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Former Animal Care Services adoption coordinator defends MyCase policy
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Former Indianapolis Animal Care Services staffers are again calling for the removal of the shelter’s current interim director, Kelly Diamond.
They are speaking out before the City-County Council decides if they will confirm Diamond’s position. The council was set to make Diamond the permanent director earlier this month, but voted to send the issue back to its Community Affairs Committee. The committee will hold another vote on Wednesday and allow for public comment.
One of their main concerns, in addition to several others highlighted recently by News 8, is focused on Diamond’s opposition to the shelter’s “MyCase Policy.”
Tom Wiseman worked at the shelter for nearly five years, eventually rising to the senior position of adoption coordinator. While in his role, he helped establish the policy, which aimed to screen potential adopters for specific criminal charges using MyCase.
MyCase is a statewide online public platform with information on civil and criminal cases in the state, along with corresponding lawsuits, orders, and court proceedings.
Previously, the shelter used an internal system, called Chameleon, with data only from Marion County.
“The MyCase policy was something that we put into place,” Wiseman said. “It was following a very public murder of a dog on a front doorstep.”
The dog had been adopted out to an owner with a violent criminal history.
Wiseman said he spent hours researching the policy and the science that backs it up.
The new policy allowed staff to deny potential adopters convicted in the last three years of animal abuse, domestic violence, neglect of a dependent, sexual violence, or murder.
“The policies that … we were targeting were things that have very strong links to animal abuse,” Wiseman said.
The policy was removed last year, but some employees continued to check criminal histories. News 8 first reported their firings last summer.
Diamond recently told the City-County Council that the policy created bias against potential adopters, specifically saying employees denied adoptions because people had an accent or shoes they did not approve of.
“It’s just disheartening to see things like that, kind of be claimed when they’re just frankly not not true,” Wiseman said.
Wiseman says the policy actually removes bias.
“That is something that the MyCase policy kind of hopes to to alleviate,” Wiseman said. “It is removing that bias by treating all adopters the same. You can’t look at someone with an accent and say, ‘Well, we’re going to deny it because of an accent.’ Because, that’s not the policy. The policy is saying, ‘If they have x, y and z crimes in the last three years, we will deny it.’”
Wiseman says Diamond has remained committed to ensuring the MyCase policy doesn’t come back.
It’s one of many reasons he and his former coworkers say she shouldn’t remain director, but Diamond says she’s committed to advocating for animals in the city.
When asked for comment, Diamond and IACS referred News 8 to the comment they offered following the council’s decision.
“Effective February 8, the shelter’s new hours will be 12 PM to 7 PM, seven days a week. This change aligns with peak public availability, improving adoption, rescue, and reclaim opportunities while allowing staff to complete essential tasks before opening. The volunteer schedule change is a result of a separate policy change unrelated to the new hours. For safety and liability reasons, there must be a manager on-site when there are people volunteering their time at the shelter. We remain committed to working collaboratively to find solutions that enhance volunteer opportunities while ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone involved. We appreciate our volunteers’ patience, understanding, and commitment to the animals at IACS. Over the last month since Kelly Diamond’s appointment was introduced to the City-County Council, she has had numerous conversations with Councilors, and she is looking forward to continuing those conversations. Kelly is committed to advocating for the animals in our City and is eager to work with the Council on issues related to animal welfare.”
The Community Affairs Committee will hold its next meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 19 in the Public Assembly Room inside the City-County Building.
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