Tails in the News

Sheriff honored for anti-dogfighting efforts

By Jeff Fleischer

Just days before NFL star Michael Vick was sentenced to prison for illegal dogfighting, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart was honored for his efforts to stop fighting rings in the Chicagoland area. Dart was named the annual Humanitarian of the Year by Chicago’s Anti-Cruelty Society (ACS), and was presented with an award at a Dec. 3 ceremony.

Last July, after receiving a tip from a neighbor, Cook County officers raided a soundproof barn in suburban South Holland and seized 37 fighting dogs—making it the largest dogfighting raid in Illinois history and one of the biggest nationwide. The alleged ringleader of the operation was charged with 37 counts of cruelty to animals, plus a felony count for fighting dogs. Seizures of fighting dogs and accompanying criminal charges also took place in Ford Heights and Burbank this summer.

Last fall, Dart helped create a regional dogfighting task force to better coordinate communication among Cook County, the Chicago Police Department, the state’s attorney, and federal agencies.

Others honored Dec. 3 by the Anti-Cruelty Society included Business of the Year, Pepper Construction; Media Couple of the Year, Tom Finley and his dog Reba; humane activists Mary Fitzgerald and Susan Sidwell; and the Rose Fay Thomas Special Recognition Award winners, Freeman Wood Jr., Michael Kuzma, Meg Martino, and the Chicago Stray Cat Coalition.

“We can’t thank these individuals enough for their commitment to animals and helping to make Chicago a more caring and compassionate community,” said ACS president Dr. Gene Mueller when announcing the winners.

Chicken ruling postponed

A proposed Chicago City-Council law that would ban raising chickens in residential areas was scheduled for a Dec. 12 vote. At that meeting, however, the council postponed the vote and sent the bill back to a
council committee.

New survey reveals pet guardianship growing nationwide

The Schaumburg-based American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recently released its nationwide survey of pet populations and pet demographics, which is published every five years.

The 2007 U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographic Sourcebook found that pets are more popular now than ever, as 68.7 million American households now have pets (up 12.4 percent from 61.1 million in 2001). “[People with pets] now represent 59.5 percent of the population. If you compare that to households with children, that’s only 35 percent of all households,” says Thomas McPheron of AVMA.

More American households are keeping dogs than cats, 43 million to 37.5 million, but there are 81.7 million cats in those homes, compared with 72 million dogs. About 64 percent of homes with pets have more than one.

The sourcebook data also demonstrate the strength of the human-animal bond. Guardians spent about $24.5 billion on their pets’ veterinary care (more than the $21.6 billion, adjusted for inflation, they spent five years ago). Only 2 percent of guardians said they viewed their pets as property, with the majority seeing them as companions or friends.

New cat clinic breaks ground

The Anti-Cruelty Society has started construction on its new 750-square-foot Virginia Butts Berger Cat Clinic, which will be housed inside its existing shelter on the corner of Grand and LaSalle in Chicago. The clinic is planning to open in the spring.

The organization’s president, Dr. Gene Mueller, says that about 60 percent of the animals the society receives each year are cats or kittens, and the new clinic will create enough space to house about 800 additional cats annually. “[The clinic] will provide a safe shelter and medical treatment for these animals until they are ready to be adopted into loving, permanent homes,” Mueller says.

Local pet business seeks donations for breast cancer

Chicago dog-walking service La Belle Promenade, Inc. is raising money for breast-cancer research. Starting last November, La Belle founder, Roberto Ruiz, began donating a dollar from every dog walk he or one of his staff take to the Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation. The service is hoping to raise $10,000 for the foundation by Sept. 1.

Kankakee shelter creates pet memorial

The Kankakee County Animal Foundation (KCAF) will begin installation of the first area permanent pet memorial this spring. The project, which began more than two years ago and is expected to be completed this summer, will feature a platform of retaining wall blocks that will hold a limestone slab and a unique bronze sculpture created by Chicago-area artist Vincent Hawkins of Chicago Fine Arts. It also will include bricks paving the ground that will be offered for engraving at the cost of $50 per brick. Proceeds from the brick-engraving sales will go toward KCAF endeavors, which consist primarily of providing low-cost spay/neuter services and rescuing and finding new homes for abandoned pets. The memorial will be positioned along the south side of the main pond at Whispering Willows Park, Bourbonnais, at 1451 N. 4,000 E. Rd. Order forms for the brick engravings can be obtained by contacting KCAF at P.O. Box 304, Bradley, IL. 60915. —Tracy Ahrens

Reality bites at Tree House Animal Foundation

Tree House Cats, a 30-minute pilot for a new reality series focusing on the stories of three staffers and three special cats at Tree House Animal Foundation, is scheduled to air on Animal Planet in February. As of press time, no specific air date had yet been given. Click here for the complete story about the series.

Lake County raises animal fees

Lake County raised its animal fees for the first time since 2001, with fees increasing automatically for pets who aren’t spayed or neutered. The new prices began Jan. 1.

One-year rabies tags for non-neutered pets jumped from $25 to $40, with three-year tags going from $50 to $125. By comparison, one-year tags for neutered pets went from $6 to $10, and three-year tags from $15 to $25.

The increased fees will help the county fund a new animal shelter that will replace its existing Mundelein facility. More information on the fees is available at Co.Lake.IL.Us.

Coyote nuisances on the rise

For coyotes, January and February mean breeding season. That also means that the animals become increasingly territorial and aggressive during this time of year, and can pose more of a danger to pets.

In 2006, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, 295 coyotes were removed from the Chicago area (and 542 statewide) by authorities. In the last two weeks of December alone, coyotes attacked dogs in suburban Carol Stream, Lisle, and unincorporated McHenry County.

To prevent such incidents, HSUS recommends keeping all pets inside at night and supervising small dogs when they’re outside, even during the day. Pet bowls left outside and uncovered garbage also tend to attract coyotes.