An animal rights activist who has clashed in recent months with DuPage officials on practices at its animal control center is recommending a series of reforms in the wake of a report that the number of cats killed there last year spiked about 40 percent.
Through November, DuPage County Animal Control had euthanized 1,641 cats in 2004, up from 1,169 between January and November 2003, according to a recent department report to the County Board’s Judicial and Public Safety Committee. The number of dogs euthanized also went up about 7 percent in that period, to 622 from 582.
Beth Welch, who heads the county’s Animal Control Department, declined this week to characterize why the figures were up. She said the county currently is modifying software to explain key factors about the animals–including age, health, disposition and if they were dropped off at the center by pet owners seeking to have them euthanized, picked up as strays or part of a feral population.
The overall number of cats at the center through those same 11 months also increased over the last year, to 2,705 in 2004 from 2,363 in 2003. Dog totals remained steady. At the same time, overall adoption figures were down in 2004 for both dogs and cats.
Last fall, Cherie Travis, head of a Downers Grove non-profit animal shelter, accused the animal control of “reckless euthanasia.” Appearing before the board this week, Travis asked board membersto implement changes to the animal control such as more promotion of spaying and neutering, transferring more animals to other shelters and opening the facility for adoptions on Sunday.
“I think the county really does need to address the [euthanasia] issue,” said Travis, president of People and Animals in Community Together Humane Society.
In December, the Judicial and Public Safety Committee sent a letter to Travis asking her to “immediately cease and desist any contact” with animal control staff, claiming she had harassed them in the wake of Travis’ allegations that the center had failed to provide medical treatment to a Labrador retriever in its care. Travis denied that she harassed the staff. State officials cleared the center of mistreating the dog.
But despite the recent quarrels, County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom sounded receptive to Travis’ latest suggestions, saying he would particularly look into opening the center on Sundays.
“I didn’t hear anything that sounded unreasonable, and I guess it comes to down to, if we can develop ways to minimize the euthanasia of animals, I support that,” Schillerstrom said.
