DuPage County animal services reports surge in cat intake, approves contract amendment and minutes

The DuPage County Animal Services Committee on Oct. 21 heard an administrative update about record intake, staffing and fundraising efforts and approved two routine actions, including a contract amendment related to facility HVAC work.

Committee members voted to approve the minutes from the Aug. 19 meeting and to approve a second amendment to RWB’s contract (agenda identifier spoken as “25-25-18”) that will provide additional time to resolve HVAC issues tied to the shelter’s operations. The motions carried on voice votes with no recorded roll-call names.

The committee’s administrative update, delivered by staff member Laura, said the shelter was caring for 248 animals on the day of the meeting, 181 of them cats, and that intake for the year had topped 2,200 animals compared with just over 1,800 the previous year. The increase in cats is tied to an extended kitten season and to owner surrenders that staff attributed largely to financial hardship and other personal circumstances. “We’re still kind of in the midst of kitten season,” Laura said. “We’re caring for 248 animals as of today. The majority of which are cats — 181 of those are cats.”

Laura told the committee the shelter had recorded 846 owner surrenders and 81 returned adoptions so far this year; the committee uses the term “return adoption” for any animal that returns to the shelter regardless of how long it had been with the adopter. She said seized or custody intakes that arrive via police or other agencies make up a substantial portion of overall intake.

Committee discussion and staff remarks emphasized spay-and-neuter outreach as a first line of defense against accidental litters and rising stray populations. The shelter runs a free spay/neuter program that requires income verification (typically SNAP or Social Security disability) and has hosted high-demand clinics: staff described a vaccine and microchip clinic earlier this year that drew about 180 people.

Fundraising and community outreach were also major topics. The committee said DuPage Animal Friends — the shelter’s nonprofit partner referenced at the meeting as the foundation — is targeting larger annual fundraising yields by 2027 to meet loan-payment obligations and to fund a new outreach and social-media position. The foundation plans an annual gala (committee discussion referenced a May 15 date for next year) and other events. Committee members described several near-term fundraisers: a Lou Malnati’s pizza night on Oct. 28 at three local locations that will donate 20% of sales, a “paint your pet” event set for Nov. 12 in the shelter’s community room from 6 to 8 p.m., and calendar preorders that are being taken before printing.

Staff and committee members said donation gaps are practical and immediate: wet cat and kitten food moves quickly and remains in short supply. The shelter is exploring continuous community-collection options such as outdoor donation boxes and stronger partnerships with service clubs, food pantries and veterinary clinics to increase in-kind support.

On staffing, Laura said the department has added some headcount, has offers out to several animal caretakers and has filled two front-office positions. Open recruitments remain for an operations manager and a veterinarian. The committee discussed the challenge of recruiting veterinarians with shelter medicine experience; staff said shelter medicine is an uncommon specialty and they are working with professional networks, including the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, to widen outreach. Laura described outreach to local colleges and recent interns: one former seasonal employee, Rachel Rios, was accepted to veterinary school and told staff she intends to seek employment at the shelter in future.

Committee members also discussed regional shelter coordination and cross-county intake. Staff said the shelter prioritizes DuPage County animals and sometimes receives animals that were found outside DuPage; when other counties decline intake, individuals sometimes bring animals to DuPage, which strains cages and staff time. “We have a responsibility to DuPage County taxpayers,” one committee member said, urging other collar counties to help absorb their own cases.

The meeting closed after brief additional administrative items and scheduling reminders. Committee members were encouraged to continue outreach to veterinary practices, service clubs and the community to support spay/neuter access, foster recruitment and donations.