Iroquois County committee moves to rebuild animal-control operations, seeks CareCredit and card payments

The county committee overseeing animal-control matters voted to recommend that animal control apply for a CareCredit account for veterinary services and approved seeking quotes to set up a credit-card payment system to collect fees, members said Tuesday. Angela, animal-control staff, told the committee the CareCredit account “gives us an automatic 20% discount with veterinarians” but that the discount applies to medical care only, not supplies.

The recommendation to the full board to pursue CareCredit followed a committee motion by Steve Hughes and a second from John Grant; members gave the motion a voice vote to send the request to the full board. Later the committee approved a separate motion — moved and seconded on the record — to pursue a card-acceptance system so the shelter can accept debit and credit payments at the desk and in the field.

The vote followed a lengthy operational update from Angela, who described a steady caseload: “there were 65 cases, 7 abuse calls, 31 animal complaints, including several aggressive dogs, loose dogs, cats, horses, and cows,” and noted intake and rehoming tallies: “9 cats and 4 dogs were rehomed. 3 kittens went to Paul Love. 1 kitten went to Sunrise.” She said the facility currently houses four dogs, 10 kittens, two cats, one mom and five kittens, plus animals in foster care.

Committee members discussed immediate logistics. Angela said the CareCredit card would be physically secured and “Angela is the primary person to authorize” its use. She clarified that CareCredit covers emergency or medical care at participating veterinary providers but does not cover supplies. Angela also described existing billing arrangements with local veterinarians and noted some clinics operate on a monthly billing cycle that can delay payments by “a month and a half.”

Committee members pressed for clearer fee and billing procedures for villages that ask county animal control to pick up animals inside municipal limits. The committee directed Angela to obtain Kankakee County intergovernmental-agreement (IGA) examples and asked staff to circulate existing Iroquois County ordinance language — Angela identified sections of the Iroquois County code, including section 6116 and article 3 on impoundment — so members could review duties, police powers, and fee language.

On facility improvements, Angela said new steel doors and LED lighting had been installed and that the committee will consider adding a line to the shelter budget for animal boarding insurance; staff will solicit quotes and report back. Members also agreed to start rebuilding administrative systems: Angie and Paul will coordinate with a local veterinarian to confirm duties and to contact villages about billing and fee schedules. The committee asked John Grant to gather quotes for a card-acceptance system and report back.

The committee discussed payment logistics for owners redeeming animals and the possibility of passing merchant fees to users. Angela noted current card-processing costs are about “3 and a half percent.” Members discussed that the shelter budget will need to move toward greater self-sufficiency and that monthly transaction reports should be provided to the committee.

Less formal directions included requests that Angela and staff: obtain sample IGAs from Kankakee County; ask Jill (county staff) to email the county ordinance excerpts; gather quotes for boarding insurance; and prepare fee schedules that recoup mileage, officer time and veterinary fees. The committee left policy drafting and final fee schedules for future meetings and asked staff to distribute meeting materials for review.

While committee members expressed concern about spending, the recorded motions authorized staff to investigate and seek vendor quotes; no additional appropriation was made at this meeting.

The discussion on animal-control operations was held during the committee's agenda item on animal control and public-safety services.