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Stephenson County shelter reports 30 cat intakes in February, 18 dog cases handled
Summary
County animal shelter told the Stephenson County Board it took in 30 cats in February — 17 from one household — and processed 18 dog intakes. Staff described use of trap-neuter-return, transport for low-cost spays/neuters, and shortfalls in fundraising revenue.
Shelter staff told the Stephenson County Board that the county animal shelter took in 30 cats in February, 17 of them from a single residence where the owner had died, and that 18 dogs arrived at the facility during the same period.
The shelter representative said 9 of the 17 cats remain at the shelter while the others are being kept in a barn; all of the cats will be sterilized before relocation or placement. "We had 30 cats come in. 17 of them are from a house by Wayside Bar and Grill. The lady passed away, and she had 17 cats. We have 9 of them at the shelter, and the rest are actually in a barn," the shelter representative said.
The representative described cooperation with a local trap-neuter-release program and with an out-of-county transport program that will take cats to Madison for spay/neuter at a cost the speaker said is about $70 per animal. "They are raising money to... cats will be transported up to Madison, fixed up there for 70 apiece," the shelter representative said, adding that two of the cats had already been fixed and more transports were scheduled.
On dogs, the shelter reported 18 intakes: several reclaimed by owners, some transferred to rescues, and others still available for adoption. "We have 7 still adoptable. 2 were reclaimed. 6 have been adopted. 3 have been transferred to rescues," the shelter representative said. The speaker described veterinary assistance from a local college that provided free neuters and dentals for some animals.
Staff said fundraising and registration revenue were below budget for January and February, and that a temporary pause in a partner fundraising operation reduced expected income. The representative said a Paws and Paws fundraising pull that usually brings roughly $2,300 did not occur for a week, reducing receipts. A Saint Patrick’s Day basket auction produced $200 after a bidding dispute was resolved.
The shelter representative listed several upcoming operational steps: continuing transfers to partner rescues, transporting a group of cats to Madison for sterilization, and planning more single-item or single-event fundraisers to increase community engagement. The speaker also noted multiple court dates listed for animal-related cases; the transcript gave April 3 and April 4 as next court dates but did not specify years.
Board members asked about promotion and outreach; the shelter representative said the group uses Facebook and will add links on the county website to help with adoptions and fundraising.
Why it matters: the high number of intakes from a single household and lower-than-expected fundraising affect shelter capacity and county costs, while trap-neuter-release and partner transports shape how the county manages community cat populations.
The shelter representative closed by asking whether board members wanted any additions to the monthly report and confirmed plans to include an item next month for a newly created line item for animal pickups.
