DOGS AND CATS

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code tit. III, ch. 531, art. II

in effect

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 531-201 Application of article.

Sec. 531-201. - Application of article. The provisions of this article shall be supplemental to the other provisions of this chapter which pertain to dogs or cats. (G.O. 30, 1998, § 1; G.O. 169, 1999, § 3)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 531-202 Permanent identification of dogs and cats required.

Sec. 531-202. - Permanent identification of dogs and cats required. (a) A person who owns a dog or cat in the consolidated city and county shall ensure that each dog or cat owned by that person bears a permanent means of identification at all times, such that the animal's owner can be ascertained accurately, quickly, and easily. (b) The identification required by this section shall be in addition to any tags required to be worn by dogs or cats by state law or other provision of this Code, and shall be by means of a microchip implanted in the dog or cat or animal that bears a registered identification number, and that can be read by a standard microchip scanner. (c) Each veterinarian or other person in the consolidated city and county who implants microchips as contemplated in this section shall make available upon request to the animal care services division the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the owners of the dogs and cats, and the corresponding microchip identification numbers. Such records shall be available to the animal care services agency without court order. (d) It shall be unlawful for a person to own a dog or cat three (3) months of age or older that is kept in the city, and that does not bear a permanent means of identification as provided in this section. A violation of this section shall be subject to an admission of violation and payment of the designated civil penalty through the ordinance violations bureau in accordance with chapter 103 of this Code. (G.O. 30, 1998, § 1; G.O. 169, 1999, § 3; G.O. 94, 2006, § 2; G.O. 86, 2008, § 3; G.O. 17, 2016, § 1; G.O. 41, 2016, § 2; G.O. 26, 2024, § 2; G.O. 37, 2024, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 531-203 Dog and cat curbing requirements.

Sec. 531-203. - Dog and cat curbing requirements. (a) No person knowingly shall allow a dog or cat which is kept by that person to defecate or urinate on a public street, byway, municipally owned or public land or building, or upon private property, in the city without the prior permission of the owner of such property; however, if an animal defecates on property described in this subsection, the animal's owner or keeper promptly shall remove any feces to a waste container, or otherwise dispose of such material in a manner inoffensive to reasonable public sensibilities. (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the owner of a dog serving a vision-impaired person in an auxiliary ocular capacity or in any capacity to assist such person with a physical impairment may permit such dog to relieve itself on ground situated outside of pedestrian or vehicular traffic ways, and is relieved of the requirement to remove any feces to the extent such requirement is impractical for a person of such impairment. (c) No person knowingly shall allow his or her dog or cat to disperse waste material placed for public or private collection upon any public street, or byway or right-of-way, or any municipally owned or public land or building, or upon private property. (d) 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 any such violation shall not be less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00). (G.O. 30, 1998, § 1; G.O. 169, 1999, § 3)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 531-204 Animals causing nuisance prohibited.

Sec. 531-204. - Animals causing nuisance prohibited. (a) It shall be unlawful for a person to own or keep any animal which by frequent or habitual howling, yelping, barking, screeching, other vocalization or otherwise shall cause serious annoyance or disturbance to persons in the vicinity. (b) 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); subsequent or continued violations may also subject the owner to impoundment of the animal by a person having authority to impound such an animal. (G.O. 30, 1998, § 1; G.O. 169, 1999, § 3)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 531-205 Unlawful care for a free-roaming cat.

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. The animal care services agency may impound community cats in violation of this chapter and dispose of the cats in accordance with section 531-731. (G.O. 100, 2005, § 2; G.O. 17, 2016, § 1; G.O. 41, 2016, § 2; G.O. 37, 2024, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 531-206 Unlawful use of a dog.

Sec. 531-206. - Unlawful use of a dog. (a) It shall be unlawful for a person to make use of a dog in the commission or furtherance of any criminal act in the city. (b) A person who violates this section shall be punishable as provided in section 103-3 of this Code; provided, however, a fine imposed for any such violation shall not be less than one hundred dollars ($100.00). Further, upon a finding of violation, the court upon request shall order the dog forfeited and/or destroyed. (G.O. 30, 1998, § 1; G.O. 169, 1999, § 3)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 531-207 Domestic animals in vehicles.

Sec. 531-207. - Domestic animals in vehicles. (a) It shall be unlawful to leave a domestic animal unattended in a vehicle when the conditions in that vehicle would constitute a health hazard to the animal. (b) It shall be unlawful for any dog or cat to ride in the bed of a pickup truck on public streets, highways and/or rights-of-way unless the animal is securely caged and protected from the environment or unless the bed of the pickup truck is enclosed with a camper shell or other device and there is appropriate and sufficient ventilation. (G.O. 169, 1999, § 3)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 531-208 Lost or stray domestic animals.

Sec. 531-208. - Lost or stray domestic animals. (a) Persons finding a stray animal are to notify the animal care services agency, or its designee, within forty-eight (48) hours. At the discretion of the agency, the animal may be kept by the finder and a found report left with the agency, or its designee, to enable the finder an opportunity to return the animal to its rightful owner. The finder is expected to make a reasonable effort to find the animals owner or keeper prior to surrendering them to the shelter. (b) Upon demand, by the animal care services agency, any found animal will be taken to an appropriate facility and scanned for an identifying microchip. (c) Persons finding an animal are obligated to comply with all the rules and regulations of this chapter pertaining to humane care and treatment of animals, while said animal is in their custody awaiting return to its actual owner. (d) With the exception of the Humane Society of Indianapolis or other humane and/or breed rescue organizations recognized by the animal care services agency, the finder will be considered the found animal's owner for purposes of this chapter fourteen (14) continuous days after the found report was filed with the animal care services agency or its designee. (G.O. 169, 1999, § 3; G.O. 41, 2016, § 2; G.O. 2, 2017, § 1; G.O. 37, 2024, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 531-209 Community cat program.

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 agency, 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. (G.O. 100, 2005, § 3; G.O. 17, 2016, § 1; G.O. 41, 2016, § 2; G.O. 37, 2024, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 531-210 Community cat caretaker responsibilities.

Sec. 531-210. - Community cat caretaker responsibilities. (a) A community cat caretaker shall abide by standard guidelines devised by the animal care services agency 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). (G.O. 100, 2005, § 3; G.O. 17, 2016, § 1; G.O. 41, 2016, § 2; G.O. 37, 2024, § 1)

Source: Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County, Revised Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/in/indianapolis_-_marion_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIIPUHEWE_CH531AN_ARTIIDOCAFetched: 10/27/2026