Target: Gary S. Germann, Porter County Prosecutor, Indiana.
Goal: Pursue and publicize firm prosecutions, meaningful penalties, and restitution for individuals who abandon or neglect pets, driving shelter crowding and forcing a halt to dog drop-offs.
Porter County’s no-kill shelter has been pushed beyond safe capacity, with about 100 dogs in care and a 21% rise in intakes since the pandemic. Shelter leadership has warned that surpassing the ideal maximum endangers animals and staff and has prompted a temporary stop on public dog drop-offs. This surge reflects a broader “stray animal crisis,” in which pets are being surrendered or dumped rather than responsibly rehomed or reclaimed.
Behind the numbers are animals who are paying the price for human irresponsibility: dogs and cats left without adequate efforts to locate owners, pets turned loose, and litters offloaded onto already strained services. Overcapacity increases risks of illness, stress, and behavioral deterioration—avoidable harms that begin when guardians neglect legal and moral duties of care.
To protect animals and deter future cruelty, decisive legal action is urgently needed. Sign below to demand authorities enforce existing abandonment and neglect laws—through thorough investigations, appropriate charges, restitution to the shelter for care costs, and court-ordered bans on animal ownership where warranted—to send a clear message that dumping or neglecting animals is unacceptable. Prosecutorial leadership can help ensure that those responsible face consequences proportionate to the harm and that fewer animals suffer.
PETITION LETTER:
Prosecutor Germann,
The county shelter has been forced to pause public dog drop-offs after reaching around 100 dogs in care amid a sustained 21% intake increase since the pandemic. These conditions reflect a broader crisis in which pets are being abandoned, irresponsibly surrendered, or otherwise neglected, pushing a no-kill facility beyond its safe capacity and putting animals and staff at risk.
We respectfully urge your office to prioritize robust enforcement against abandonment and neglect. When investigations substantiate cases, please seek charges that reflect the severity of the conduct; pursue restitution to offset publicly borne veterinary and housing costs; and request sentencing conditions such as mandatory education, community service benefiting animal welfare, and prohibitions on animal ownership for offenders who demonstrate ongoing risk.
By publicly committing to firm, consistent prosecution of abandonment and neglect, your office can help deter future cruelty, reduce preventable suffering, and ease the shelter’s dangerous overcrowding. Animals should not bear the consequences of human misconduct. Appropriate legal accountability can save lives.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Erick Pleitez
