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Residents urge county action after alleged steer-tailing events; ZBA hears graphic animal-cruelty complaints
Summary
Speakers at the McHenry County zoning hearing described alleged animal-cruelty at unsanctioned steer-tailing events, urged denial of future temporary-use permits, and asked county officials to enforce a one-year ban on similar events at a named property.
During public comment, Jody Whitaker, representing the advocacy group SHARP, told the McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals she has documented what she described as repeated animal-cruelty at unsanctioned rodeo-style “steer tailing” events and urged county action to deny future permits for those events.
Whitaker said footage showed animals with broken legs, tails ripped off and other injuries, and she told the board organizers were selling tickets for an upcoming Sunday event at a property on Kishwaukee Valley Road despite an existing one-year temporary-use permit ban at that location. She said event operators rented steers from out of state, ran the animals repeatedly and that some on-site veterinarians would not treat certain injured animals. Whitaker asked the board to recommend denial of future permits and to communicate with county officials and law enforcement to prevent the events.
A second commenter who identified herself as Whitaker’s mother described the footage as “horrific,” and both speakers said they had notified local law enforcement, the state attorney’s office and other agencies but that enforcement had been inconsistent. Whitaker said she and colleagues document incidents from mid‑March through mid‑October and that the group has provided footage and reports to multiple agencies.
Board members clarified the zoning board’s role: it reviews and recommends on zoning and conditional‑use matters but does not itself carry out criminal enforcement. On the record, a board member responded that the board does not directly stop events but can consider recommending ordinance changes or advising other county bodies. The comment record does not show a staff or law‑enforcement response on the record about the specific event's status.
The speakers asked the county to ensure the sheriff’s office enforces the existing ban at the Kishwaukee Valley Road property and requested that the board consider denying future temporary‑use permits for steer‑tailing events. The matter was entered into the public record for the evening’s hearing; no formal permit decision for that specific event was made during the ZBA session.
