Local Animal Shelter Finding Homes for Hundreds of Hoarded Cats

 

BOONE COUNTY (WIFR) – Boone County is in the middle of one of its worst cat hoarding problems ever, with about 400 cats involved in five different cases.

Boone County is crawling with cats and Jacqui Richardson is scrambling to find new owners for nearly 100 which she says were being hoarded and are now feral.

“They don’t know what humans are, they don’t know what we’re wanting. They don’t understand that we’re actually there to help them. It’s devastating to see that so many cats have never been socialized and don’t know what the touch of a human hand is,” says Richardson.

Richardson’s Another Chance Animal Sanctuary in Capron is taking in as many anti-social cats as it can hold, mainly because Boone County Animal Services has nowhere to put them. They rely on the sanctuary and many other rescues in the area to help them out.

“The problem is the local animal services does not have funding or a facility to house a large quantity of cats, so that’s where ourselves and other local rescues are able to step in and help with the cats until they are able to have a budget to help cats,” says Richardson.

Since her felines don’t get along with humans, they will be used as barn cats to fend off mice. Another Chance is even running a promotion through October, where they are giving away their cats for free, simply because there are so many still being allegedly hoarded.

“When we go out and we do our follow-ups o n the cats that have been adopted into their new barns, it’s very rewarding to see the cats lounging around in the grass, running around on hay bales. They’re doing what they really enjoy doing with minimal human interaction. They’ve never had human interaction and they prefer not to which is fine and we respect that. We’re able to offer them a home where they can enjoy themselves,” says Richardson.

Richardson says thankfully, none of the cats have needed to be euthanized. Of the 400 that were originally said to be hoarded, 200 have been adopted. Excluding the ones on Richardson’s property, we’re told the remainder are still in the overflowing homes. Richardson says she cannot reveal any of those locations.

Boone County Animal Services says it’s expecting to move into a new location hopefully by this time next year.
They say the additional space will allow them to take in some cats.

For more information on how to adopt a cat, please click on the attached related links.

Local Animal Shelter Finding Homes for Hundreds of Hoarded Cats

Boone County panel may not have power to change breeding kennel regulations - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

By Ben Stanley
Rockford Register Star

Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 12:00 PM
Updated Aug 7, 2015 at 9:05 PM

BELVIDERE — An ad hoc Boone County committee reviewing changes to its boarding and breeding kennels regulations has hit a snag. Turns out, the county may not have the authority to make changes.

"There’s a lot of things we can’t do, maybe even some of the things that we ordered in special-use permits before really shouldn’t have been," County Board member Denny Ellingson said. "So we’re trying to figure out something that the state can go along with and that we can enact."

The Boarding and Breeding Ordinance Advisory Committee formed to review ordinance changes after accusations of animal cruelty and abuse were leveled at a Caledonia dog breeder in 2014. Some questioned whether county regulations were strong enough to prevent future abuse.

For months, county leaders had considered amendments that would have, among other things, banned stackable dog cages and wire or mesh flooring in kennels. But no changes have been passed since the committee's seven members — a veterinarian, two animal-welfare advocates, two community residents, one breeder and one kennel operator — started meeting in January.

"It was designed to have input from people in the industry who have more knowledge about what local ordinances can be enacted to prevent any abuse to animals," Boone County Administrator Ken Terrinoni said. "But where we have to be careful as a county, if you read these opinions, is that this is really a state issue."

The committee found after reaching out to Assistant Boone County State's Attorney Tony Fioretti that outside of rabies control and overpopulation issues, county governments in Illinois, excluding Cook County, don't have much power to impose their own regulations.

In a memo sent to Terrinoni on April 16, Fioretti wrote that the Department of Agriculture is the "sole regulator" in Illinois and "occupies the field in terms of regulating breeding."

"While the county may still require, on a case-by-case basis, a special-use permit for breeders and kennel operators, the restrictions placed on those special uses have to be reasonable and defensible within the parameters of Illinois law and the Department of Agriculture's regulations," he wrote.

Ben Stanley: 815-987-1369

Boone County panel may not have power to change breeding kennel regulations - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Letter to Editor: County Board & Animal Service Building

Boone County to reject bids, revise animal-control facility plans - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

By Ben Stanley
Rockford Register Star

Posted Jul. 7, 2015 at 9:16 PM

BELVIDERE — Boone County finally has money to replace its antiquated animal-control center, which for years has relied on patch repairs to address a litany of sanitation and infestation problems, but construction will be delayed months as a county committee searches for ways to shave costs.

