Jacqueline Hughes, a homeowner on Highland Drive west of Dayton, told the LaSalle County Public Safety Committee that roughly 40 feral cats are roaming her neighborhood and damaging property, and asked the county to consider an ordinance or resources to control the population.

Hughes said the cats have torn landscaping and pool covers, emit a foul odor near her flower beds, and frighten her 4‑year‑old daughter. "At the least, can you give us some resources, do some research on vets that can help, or adopt a trap, neuter, and release program to help control the population?" Hughes said.

The issue prompted an extended discussion of enforcement options and costs. County animal control staff described current agreements with area shelters and kennels, including IVAR and Norway Kennel, and warned that changing to a leased facility would create staffing and record‑keeping demands.

Animal control staff said IVAR currently charges about $50 per night to board a dog, and the county could reserve kennel space for roughly $250 per month (about $3,000 per year). Under the described practice, an animal held as a stray is boarded for three days; if the owner cannot be located and the animal is judged unadoptable it may be euthanized, or IVAR may take possession and pay for spay/neuter, microchip and vaccinations before adoption. The county would cover boarding and, where applicable, euthanasia costs.

Staff noted enforcement limits under the county's existing animal ordinance, which currently targets dogs. "There is a $150 fine" for dogs at large (reducible to $75 if paid within seven days), the animal control officer said, "but we can't enforce it if we can't identify animals — we need microchips and a database to track repeat offenders."

Committee members and staff discussed several possible legal paths: (1) extend the county dog ordinance to cats; (2) create a targeted ordinance prohibiting feeding of unsterilized stray cats in defined residential areas; or (3) pursue immediate relief in extreme cases by treating unowned cats as nuisance animals under broader state regulations so trapping and removal can occur without a new ordinance. Several speakers warned each path has tradeoffs: an ordinance will require sustained enforcement and likely more staffing and budget; treating cats as nuisance species could raise DNR and trapping‑method legalities; and a trap‑neuter‑release (TNR) program requires substantial veterinary, volunteer and logistical support.

Committee discussion repeatedly returned to capacity and cost. One county speaker said trapping and processing a cat under the required veterinary rules (spay/neuter, rabies vaccination, microchip) typically costs many tens of dollars, and estimated "I can't imagine you'd be getting it done any cheaper than a $100 an animal," adding that a modest multi‑cat sweep could quickly run into thousands of dollars. Officials also noted volunteer, clinic and donation models used by other counties but said those programs require significant organization and recurring budget commitments.

The committee asked the state's attorney's office to review legal options, including whether cats in unincorporated LaSalle County can be treated as nuisance animals in extreme cases and whether an enforceable ordinance tailored to subdivisions (for example, a prohibition within a specified distance of neighboring homes) is legally feasible. The committee directed staff to gather example ordinances (a speaker supplied a copy of a Grundy County ordinance as an example), estimate anticipated costs and staffing implications, and return with recommendations.

The committee did not adopt an ordinance at the meeting. Members instructed staff and the state's attorney to research options and return with a proposal and cost estimates to a future meeting (committee members asked for a report back with findings in November).