How Much Does Winnebago County Animal Shelter Charge To Surrender A Dog

KD Rubelis holds her newly adopted cat, Dunkin, on Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, at the Winnebago County Animal Shelter. She named him Dunkin because he was found at a Dunkin' Donuts. Becky Grammier of Roscoe is lobbying for Winnebago County Animal Services to become a no-kill shelter. SUNNY STRADER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/RRSTAR.COM

ROCKFORD — Vincent and Nib Olds fell on hard times and had to move back into their mother's town business firm.

The boondocks house doesn't allow pets, so they took Sasha and Ashly, 2 purebred pit bulls from the same litter that cost $950 each, to Winnebago County Animal Services in December in the hopes of getting them a new habitation. Everywhere else had a waiting list, they said.

Before long after, they took Baxter, their short-haired tortoise-shell cat, to the shelter. Subsequently filing a Freedom of Data Act request, they learned simply before Christmas that Baxter had been taken to a rescue for adoptable cats. Their 2½-year-onetime dogs had been euthanized on Dec. viii — one day after they were surrendered. Sasha and Ashly were ruled "emaciated." Sasha weighed 35 pounds and Ashly forty, co-ordinate to the documents from Animal Services the brothers obtained through their FOIA request.

"They were the most loving little beings," Vincent said. "There was not an ambitious os in their body. They were never, ever aggressive toward anybody."

The brothers have joined hundreds more in a entrada to plough Winnebago County Animal Services, 4517 North. Main St., into a shelter with a low euthanasia rate that only kills in extreme medical or behavioral situations, commonly referred to as a "no-kill shelter."

"We don't want ... anything else like this to happen to anybody," Neb said. "Chances are, it's going to. Things similar this, it takes time to get into motion where you tin put a finish to this."

Officials with the Winnebago County state's chaser'south office and Animal Services say the county shelter cannot be a no-kill shelter because of state police force. The Beast Control Act says animals shall be humanely euthanized if there is no placement available.

"If a microchip is present, the registered owner must be notified," the police force reads. "Later on contact has been made or attempted, dogs or cats deemed adoptable past the beast control facility shall be offered for adoption, or made bachelor to a licensed humane social club or rescue group. If no placement is bachelor, information technology shall exist humanely dispatched pursuant to the Humane Euthanasia in Brute Shelters Deed."

In 2015, 33 per centum of dogs taken in by Beast Services were euthanized; the national average is 56 percentage.

"Winnebago County is only allowed to do what the state police says it tin can exercise," said Paul Carpenter with the state'due south chaser's function. "Land police force doesn't permit the county to keep animals indefinitely."

Becky Grammier is leading the accuse for the shelter to be no-kill. She started a Modify.org petition and a Facebook grouping, both called Come up Together to Make Winnebago County Animal Services a No-Kill Shelter. The petition has more than 1,000 signatures every bit of today, and the group has nigh 760 members.

"Our community (is) total of animal lovers," said Grammier, who lives in Roscoe and was compelled to start the move after fostering dogs for ten years. "They're non enlightened of what'southward going on. And so many people aren't enlightened that our shelter is a kill shelter."

Grammier spoke during public comment at the Winnebago County Board meeting Thursday. She urged lath members to attend an informative meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. Sat at North Suburban Library, 5562 Clayton Circle in Roscoe, on the no-kill resolution.

"There's zip in the creature ordinance that says they cannot immediately become no-impale," she told the board.

Dave Peterson, chief operating officeholder for Winnebago County, said the shelter does not kill for infinite.

"We work very hard to exist very humane with the animals, so we work with shelters and rehab shelters," he said. "Nosotros're probably 1 of the best in the state of Illinois."

In addition to the country law, the County Board enacted the Animal Control Ordinance of Winnebago County, which requires Beast Services to humanely intendance for impounded animals, follow state police force to prevent rabies from spreading, and euthanize impounded animals according to policy.

Beast Services Director Jennifer Stacy declined to comment on the shelter'south condition, referring instead to a written argument: "Whatever concern for the well-being of animals is beauteous and is shared by the staff at WCAS. Unfortunately, the staff is not able to unilaterally convert the shelter into a no-kill shelter. Winnebago County Animals Services will go along to work proactively through promotion, education and rescue transfer to save more lives as nosotros also review our procedures and policies. There volition go on to be new strategies in our field, we have to determine what all-time fits our operation and the community needs."

"Information technology'southward a good movement, and it's definitely coming from a proficient place," board member Eli Nicolosi, R-8, said. However, it ultimately relies on the state's determination.

It would also require more money to keep the animals longer.

"I would be for it if, financially, we could make information technology piece of work in the current budget," Nicolosi said. "I think that's a no-brainer, and that would be a win-win for everybody."

The Olds brothers said they didn't understand why Ashly and Sasha were put down and then before long — they were salubrious pit bulls that grew up domesticated with a dear for snuggling and nutrient.

"At that place's something about this that really stinks. You merely don't put dogs down like that," Vincent said. "You just don't murder animals like that the next day, after you tell the possessor that surrendered that animal 'Oh aye, we're going to put them through a temperament exam, they'll be merely fine'."

Shelter statistics

In the starting time quarter of 2015, 168 dogs (35 percent of impounded canines) were euthanized, identical to the number of dogs returned to their owners. The residue were adopted or rescued.

Sixty-three percent of the dogs were put downwardly considering of behavior and temperament, thirty per centum were euthanized for medical reasons, and 7 percent were euthanized at the request of the possessor, according to data from Brute Services.

Three hundred cats were euthanized, overwhelmingly for medical reasons.

Animal Services has space for 256 animals, including the waiting area for surgery, Peterson said.

Overall, numbers were downwards compared to the first quarter of 2014.

"I think more people are using microchips and tags," Stacy said, "and I think owners are beingness more responsible."

Dogs that are adoptable go out to the adoption floor.

When dogs arrive at the shelter, they become through a temperament test to see how they'll react, for example, to having the food bowl taken away and how they interact with other animals. Officials reach out to nearby fauna rescues and foster homes to enquire almost placement.

Noah'due south Ark Animal Sanctuary, 111 Due north. First St., will not euthanize whatever adoptable, salubrious or treatable animal.

"At that place are farthermost circumstances where an animal is sick across what can be washed to help them, and it would be a crime to keep them alive," general manager Stephanie Lauer said.

Susan Golan, vice president of PAWS Humane Lodge Rockford and supervisor of its cat program, said at that place's no such matter as a no-impale shelter.

"In a perfect world, nobody wants to impale an animal considering of infinite, but the community has to support a lot of stuff," she said. "They don't support cats existence indoor only. They want them off their property, farmers allow them to breed incessantly. In that location's but a lot that goes into it."

Adam Poulisse: 815-987-1344; apoulisse@rrstar.com; @adampoulisse