Two weeks ago, the Boone County Roads and Capital Improvements Committee received bids from three local contractors for the project. Each bid exceeded the county's $800,000 budget — funded entirely through a small property tax increase voters approved in November — by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The bids came as a surprise to committee members, who were given a cost estimate of roughly $800,000 by architect Mark Schmidt in July 2014. Schmidt's estimate influenced the county board's decision to seek that amount in the tax-hike referendum, but several changes were made to building plans before bids were opened in June.

At a special meeting on June 22, the committee voted to recommend the county board accept the low bid from Larson & Larson Builders on the condition that the design could be tweaked to keep costs within budget. However, the committee voted unanimously tonight  to reverse its recommendation after Boone County State's Attorney Michelle Courier warned the county board that making nearly $300,000 in alterations to the building's design after the bid has been accepted could undermine a state statute that regulates the competitive bidding process for county projects.

"The architect has indicated that in order to reduce the cost, he will need to redraw his plans, the same plans on which the project was bid upon," Courier wrote in a letter to the board. "This is a material change from the original project. ... giving the current lowest responsible bidder an unfair advantage."

The county board is expected to reject all three bids at a meeting on July 15. Now the committee must go back to the drawing board and work with Schmidt to draft a much simpler and cheaper design, then re-open bids to local contractors.

"You get so much money to work with, you want to get the best building you can," Schmidt said. "Every time you go to one committee, one group wants one feature, another group wants other bells and whistles and pretty soon it gets bigger ... and then you've got to start shrinking it again. The main goal is, what can we do to get the building built?"

Schmidt estimated late August is the earliest that revised building plans could be released to bidders.

Page 2 of 2 - "I know it's going to get done," Boone County Animal Services Operations Supervisor Roger Tresemer said after the meeting. "It's just, I don't want it ... to get to the point where the integrity of the building is not much different than what we have now." 

Above is from:  Boone County to reject bids, revise animal-control facility plans - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Boone County animal-control center bids far exceed $800K budget - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

• By Ben Stanley
  Rockford Register Star

  Posted Jun. 22, 2015 at 3:36 PM
  Updated Jun 22, 2015 at 11:57 PM

  BELVIDERE — Three bids Boone County received for building an animal-control center far exceed the architect's cost estimate last July.

  Voters approved a referendum in November to build the facility using $800,000 generated over three years by a small property tax increase.

  The referendum ended years of debate over how to pay for a new center. The state of the facility has been an issue for years. In 2010, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited it for several violations.

  The $800,000 estimate given by architect Mark Schmidt in July 2014 influenced the County Board's decision to seek that amount in the referendum. The county reached out to 10 contractors for the project; three submitted bids Friday:

  Sjostrom & Sons: $1,242,800.

  Rockford Structures Construction Co.: $1,099,000.

  Larson & Larson Builders: $1,080,800.

"Things have changed in the marketplace in the last year,"

Schmidt said. "We added square footage to the building and we're building in a different location. All of those things were variables I couldn't have estimated in 2014."

The original plans were for a 2,700-square-foot building on a lot off Highway 76 just north of Maple Crest Care Center. New plans call for a 3,500-square-foot building on a lot off Squaw Prairie Road just east of the original site.

The Roads and Capital Improvements Committee held a special meeting tonight  to review the county's options — scrap the current plans and take bids in 60 to 90 days for a cheaper design, find more money for the project, or make a commitment to the low bidder on the condition that costs are trimmed from the design to keep the building within budget while keeping its blueprint intact.

"We pushed for a tighter bid schedule than we probably should have," committee member Karl Johnson said during the meeting.

Without an additional funding source, and fearing that rejecting the bids to draft a new building design could set construction back another calendar year, the committee voted to make a conditional commitment to Larson & Larson, pending approval by Boone County State's Attorney Michelle Courier.

Schmidt listed 10 ways the county could shave costs from the design. Among them: decreasing superficial elements, such as the amount of stone siding on the building; and making interior changes, such as reducing the number of fenced stalls for animals. The new building keeps the same number of stalls as the old one.

"As I understand it, the capacity of the current building was never the problem, it was the quality of the building itself," Schmidt said.

Animal Services Operations Supervisor Roger Tresemer said he doesn't want the building's animal capacity to be reduced.

"Some of the niceties for the office areas could be brought aboard later," he said. "I thought ... the whole reason of building a new shelter was you'd have a safer, cleaner, easier-to-sanitize environment but still house at least the same number of animals."

