Animal-control staff told the Stephenson County Public Works Committee on Nov. 6 that cat intake remains high and that the department is relying on transfers and rescues while fundraising for a new building.

The report said there were 38 cat surrenders in the reported period, 35 were city intakes, eight were county intakes; 29 cats were transferred to rescue groups, seven were adopted, and 28 remained adoptable. The department reported 11 cats in foster care; it also reported two returns from failed adoptions, two reclaimed animals and one kitten who arrived severely ill and later died.

"Cat intake is through the roof still," Animal-control staff said in the meeting. Staff asked the committee to track deposits and earmarks for donations and said the treasurers office was late posting one deposit.

Why it matters: The county is operating near capacity for cats and is raising private donations for building components such as indoor dog kennels and cat condos. Staff reported four donations earmarked for cat condos and three checks for outside kennels; a separate GoFundMe page had raised about $1,000. Two private pledges of $1,000 each were described as expected, and staff asked to bring a running log of contributions and designated uses.

Committee members asked how many animals the county facility could hold and how long animals typically stay. Animal-control staff said capacity depends on kennel size and animal condition; larger adult dogs occupy larger kennels (about 15 big kennels for bigger dogs), while smaller animals can be housed in stainless-steel kennels or foster homes. On length of stay, staff said healthy animals are retained as long as possible to maximize rehoming chances, while animals with poor quality of life may be euthanized after veterinary evaluation.

The committee also pressed staff on costs and service boundaries. Brian, speaking on budget, asked staff to include labor when calculating per-animal costs. Members discussed whether municipal animals dropped off by the City of Freeport were housed by the county; staff clarified the county pulls some adaptable animals from the city shelter but does not automatically house every animal brought to the city facility.

Staff reported upcoming court dates related to animal-control cases and recounted one incident of a large pig running at large where officers served a warrant. The department described steady in-kind donations of food, while litter remains a recurring expense staff would like assistance securing from vendors.

Actions and follow-up: The committee did not take formal policy action on the report but asked staff to produce a running donations log that identifies the donor, amount and earmark, and to estimate per-animal costs (including labor) for a future committee discussion.

Sources: Remarks by animal-control staff during the Nov. 6 Stephenson County Public Works Committee meeting.