Does your child love animals? Do they want to be actively involved in helping animals but are too young to volunteer? Fur Buddies might be the right fit for them! Fur Buddies consists of six 90 minute interactive lessons over six weeks. Kids will leave Fur Buddies with a keen understanding of responsible pet care, animal safety, environmental conservation, and will feel empowered to make the world a better place!
The start date for Fur Buddies has been pushed back to January 17th! There's still time to register your little animal lover today! Click here for more information on the program and to download a registration form!
The cat cages were full, and adoptions were low at DCACC early last month. To help empty cages and get cats the families they had been dreaming of for the holidays DuPage Animal Friends made it possible for DCACC to offer $25 adoptions for adult cats (6 months and older) during the 25 Days of Catmas adoption promotion. The promotion was an incredible success and 36 adult cats (including 3 seniors!) found their forever home for the holidays! It was indeed a very Merry Catmas for all!
A big thank you to the generous donors of DuPage Animal Friends that made this adoption promotion possible. These cats were given the very best gift of all, and it wouldn't have been possible without you!
Opening your heart to a new animal whether it be a cat, dog, rabbit, or other is a big, but oh-so-worth-it commitment. The adoption process can be complicated and sometimes involves a bit of planning. Use the Pre-Adoption Checklist pictured above and the adoption walkthrough below to help facilitate a smooth adoption process at DuPage County Animal Care & Control.
The Adoption Process
The friendly staff at DCACC is ready to work with you to find the right dog, cat, rabbit, or other critter for your home! You can get started by checking out our adoptable animals online or in person during adoption hours (M/Th 2-6: 30pm, Tu, W, F 12:30-4:00 pm, and Sat 11-2:30pm). If you find an animal that you would like to adopt your next step will be to fill out an adoption application.
Once an adoption application has been completed experienced kennel staff will assist in an interaction with you and your potential new pet. Note: Applications must be submitted 30 minutes prior to the end of adoption hours for same-day interactions. During the interaction, the kennel staff will review the animal's medical and behavioral records and help you determine if the animal is the right fit for your home and lifestyle.
Before an adoption can be completed all members in the household must come in to meet the animal you would like to adopt. If you are adopting a dog and have another dog in the household, an interaction must take place before your new dog can go home. Our front office staff will need to verify your proof of residence and, if applicable, speak to your landlord. All animals currently in the home must have a current rabies vaccination. Our front office staff can reach out to your veterinarian to confirm, or adopters can bring in their pet's rabies certificate to expedite the process.
Adoptions can be completed same day but if additional information is required a potential adopter can place an animal on hold until the end of the next business day as long as an application and an initial interaction have already been completed.
Any question? Feel free to reach out to the shelter at 630.407.2800 or animal.control@dupageco.org. Our staff would be happy to help in any way they can!
Senate
Bill 2280 “Louie’s Law”
On December 22nd, leaders from DuPage County and Will
County gathered at Naperville Area Humane Society to announce a proposed bill
that, if enacted, will end the sale of commercially bred (i.e. mass produced,
puppy mill & kitten mill) dogs, cats and rabbits at pet stores throughout
the two counties. IL Senate Bill 2280 is
nicknamed “Louie’s Law” after Keyonce Barrett’s late puppy “Louie”, who was
purchased from a Naperville pet store while suffering from, and later succumbing
to a terrible illness.
SB 2280 is sponsored by Illinois State Senator Michael Connelly. The bill’s counterpart in the House is sponsored
by Illinois State Representative David Olsen.
This piece of legislation is the result of a joint effort between
Senator Connelly, Representative Olsen, DuPage County Animal Control Committee
Chairman Brian Krajewski, Will County Legislative Committee Chairwoman Suzanne
Hart, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, Will County State’s
Attorney James Glasgow, The Humane Society of the United States, The Puppy Mill
Project and several other local animal advocacy groups.
The bill would bring state laws
regulating the retail sale of animals obtained from commercial breeders in line
with similar ordinances already enacted in Chicago and Cook County to protect
the consumer, improve animal welfare standards, encourage pet adoption and
responsible breeding and bring about an end to animal cruelty for profit.
House
Bill 4191 “Good Samaritan Law”
If signed into law, HB 4191 would
provide criminal immunity to Good Samaritans who damage a vehicle in an effort
to rescue a dog or cat that is believed to be in imminent danger due to extreme
heat or cold. The provisions would apply only if the individual had made
efforts to contact emergency responders prior to taking action to forcibly
remove the pet from the vehicle. Like SB
2280, HB 4191 is also the result of a joint effort between leaders in DuPage
County and Will County.
Here’s how you can
help:
Contact your state senator and state representative and
respectfully encourage them to vote in favor of SB 2280 and HB 4191. Be sure to thank them for acting to protect
and improve the lives of animals in and around Illinois!