Ben Stanley: 815-987-1369; bstanley@rrstar.com; @ben_j_stanley

By Ben Stanley
Rockford Register Star

Rockford Register Star

 

• Above is from:  Boone County animal-control center bids far exceed $800K budget - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

My View: No excuse for hoarding animals - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Opinion piece request action by Boone County Board.

By Karen Gadke
Stateline Spay/Neuter & Education Fund

Posted Jun. 20, 2015 at 2:30 PM

I refer to an article published in the May 31 Rockford Register Star: "Stephenson County case spotlights national problem," which deals with the recent Stephenson County pet hoarding case. In a Feb. 22 Opinion column I explained how hoarding usually begins and suggested ways to prevent hoarding situations, namely, by not supporting overbreeding. Pet overpopulation as well as pet dumping by some people makes it too easy to pick up abandoned pets.

In your May 31 article mental health expert Elspeth Bell proposes mental health issues as reasons for hoarding. I agree with that opinion, but this expert’s tone is typical for the time we live in, namely, excuses are often made for criminal acts committed “due to temporary insanity.” With this attitude, many wrongdoers end up being set free with a “slap on the wrist.”

Ms. Bell’s “prescription” is to put the animal hoarder in contact with the proper resources to help her. Of course hoarders need mental health treatment. But this does not change the fact that Ms. McKinnon, the hoarder in question here, needs to take responsibility for what she did to defenseless creatures. In my opinion, while she is being treated for her mental instability, she needs to be locked up because all the stray cats and dogs on the streets present the temptation to start hoarding all over again. She may not have seen all the filth, but she could not have been blind to all the dogs and cats in pain, starving and dying, and that’s plain cruelty. This cannot be written off as “not her fault.”

On the subject of overbreeding, many groups and individuals are doing their best to educate the public and subsidize spay/neuter, especially of cats breeding out of control. Some more humane and progressive communities have free spay/neuter available, but many just continue the “catch and kill” system, often by massive poisoning of cats, which can include wild critters and people’s family pets.

Boone County Animal Services is doing a good job of catching stray dogs and either re-homing or adopting out those whose owners can not be found, euthanizing only unadoptable ones. But there is no help for cats. There is no space for cats at Animal Services, and private shelters are overflowing.

Stateline Spay/Neuter & Education Fund, working with other groups, has been working hard to catch and sterilize as many feral and barn cats as possible, and mailing out family pet spay/neuter vouchers to reduce vet bills for pets. But without more help, the situation remains out of control; every day more litters are born and, sadly, most of those kittens will have to die. The Boone County Board has not shown much interest in companion animals. (The shelter that will soon be built was voted in by a compassionate public agreeing to a small tax increase, not the County Board).

Page 2 of 2 - I suggest that the Boone County Board to start taking an interest in and becoming educated about the situation, then do something to support cat sterilization so we can stabilize the population. Those of us who are trying to reduce cat numbers by sterilizing as many as we can will continue, but if we do not get help, there will be many more hoarding situations, and county government will have to pay a lot more to clean up the dreadful messes than it would cost to take an interest now in preventing them.

My View: No excuse for hoarding animals - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Letter: In response to recent editorials - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

The items in “red” are links.  Just click on them to read the referenced item.

Mar. 3, 2015 at 9:00 AM
Updated Mar 5, 2015 at 2:53 PM

In response to Karen Gadke’s editorial and the subsequent rebuttal from Laura Kiedaisch, a breeder in Boone County, I would like to provide some information. The original text amendment presented to the Boone County Board was drafted with recommendations from the Puppy Mill Project in Chicago and the architect hired by Boone County to build the new animal services building.

This text amendment is simply an attempt to require more humane living conditions for dogs in breeding facilities in Boone County. The text amendment referred to in Ms. Gadke’s letter is a public document available to anyone and can be found on the Boone County Website (boonecountyil.org) under Advisory Committees: Breeding/Boarding Ordinance Advisory Committee.

Another great source of information on this subject was in an editorial by Lisa Fowler-Kobylewski. I would urge the Rockford Register Star to run that article again in hopes that more people could be educated on this issue.

— Jane Gordon, Belvidere

Above is from:  Letter: In response to recent editorials - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

BDR: Question of authority slows breeder-boarder committee

 

Question of authority slows breeder-boarder committee
By Bob Balgemann
Reporter

BELVIDERE - The new ad-hoc committee dealing with regulations for animal breeders and boarders in Boone County had a particular goal in mind.

