kennel run to themselves. With 125 dogs, they only get half of a kennel. The same is true for the cats.”

In addition to the shelter, there are nine off-site cat adoption locations in Fort Wayne: Three at Pet Supplies Plus stores, two at PetSmart stores, the Black Forest Cat Café on Coldwater Road, Covington Veterinary Hospital, Westside Animal Hospital and New Haven Pet Hospital in New Haven.

“The cats at the in-store locations are taken care of by our volunteers,” says Sites. “The volunteers care for the animals and clean the kennels and it’s a great way for us to increase our chances of adopting those cats. This is a perfect example of just how crucial volunteers are to us. We have a very simple volunteer application process that allows you to volunteer, foster a pet or do both.”

In addition to volunteers, Sites says donations are another crucial factor for positive outcomes at the shelter. A lot of people assume the shelter has plenty of money to cover expenses because it receives funding from the city, but Sites says that is misleading.

“Yes, we do receive money from the city, but our entire medical supplies fund is $5,000 and unfortunately that is used predominantly to pay for euthanasia solution. That’s why we so deeply appreciate our Angel Fund. All the medical care Jack Jack needed was paid for by our Angel Fund. All the money donated to our Angel Fund stays local and is for the animals taken in from our community.”

Anyone interested in contributing to the Angel Fund can do so at the shelter’s website, fwacc.org. There are also numerous fundraising activities throughout the year.  

“We have our Barks and Mews Gala coming up on Feb. 22 at the Hangar at Kruse Plaza in Auburn, and the money raised goes directly to our Angel Fund. So much of what we do here and the positive outcomes we have are because of the community’s support and our volunteers.” 

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