Don’t know who your state legislators are? Visit: http://www.elections.il.gov/districtlocator/addressfinder.aspx
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Enter your home address including city and zip
code
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Click ‘Find Address’
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Confirm your address
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View the contact information for your State
Senator and State Representative
Though popular, online petitions are not nearly as effective
as phone calls, emails and hand-written letters (in that order). To stay up-to-date on the latest issues and
calls to action related to these two important bills, follow DCACC’s Facebook
and Twitter pages. Don’t forget to
change your ‘Following’ options to ‘See First’ in your news feed so you don’t
miss a thing!
“Louie’s Law” Media Coverage:
http://abc7chicago.com/pets-animals/officials-in-will-dupage-counties-call-for-ban-on-sale-of-commercially-bred-pets/2813018/
http://stevedalepetworld.com/will-dupage-counties-illinois-ban-sales-dogs-cats-pet-stores/
http://wgnradio.com/2017/12/24/steve-dales-pet-world-12-24-17/
http://cltv.com/2018/01/05/new-ordinance-to-curb-puppy-mill-sales/
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2017/12/27/olsen-connelly-introduce-legislation-to-restrict-commercial-puppy-breeding/aqipls7/
 Rabbit volunteer Mary feeding bananas to adoptable Bellini
Volunteering
DuPage County Animal Care and Control (DCACC) welcomes volunteers who support our mission and desire to contribute to the welfare of animals in our community. Volunteers at DCACC play a crucial role in helping to care for the animals, as well as provide enrichment, training, and socialization for the animals in our care.
Volunteers commit to a weekly schedule. A six-month commitment of four hours a month is required for adult volunteers. A three-month commitment of four hours a month is required for children ages 10-17. Children ages 10-17 must volunteer with a parent at all times.
Rabbit Cage Cleaning- Help us keep our bunnies clean and healthy while they wait for their forever homes. Volunteer openings Monday, Tuesday, & Friday mornings. Previous rabbit handling experience preferred.
Rabbit/ Small Animal Socializing- Snuggle the small and furry population at DCACC and prepare them for a lifetime of love with their new families! Volunteer openings Tuesday and Wednesday evenings (1-4pm). Previous small animal/rabbit experience preferred.
Dog Walking/Socializing- Keep our adoptable dog population enriched and get them some valuable out of kennel time! Volunteer opportunities available Wednesday- Saturday.
Dishes/Miscellaneous Kennel Assistance- Help support the kennel staff! Dishes, laundry, and general cleaning are important ways that volunteers can help free up staff time that can be devoted to animal care!
Social Media/ Marketing- A great way to volunteer at home! Help create social media posts to promote adoptable animals!
Interested in volunteering? Fill out a volunteer application!
Internships
Students will benefit from participating in the DCACC internship program by gaining valuable experience in all aspects of animal sheltering from administrative to animal care. The internships at DCACC provide a beneficial tool in preparing college students for real-life work in an animal field. Internships can improve student understanding of career choices and increase chances of landing a job after graduation or moving forward into a graduate program. DCACC offers two paid internship tracks: Animal Care and Humane Education. Interns must be able to commit to a 37.5 hour work week including weekends and holidays for a period of 11 weeks beginning May 21st.
Animal Care Internship: (4 internships available)
Animal Care Interns will assist the animal caretaking and veterinary staff. Interns will have the opportunity to participate in all aspects of animal care, training, and enrichment alongside experienced staff in an open-admission animal control facility. The Animal Care Internship is the perfect opportunity for college students to gain experience in shelter intake and adoption procedures, animal care, veterinary medicine, animal behavior and training, and so much more! Interns will gain valuable skills relevant to future careers in veterinary medicine, training, and animal husbandry for a variety of species. This internship is ideal for someone who has a passion for animal welfare and wants to take an active role in improving the lives of homeless pets.
Humane Education Internship: (1 internship available)
Humane Education Interns will assist experienced education staff in engaging and educating youth and building a community of caring and knowledgeable individuals. The Humane Education Internship is an opportunity for college students looking for experience in education, program development, project evaluation, communication, and so much more! Interns will have the opportunity to develop and implement their own animal education program during summer camp. This is an ideal position for the individual who is passionate about education, animal welfare, and would like to make a difference in the community.
How to Apply:
To apply all applicants must for through the official Human Resources Department of DuPage County. The following link: http://www.dupageco.org/hr/ will take you to the Humane Resources page. The job that you are applying for is listed as Seasonal/Intern, 9170. When applying please include a cover letter indicating which internship program you are interested in.
Once an application is submitted to Human Resources, it will be reviewed and sent to Animal Control. Once applications have been received a staff member at DuPage County Animal Care & Control will reach out for a phone interview and to schedule an in-person interview to follow. Applications will be accepted through May 1st and internships will begin mid-May.
Questions:
For a more complete description of seasonal and internship opportunities click here. If you have any questions regarding the application, please contact our Humane Educator at Humane.Education@dupageco.org or 630.407.2808.
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Summer camps at DCACC will start the week of June 11th! Each camp will provide campers with hands on animal experience, amazing presentations from a variety of guest speakers,and engaging crafts and activities! Summer is sure to be a blast at DCACC! Keep your eye on the Humane Education page for camp descriptions and registration information! |
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