...

Members were being guided by the belief that the county could have regulations that were more strict, but not more liberal, than the state.

But a memorandum from Boone County State's Attorney Michelle Courier has slowed that process.

Members agreed Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 11) to see if someone from the state Department of Agriculture could attend the Feb. 25 meeting to discuss what the county could do, and not do, when regulating breeders and boarders.

In addition, they want the interim city-county planning director, Kathy Miller, to attend and deal with related zoning issues.

County Administrator Ken Terrinoni caused a slow-down in the regulating process by reading from a memo written by Assistant State's Attorney Fioretti, on behalf of Courier, and dated Feb. 5, 2015.

He stated the Department of Agriculture "is designated as the rule-making body and the body responsible for the effectuation of the Animal Control Act. Further, the Department of Agriculture is also reserved as the sole rule-making and licensing body of foster homes, animal shelters, pet shops and kennels by the Animal Welfare Act.

"As a non-home rule unit of government, without some specific authority to regulate the breeding of dogs, the field of regulation appears to be pre-empted by the Department of Agriculture. There is no apparent authority that allows for the county to regulate the breeding of dogs without intruding on the space occupied by the Department of Agriculture in the authorizing legislation."

Concern has been expressed numerous times about the abuse of animals in Boone County and the need to stop it.

In reference to abuse, the memo states, "To the extent that any breeder, or pet owner is breeding, neglecting or otherwise treating dogs in a manner that isn't humane, the (state) Legislature has already provided the authority for (county) Animal Control and law enforcement to investigate and charge persons with violations of the Humane Care of Animals Act."

Referring to the memo, committee Chairman Denny Ellingson said, "We have to be real careful with what we write. This tells me what we have (on the books) shouldn't be there."

"It raises the question," Terrinoni said in agreement.

As proposed, the county would require a special use permit for any breeder with more than five female dogs. But committee member Gwen Meyer said the question now was being asked as to whether the county could even issue a special use permit.

Another committee member, Jeannine French, said it would be important to get answers to question in writing.

(8) Belvidere Daily Republican

RRStar Letter to Editor on Boone County’s Kennel Text Amendment

 

Above is taken from Page A-11, Rockford Register Star, January 23, 2015.

Letter: Animal cruelty, abuse in local puppy mills - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

It has been brought to the Boone County Board’s attention that there is a need for additional requirements concerning a special-use permit when applying for a breeding/boarding kennel permit in Boone County. There have been two of these facilities discovered in Boone County that made the list of “101 Puppy Mills: A Sampling of Problem Puppy Mills in the United States” by the Humane Society of the United States. In case you are not aware, a tremendous amount of abuse is inflicted on the dogs in these types of facilities.

The intention and goal of these additional requirements are to ensure safer, more humane living conditions for these dogs. The current guidelines are vague and allow for mistreatment of the animals to occur.

Boone County Board Chairman Bob Walberg has chosen to form an ad hoc committee

to address these concerns. The objective of this committee is to get all of the appropriate input and

to represent all interests concerning this issue. This committee should consist of a fair and balanced group of people with varying views on animal welfare.

It was suggested by a member of a local animal advocacy organization to Mr. Walberg that this group consist of nine people: two veterinarians, two animal rescue group representatives, two licensed breeders, two citizens and an animal control officer. Mr. Walberg has chosen only seven people: a Boone County board member, a veterinarian, a former breeder, a breeder, a breeder/boarder, an employee of that breeder/boarder and an animal advocate.

It appears to me and many others that his choice of people for this committee is absolutely NOT fair and balanced. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Keep in mind that it is the breeders who inflict the abuse and neglect upon the dogs in these facilities. The whole purpose of these additional requirements is to PROTECT animals.

A committee that consists of one farmer and a group of breeders is a distinct conflict of interest.

And it hardly seems like the proper group to be writing these new requirements.

Also, these meetings are, by law, to be held in open meetings with the public welcome and encouraged to attend. The Boone County Board must also post a notice of location, date and time of these meetings.

In conclusion, if you are concerned with the reputation of our county, if you care about the dogs in these facilities, if you dislike unfairness and bias in your local government: please let Walberg (815-544-2100; bwalberg@boonecountyil.org) know that you disagree with the group of people chosen for this committee.

This is a perfect opportunity for YOU to do something for the dogs — BE THEIR VOICE!

