The Rushville Animal Shelter is contracted through the Rush County Commissioners to provide limited animal control services. Our limitations are due to what we can or cannot do legally when it comes to enforcement of animal ordinances and State of Indiana Animal Laws.
The Rush County Sheriff Department is the one who can enforce ordinances with citations and investigate and enforce Indiana State Animal Laws for unincorporated Rush County (all of Rush County minus the city limits of Rushville, the town limits of Carthage, and the town limits of Glenwood).
If you are in Glenwood, the Town Marshal, Chris Reynolds, will enforce your ordinances and Indiana State Animal Laws.
If you are in Carthage, the Town Marshal, Matt Fox, will enforce your ordinances and Indiana State Animal Laws. The phone number for the Carthage Police Department is (765) 565-6062
We are only budgeted to be staffed with 4 people. Due to this and all the responsibilities of running an animal shelter and staying open to the public regularly, we do not have staff members drive around looking for violations or stray animals. We depend on the community members to contact us to report their complaints – ways you can do so are listed as follows
- Calling us at 765-932-4754 – leave a voicemail if prompted! We may be closed, on the other line, helping visitors, or attending to the animals in our care. We do return voicemails regularly throughout the day.
- Message us on Facebook: Rushville Animal Shelter
- Email us at assistantcontrol@cityofrushville.in.gov
- Stopping by during visiting hours
What we can do is offer the following:
- Pick up friendly strays
- Due to our location and how far many are from us in the county, we may request you contain the animal long enough for us to arrive for pick up, otherwise, the animal may not be located when we arrive and will continue to run the area until contained.
- Pick up aggressive strays
- Due to our location and how far many are from us in the county, we highly recommend calling the Rush County Sheriff Dispatch at 765-932-2931, your respective Town Marshal, or 911 so you may receive help far more quickly until we can get to you
- Lend out Dog or Cat traps at no cost
- You are welcome to pick up traps from us or have us deliver them to you. Visit our Trap & Pet Carrier Lending page for further information.
- This could be a perfect alternative for a nuisance animal that you are unable to contain for pickup
- We can offer pick-up service as well if you use our traps during normal business hours.
- Welfare checks
- We are not able to enforce the State of Indiana Animal Laws, but if you have a concern for neglect or abuse, we can offer a welfare check during normal business hours
- If we see a reason for further investigation, we will then have to request the Rush County Sheriff Department or the respective Town Marshal to do an investigation – it will be at their discretion on the next steps
- You can bring strays to us during visiting hours
- No cost
- Only required to be a Rush County resident and show proof with a photo ID and a Rush County address
- See our Animal Surrender page for further information
Rushville Animal Shelter 