On
October 26th, a concerned citizen brought a stray cat into DuPage County Animal
Care & Control. Right away staff could tell this cat was special. Despite
enduring a rough life outside, this cat was sweet, affectionate, and loved to
be held. What made her even more special was that this gentle, young cat was
blind. Staff immediately fell in love. They named her Wonder in honor of her
ability to survive as a stray without her sight and for her unfailingly wonderful
attitude.
Upon examination, we discovered that Wonder was born without upper eyelids.
Each blink caused her fur to rub her eyes. The damage was so severe that her
eyes became shrunken, a condition called Phthisis bulbi. Wonder's eyes would
never regain their sight and were now a source of potential infection, so the
decision was made to remove them. Even throughout the ordeal of surgery and
recovery, Wonder remained affectionate and upbeat. She could often be found
cuddling in the arms of staff or volunteers.
Once Wonder had recovered from her surgery she was available for adoption. It
wasn't long before she found her purrfect forever home! Eric & Holly came
into the shelter looking for a feline friend and instantly fell in love with
Wonder. They were not fazed at all by Wonder's disability and instead admired
her strength of spirit.
Wonder, now known as Helen (after Helen Keller), is loving life as a family
cat. Her adopters share how she navigates throughout their home using her paws
to feel around. They enjoy watching her play with toys and zooming around the
house when she gets excited. Helen is living a wonderful life!
Helen's story is an inspiration to all of us to be strong and open to love,
even in the face of adversity. We are grateful that Eric and Holly came into
our shelter with open hearts. You never know when you might meet the love of
your life!
 Available while supplies last.
First dates can be awkward. Now, thanks to DuPage Animal Friends, they no longer have to be! For a very limited time, adopt any ADULT cat or rabbit from DuPage County Animal Care & Control and receive a FREE gift pack to help break the ice with your new pet.
Supplies are limited so don't delay. For more information and to view DCACC's cats and rabbits looking for their special someone, visit: http://bit.ly/DCACCAdoptables
Thank you to the generous donors of DuPage Animal Friends for making this promotion possible! Visit them at DuPageAnimalFriends.org
Adoption & Animal Viewing Hours:
Mon & Thurs 2:00 pm - 6:30 pm (Note: the shelter will be closed on Mon., Feb. 19th)
Tues, Wed & Fri 12:30pm - 4:00pm
Sat 11:00am - 2:30pm
Sun Closed
 The DCACC Veterinary Vehicle will look similar to the ones pictures above with a few changes. The DCACC vehicle will have roll up sides with 4 visible cages, a surgical clinic, an exterior canopy, and will be wrapped with DCACC graphics.
There are moments in life that take your breath away. That happened recently when DuPage County
Animal Care & Control received word that we had been selected to receive assistance,
in the form of an incredibly generous $300,000.00 grant payable to DuPage
Animal Friends, from the Brooks McCormick Jr. Trust for Animal Rights Law and
Policy to fund the purchase of a 26-foot Specialty Veterinary Vehicle. This dream was brought to life by DuPage
Animal Friends board member Amanda Yancey.
Amanda is responsible for presenting the initial concept of a mobile
unit and bringing together members of DCACC’s leadership team and the Brooks
McCormick Trust. Because of the efforts
and generosity of Amanda and the Brooks McCormick Trust, DCACC will be able to
expand outreach efforts to include targeted mobile spay/neuter and veterinary
services, humane education and disaster veterinary response assistance where
it’s needed. And much sooner than anyone
imagined.
Just when we didn’t think we could be any more fortunate, we
were again humbled by a secret admirer who generously decided to make a $25,000
donation to DuPage Animal Friends to help stock Animal Control’s new Specialty
Veterinary Vehicle with many of the medical supplies and equipment needed to
make the vehicle operational.
Because of these gifts, DCACC will be able to:
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Get spay/neuter and veterinary services to the
animals and owners that need it most
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Reduce the number of homeless pets entering the
shelter system through targeted spay & neuter
-
Assist DCACC’s rescue partners with affordable spay/neuter
and veterinary services
-
Mobilize and expand humane education efforts
-
Improve medical care for DCACC’s shelter animals
and reduce cost through gaining access to medical & diagnostic equipment
the shelter does not currently possess
This is not just a vehicle, but a game-changer for the
animals of DuPage County. And we’re
forever grateful to Amanda, the Brooks McCormick Trust and our anonymous donor
for believing in DCACC enough to make this dream come true. We will be recognizing the Brooks McCormick Jr. Trust for Animal Rights Law and
Policy for their generous gift to DuPage Animal Friends at the county board meeting on Tuesday, February 27th.
Stay tuned for more as the long-anticipated arrival of the
Specialty Veterinary Vehicle in late May approaches!
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Do you have a love of animals? Are you willing to dedicate some of your time to help homeless animals in need? DCACC is looking for volunteers and you might be a purrfect fit!
Current Volunteer Positions Available:
- Rabbit cage cleaning/ socialization
- Dog walking/ socializing
- Cat socializing
- Dishes/ miscellaneous kennel assistance
- Social media/ marketing
Ready to give back? Fill out a volunteer application at: http://www.dupageco.org/AnimalControl/10334/
Click on the photo of Volunteer Coordinator Dina and let her tell you why it is so great to volunteer at DCACC.
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Internship Opportunities:
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.
Click here for position descriptions and directions on how to apply.
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Educational Programs:
Have a youngster who is crazy
about animals? DuPage County Animal Care & Control has just what
you're looking for.
- The Fur Buddies Club for ages 10-13
- Scout Tours
for all ages offered during the school year
- Summer camps offered in June and July.
Want to learn more? Visit: http://www.dupageco.org/AnimalControl/Programs/.
Information on summer camps is coming soon!
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February is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month! Do you have a cat or dog that needs to fixed? Download the DCACC Spay Day Coupon to find vets offering discounted surgery rates.
Monday, February 19th- shelter closed for President's Day
Tuesday, February 20th- National Love Your Pet Day
Tuesday, February 27th- World Spay Day
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