 

Marie Arnquist, Belvidere

 

Letter: Animal cruelty, abuse in local puppy mills - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

BCJ’s Major articles on wind turbines, animal services and Belvidere’s taxi service

The Boone County Journal is available free of cost at merchants across the county and on line at:  http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2015/Boone-County-News-01-23-15.pdf#page=1

Editorial on Wind Turbine Ordinance.

 

Regional Planning Commission opposes text amendment 3-2.  Next Zoning Board of Appeals on January 27.

 

.

Progress on the animal service building

 

 

 

How much will it cost Boone County to finance the new Animal Shelter?

The low bid is from Park RIdge Community Bank—it is  1.33+ PERCENT.

 

This is very interesting in as much the administration indicated that a bond issue would cost the county too much to negotiate.

 

Above is from:  http://www.boarddocs.com/il/boone/Board.nsf/files/9SZEU86E2836/$file/Financing%20Bids_201501211357.pdf

My View: Animals must be ensured humane care - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

•  

 

• By Lisa Fowler-Kobylewski
  Posted Jan. 10, 2015 @ 3:00 pm

  Boone County residents should be aware of the Dog Breeder and Boarder text amendments that have been proposed in Boone County. The purpose of these ordinances is to update and strengthen terminology regarding the humane care of animals kept in confined spaces for breeding purposes and boarding purposes.

  The end goal of these amendments is to prevent puppy mills from being allowed to operate within the county and to do more to help ensure humane care for animals within its boarders.

  Every business must keep pace with society’s evolution. Companion animals have created a business market that results in U.S. citizens spending more than $50 billion a year on animal care and products for their pets.

  Society now views these animals as members of the family and expects them to be treated as such. With this in mind, the days of cramming animals into tiny cages with little food and water and next to no veterinary care for the purpose of pure profit has come to an end.

 

Society will no longer tolerate this behavior as it comes to light in our towns and cities. Reputable breeding and boarding businesses should welcome the opportunity to show how much these animals
are truly valued by them, and how much your business means to them, by taking all measures to ensure their facilities meet any newly required standards of care for these companion animals. Those who protest may be found highly suspect.

Animal welfare organizations and humane groups all across the country are standing with citizens to develop common sense text that fits expectations of today’s humane standards. We as a society are realizing that the Animal Welfare Act and the Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act, as well as county ordinances, are written with a broad stroke and allow for too much individual interpretation, making it difficult to enforce these laws.

The goal of these amendments is to strengthen the language and clarify today’s expectations of humane care. This will improve the quality of life for these breeding animals and animals kept in boarding, and make enforcement of these local ordinances easier.

These amendments will also protect human health and consumers who purchase these animals, as stricter standards will do more to prevent illness and disease associated with consistently confined breeding operations.

The first attempt to pass these amendments failed, as I believe misconceptions regarding their purpose fueled huge breeding industry push back. However these amendments do not seek to put reputable breeders or boarders out of business, but instead hold them to the same standards of quality improvements we expect every other business to make if they are to succeed.

Boone County has made headlines with its Christiansen and Lettier Kennels being identified in “101 Puppy Mills, A Sampling of Problem Puppy Mills in the United States” by the Humane Society of the United States.

Page 2 of 2 - The county doesn’t need any more bad press. In light of this, the Boone County Board and Chairman Bob Walberg have appointed a group of individuals to an advisory committee to help better shape the amendments for the county. This group of individuals will be tasked with creating the language that determines how these breeding animals are treated and how healthy the puppy that you purchase truly is.

Please take an interest in this topic as it directly reflects on your community and its growth and progress. Tell your county board representatives that you only want reputable businesses operating within your county. Attend a county meeting of the advisory committee and listen to the discussion. Better yet, take any opportunity to become a part of it yourself.

Your county is judged on many factors, including its treatment of animals. Businesses in the county are considered the company you keep. Don’t let those who allow cruelty define your county!

Lisa Fowler-Kobylewski is a Boone County resident.

My View: Animals must be ensured humane care - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

BCJ: Articles regarding new Animal Services Building

 

The Boone County Journal is available free of cost at merchants across the county and on-line at:  http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2015/Boone-County-News-01-09-15.pdf#page=1

How much does a dog adoption from Boone County Animal Shelter Cost?

 

Above is from:  http://www.boarddocs.com/il/boone/Board.nsf/files/9RJSQE67E370/$file/BCAS%20Staff%20Report%20December%202014.pdf

Letter: A win/win for everyone - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

Posted Nov. 28, 2014 @ 6:00 pm

As a Boone County resident/taxpayer and previous business owner, I would like to respond to a recent article in the Rockford Register Star regarding the new Boone County Animal Control Facility.

