DuPage County unveils expanded animal shelter in Wheaton with clinic, adoption and isolation spaces

An agency official with DuPage County Animal Services led reporters and visitors on a tour of the county’s renovated shelter in Wheaton, describing a series of facility upgrades meant to expand medical capacity, improve animal welfare and support public adoptions.

The official said the previous building was about 9,500 square feet and the renovation added about 10,000 square feet of interior space, plus exterior areas. “We’ve added 10,000 square feet of additional inside space, as well as some exterior spaces as well,” the agency official said.

The upgrades include a renovated clinic that separates prep, recovery and surgery spaces and adds a second surgery table so more than one veterinarian can work at the same time. The clinic also features an in‑floor scale that transmits weights directly to surgery staff to reduce stress for animals during procedures.

The shelter added six kennels to a new dog adoption room designed to give dogs an option to retreat to the back of a kennel if they are shy. The facility also includes a ‘real‑life’ room intended to mimic home comforts where staff and volunteers can help dogs decompress away from the sounds and smells of kennels. “A real‑life room is this concept that we’re creating a space outside of a stressful kenneling environment that really mimics the comforts of home,” the agency official said.

Outdoor amenities include three new dog runs and a turf run for photography to aid adoptions; officials said they plan to install a shade system to keep the turf cool. Staff described a monthly, whiteboard‑recorded enrichment schedule for dogs, cats and small animals to ensure animals receive varied stimulation every day.

Staff spaces were also expanded: a conference room and additional storage provide space for case discussions, staff training and volunteer work that previously occurred in cars or in makeshift areas, the official said. The shelter now routes intake animals through a separate entrance and added dedicated isolation rooms — including a cat isolation room with its own sink and a separate HVAC system — to reduce the risk of airborne disease transmission such as upper respiratory infections and ringworm.

The shelter’s west garage now offers overnight access to police departments, sheriff deputies and forest preserve rangers to deliver found animals; staff scan microchips and process animals into shelter housing the following morning. The county also houses a mobile veterinary vehicle on site; the official noted the vehicle was gifted years earlier by the Brooks McCormick Junior Trust Foundation and is used for spay/neuter surgeries, outreach and low‑cost clinics.

On capacity, the official said the remodel allows the shelter to hold 36% more cats than it could before, and that a separate kitten isolation space was added; the tour did not specify the shelter’s previous or current absolute cat capacity. “We can hold 36% more cats than we previously could before,” the agency official said.

The official closed the tour by noting the shelter’s role as a community resource for adoptions, education and outreach and provided the facility’s address: “Our new address is 2255 Manchester Road in Wheaton, and we hope you’ll come visit us,” the agency official said.

Funding sources and the total project budget were not specified during the tour.