Indianapolis TNR Ordinance – Chapter 531 Animals
Article 1 General Provisions
Sec. 531-101 Definitions
Community cat means an unowned cat that has been captured, evaluated, eartipped,
sterilized and vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian and released in accordance
with section 531-209 of this code.
Community cat caretaker means a person that provides food, water or outdoor areas of
shelter to a community cat and who is not otherwise prohibited from owning or keeping animals.
Free-roaming cat means any homeless, stray, wild or untamed cat that is at large that does
not possess an identification tag or microchip as required by section 501-202 of this Code or has
been ear tipped to indicate it is a community cat.
Own means to keep, harbor or have custody, charge or control of an animal, and owner
means and includes any person who owns an animal; however:
(2) a community cat caretaker shall not be deemed to own or keep a community cat but
rather to provide limited oversight of such animals.
Article II Dogs and Cats
Sec. 531-205 Unlawful care for a free-roaming cat
It shall be unlawful for a person to provide food, water or shelter to a free-roaming cat for a
period of more than sixty (60) days unless in compliance with sections 531-209 and 531-210 of
this Code. Animal care services division may impound community cats in violation of this chapter
and dispose of the cats in accordance with section 531-731.
Sec. 531-209 Community cat program
(a) A community cat program is established in order to encourage the stabilization of the
free-roaming cat population in the city by utilizing a trap, neuter, and return methodology.
(b) A person may trap any free-roaming cat in a humane manner, utilizing a live release trap that
does not injure the animal, and in accordance with the requirements of section 531-407 in
order to have the free-roaming cat evaluated, surgically sterilized, ear-tipped, and vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian and released to the vicinity from where it was trapped
or released to a community cat caretaker.
(c) A community cat, impounded by the animal care services division, shall be returned to the
vicinity from where it was trapped unless the circumstances present a detriment to the cat or
to the public health or welfare.
Sec. 531-210 Community cat caretaker responsibilities
(a) A community cat caretaker shall abide by standard guidelines devised by the animal care
services division regarding the provision of food, water, shelter and veterinary care for a
community cat as well as comply with section 531-209 of this Code.
(b) Community cat caretakers shall take a seriously ill or injured community cat to the animal
care services shelter or seek licensed veterinarian care for the community cat.
(c) A person who violates any provision of this section shall be punishable as provided in section
103-3 of this Code; provided, however, a fine imposed for the first such violation shall not be
less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
Article III Rabies Control
Sec. 531-301 Rabies vaccinations required for certain animals.
(a) It shall be unlawful to keep a dog, or cat, or ferret or to provide food, water or shelter to
cats over the age of three (3) months in the city unless each cat dog, cat, or ferret is immunized
against rabies by a vaccination performed by a veterinarian in accordance with 345 IAC 1-5-
2. Community Cat Caretakers are not required to renew the immunization of Community
Cats.
(c) A veterinarian who administers rabies vaccination in the city to a free-roaming cat shall
provide to the community cat caretaker written documentation of the administration of the
vaccine, which shall include the name of the veterinarian’s facility, telephone number and the
year and serial unique identification number of the vaccination.
Article IV Care and Treatment
Sec. 531-407 Animal traps; requirements and prohibitions.
(a) It shall be unlawful for a person to use, place, set or cause to be used, placed, or set
any leg-hold trap or similar device upon any land or waters in the city.
(b) It shall be unlawful for a person to use, place, set or cause to be used, placed or set
any snare, net or other device which causes the trapping or capturing of any animal in any
manner by which the animal is not either captured painlessly or killed instantly upon any land
or waters in the city.
(c) It shall be unlawful for a person, having placed a lawful trap, snare or similar device
in the city, to fail to inspect and empty it at least once during every twenty-four-hour period.
(d) It shall be unlawful for a person to remove an animal in the city from any trap not
on the person’s property, unless such person has the express permission of the property’s owner
to do so.
(e) It shall be unlawful for a person, to use, place, set or caused to be used any animal
traps during inclement weather. Weather temperatures below 20° Fahrenheit and above 90°
Fahrenheit shall be deemed inclement weather for purposes of this chapter.
(f) Traps set for the purpose of capturing cats or dogs must be covered to protect
trapped animals from the elements.
(g) Trapped cats or dogs must be transported in a temperature-controlled environment.
Article VII Enforcement
Division 2 Impoundment and Disposition of Animals
Sec. 531-721 Grounds for impoundment.
(d) Section 531-731 Notwithstanding, any free roaming cat is eligible to be processed through the
community cat program immediately without hold.
Sec. 531-724 Return of captured animal without impoundment.
When the owner of a captured animal is known, such animal need not be impounded but may
be returned to its owner if, in the opinion of the animal care and control officer, the return
would not present a danger detriment to the public health or welfare or otherwise result in a
violation of this chapter. A community cat shall be released where captured, unless reasonable
options of return have been exhausted.
Division 3 Other Disposition of Animals
Sec. 531-731 Disposition of owner-surrendered animals and impounded animals not claimed
by owner; adoption.
(c) A free-roaming cat that is not spayed or neutered and is eligible for the community cat
program is exempt from the mandatory thirty-two (32) business hour impoundment period
and may be immediately processed through the community cat program.
Find The Full Legislation Here
If you’d like to read the full legal code governing animals in Indianapolis, or you just want to bookmark it for reference, then please visit the Indianapolis/Marion County Ordinance website. It’s a very well built digital library that allows you to easily scroll through the legal code and even search for specific keywords and content. Alternatively, you can download a copy of this article below.