I find it interesting that Illinois business people feel that local contracts should be given to an Illinois business with little or no experience in the proposed project field.

Instead of challenging the decision, they need to go back to the conference room and analyze why they lost the contract and prepare for the next opportunity.

I commend the Boone County board for selecting an architect with experience in the design and building animal control facilities in other states as well as Illinois. That experience will be incorporated into the specifications of the proposed facility.

Local contractors will have an opportunity to bid on all or parts of the project.

It is a win/win for the taxpayer, Boone County, employees, volunteers and the animals.

— Bob Christianson, Belvidere

Letter: A win/win for everyone - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Question of the Month: What are the fees if my dog is impounded for running at large?

Animal Service: Information Question of the Month

Q) How long are animals held after they are impounded?

A) Any animal with identification such as a rabies license or identification tag or a microchip must be held seven (7) days for an owner to reclaim the animal. It is required that a notice of impound letter be sent when an animal is received that has identification.
Dogs that do not have any identification are held for five days. On the fifth day, the animal can be placed for adoption or transferred to a licensed rescue. Dogs without identification that are not deemed adoptable due to health or temperament issues are still held for seven (7) days to give an owner opportunity to reclaim the animal. The exception to this would be a health issue that the Veterinary Administrator would decide that the animal should be euthanized for humane purposes.
There is no holding period for cats as they are generally not accepted at this time unless they are sick, injured, or have bitten someone. Occasionally Animal Services receives owner surrender cats that are healthy. These cats are transferred to a licensed rescue.

Changes in County Monthly Animal Services Report

 

Boone County Animal Services

 

Staff Report

September

2014

Staff – The department has one vacancy.

Roger Tresemer – Operations Supervisor

Juanita Acevedo – Office Manager

Justin Unger – Animal Services Officer

*pending* - Animal Services Officer

Daily Kennel Census

Beginning in October, 2014, a Daily Kennel Census will be included in the staff report. The Census will show how many animals were in the shelter at the beginning of the day and at the close of business.

Change in Impound Records Report

Starting this month, the Impound Records will no longer indicate the owner’s name but will reflect the animal owner’s general residency (IE: County, Belvidere, Capron, etc.) This protects the individual’s privacy and allows for more information to be shared regarding where animals are being brought in from and returned to.

Local Adoption Events

Periodically, BCAS will be presenting adoptable dogs at the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays in downtown Belvidere until season’s end.

Information Question of the Month

Q) What do BCAS officers check for when an animal is received in the field or is brought the shelter?

A) BCAS staff will make a photographic record as well as document the breed, color, gender, approximate age, any collar, any tags and scan the animal for any microchip. The animal is also evaluated if there are any medical needs in which case the animal is transferred to the department’s licensed veterinarian. If there are injuries that appear life threatening after hours, the animal is transported to the Animal Emergency Clinic of Rockford. The ultimate goal is to locate the owner so that the pet can be returned to them.

WREX: New Boone County animal shelter proposed

•  

View the video by clicking on the following:  http://www.wrex.com/story/26387666/2014/08/27/new-boone-county-animal-shelter-proposed

 

New Boone County animal shelter proposed

Posted: Aug 27, 2014 5:05 PM CDT

By Ken DeCoster

BOONE COUNTY (WREX) -

When you step inside Boone County's animal shelter, it's clear it's not in the best shape.
"This building is about 60 years old. It was originally designed as a veterinary clinic. It was never designed as an animal control facility," says Roger Tresemer, a supervisor at Boone County Animal Services.
Boone County Board Member Cathy Ward says the building outlived its usefulness years ago.
"You can see that the cages are butted up against each other and they need space so they don't share diseases, so they don't share insects and fleas and teh rest of it," Ward says.
This November, Boone County voters will decide the fate of that shelter. The county wants to spend $800,000 to build and equip a new animal services facility approximately three times the size of the existing shelter.
The recommended site is near Highway 76 and Squaw Prairie Road.
"It's more visible. There's more space. We've often had complaints about this space which is on Appleton Road near home. The new site is wide open adn would be much easier for people to get to and find," Ward says.
But the perks come with a price. Voters need to decide on the issue because it's their tax dollars paying for it. The county would raise property taxes to secure the funds.
It's too early in the process to determine if that's something voters are willing to do — but come November, the county will have its answer.