Indianapolis Animal Shelter Gets New Chief

A new chief has been named for the Indianapolis Animal Care and Control, a city agency that has faced recent recent scrutiny over the welfare of animals in its care.

Dennis Papenmeier will take over the IACC on Dec. 29, ending an eight month span when the state’s largest animal shelter had no leader.

Papenmeier is a special projects manager for the Department of Code Enforcement and serves on the board of Friends of Indianapolis Animal Care and Control. He has worked in city government for nearly 20 years, according to the Department of Public Safety.

“My commitment to the Friends of Indianapolis Animal Care and Control board over the past year or so has allowed me to begin to develop strong relationships within the animal welfare community and that will be a great asset to me in this new role, as well,” Papenmeier said in a statement.

The shelter has faced staffing and funding problems for years. An outbreak of the feline panleukopenia virus in October lead to the death of around two dozen cats.

A recent report by the Indianapolis Star found that the shelter is significantly understaffed and the staff veterinarian position has been unfilled since March.

In 2012 the shelter received nearly 16,000 lost, homeless and unwanted animals.

Contact WFYI reporter Eric Weddle at eweddle@wfyi.org or call (317) 614-0470. Follow on Twitter: @ericweddle.