Protesters call for animal shelter reform
Two conflicting tales about conditions at a south suburban animal shelter have battled for the public’s attention this year, casting the fate of hundreds of dogs, cats and other animals into doubt.
Protesters have found sympathetic ears in their calls for reforms at AnimalWelfare League’s shelter in Chicago Ridge. The shelter’s longtime administrator left the organization inMay after reports that state and federal authoritieswere investigating operations.
But the state agency that regulates animal care gave the shelter a clean bill of health. Now, AWL is pushing back, questioning the motives of village officials and trying to restore its reputation as a trustworthy organization.
“We’re a vital facility for the south suburban area,” Chris Higens, AWLboard president, said Thursday during a tour of the
Chicago Ridge shelter.
AWL’s mission includes taking in stray and abandoned animals recovered in dozens of Southland communities and trying to place them with owners willing to adopt them into their homes.
“We never refuse them,” she said of dogs and cats brought in by police, other authorities and private citizens. “Some of them have gunshotwounds, they’re abused or neglected … We’re a sanctuary.”
Problems with the shelter first publicly surfaced in January. AWLsuspended adoptions and imposed a quarantine because of an outbreak of kennel cough.
Amid those reports, some customers and formerworkers and volunteers shared stories on social media of alleged unsanitary conditions, poor service and alleged mistreatment of animals. A group regularly protested in front of the shelter at 10305 Southwest Highway.
“We justwant what’s right for the animals,” Nikki Ormsby of Joliet, a leader of the group Reform AWL Chicago Ridge, said Thursday by telephone. “We’re the voice of the voiceless.”
As TV stations covered the public demonstrations and protesters contacted legislators, Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Western Springs, asked the Illinois Department of Agriculture to account for the complaints.
InMarch, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by TheDaily Southtown, the state agency released a report documenting findings of five recent, unannounced inspections. The agency found no health or safety violations, no evidence of alleged rodent infestation, and no animals “that looked to be in pain or suffering.”
Protests continued, however, and the village of Chicago Ridge conducted its own code-enforcement inspections. In earlyMay, AWL announced that longtime executive director Linda Estradawas no longer employedwith the organization.
The leaguewas founded in 1935 and still operates its founding shelter at 6224 S. Wabash Ave. in Chicago. The second shelter in Chicago Ridge opened in 1974. The organization questions why none of the protests allege anywrongdoing at the Chicago facility.
“We feel likewe’re being booted out of here,” Higens said of the Chicago Ridge facility.
On Sept. 13, the Illinois State Crime Commission announced that at the request of AWLitwas launching an independent investigation into the ongoing allegations “and to explore possible conflicts relevant to the motives behind those allegations.”
“We knowthat the AWL was approached by political figures who requested that they sell a major portion of their property to a real estate developer interested in putting up a medical facility,” Jerry Elsner, the crime commission’s executive director, said in an announcement.
“We knowthat the leadership of AWL declined the offer. We also knowthat after declining that offer, an unprecedented effort has been mounted to discredit the AWL and potentially put the organization out of business,” Elsner said.
AWL is accusing the village of harassment because it refused the village’s request to sell property to a developer.
“Elsner cited the discrepancy existing between state regulators who found no egregious violations with the operations of the AWL facility, while Chicago Ridge officials have issued an unprecedented amount of code violations against the same facility,” the commission said in its announcement.
Higens said AWL recently acquired a site north of the shelter where the formerNickobee’s restaurant stood at 10301 Southwest Highway. The building has been demolished and the site is vacant.
Chicago Ridge Village Attorney Mike Stillman said Friday that AWL’s claim of harassment by the village is unfounded.
“That allegation is without merit, whatsoever,” Stillman said.
Chicago Ridge Trustee EdKowalski said Friday the village appreciated the efforts of Lipinski, who wrote on Sept. 6 to Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Raymond Poe requesting information about state inspections of AWL.
“I thought thatwas a good letter,” Kowalski said.
The group Reform AWL Chicago Ridge also applauded the congressman’s intervention.
“We’re very happy he’s bringing awareness to the organization,” Ormsby said.
Lipinskiwrote to Poe that hewanted to resolve discrepancies between the findings by the state and village.
“Although I amaware the Illinois Department of Agriculture previously conducted an investigation that resulted in no major findings, officials from the village of Chicago Ridge and others found exactly the opposite in the following months,” Lipinski wrote.
“(The village found) fire, safety, and building code violations; uncleanly and unsanitary conditions (including signs of long-term rodent infestations); and potentially serious breaches in standard medical practices in the treatment of animals,” Lipinski wrote.
Ormsby said she believes the state lacked thoroughness in its inspections.
“We’re questioningwhy the state Department of Agriculture did not do its job,” she said. “They’re seeing all the clean and efficient parts of the operation. We think they’re being walked through and not seeing the actual unsanitary horrors.”
On Feb. 27, AWLannounced that authorities from theU.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations made an unannounced visit that day to the Chicago Ridge shelter. Representatives of the agencieswould neither confirm nor deny whether investigations were being conducted.
In addition to providing shelter and adoption services, AWLalso offers veterinary services. Awaiting roomwas crowded with owners and pets during a visit Thursday.
The shelter bustled with staff and volunteers caring for animals, cleaning and disinfecting cages and floors. AWLinvited me to tour the facility immediately, without advance notice. Iwalked through within hours of the invitation fromJohn Fanning, of Crestwood-based Fanning Communications, who is working with AWL.
“We’re like a ‘M*A*S*H’ unit,” Higen said, comparing operations to the mobile army surgical hospital unit depicted in a popularmovie and TV series. “It’s not pretty … Everybody gives it their all.”
The facility houses hundreds of animals at any given time. The noise and smell can seem overwhelming. Dogs and cats typically do not like being kept in cages. Some are isolated because of temperament or suspected illness or infection.
The vast majority— up to 80 percent— of dogs at the shelter are pit bulls.
“Nobodywants them,” Higen said. She said AWL partners with some rescue organizations, but that some rescue groups take in dogs at no cost then charge to place animals in homes.
Ormsby disputed Higen’s claim, saying rescue groups have told her AWL is no longerworking with them.
Ormsby said reformers do notwant to see the shelter closed, butwant board members replaced and a change in mentality among leadership.
Higen said the private, non-profit organization would continue to select its board members and officers as it always has— through elections.
The ongoing public dispute over AWL is taking its toll on operations, Higen said. Earlier this month, she said, PetSmart Charities informed the organization itwas suspending adoption services offered through PetSmart stores.
“AnimalWelfare League was terminated fromthe PetSmart Charities In-store adoption program on Sept. 10 for violation of the program’s policies and procedures,” said Christina Martinez, senior manager of corporate communications for PetSmart and PetSmart Charities, in an emailed statement. “The organization may no longer facilitate adoptions at PetSmart stores.”
Martinez did not respond immediately to a request to elaborate on the violation.
Higen said PetSmart Charities had provided “90 percent” of pet food donated to the shelter. An IRS Form 990 filed in July by Arizona-based PetSmart Charities stated that it provided $35,510worth of services to AWL during the one-year period ending Jan. 28.
The charity reported it provided nearly $50 million in support to 2,900 animal welfare groups nationwide last year. Higen said protesters who profess to care about animalwelfare have made it more difficult for the shelter to fulfill its mission.
“We nowhave to buy our food whenwe used to have it donated,” Higen said. “Once amonth, we used to give away pet food to lowincome residents of the area. We’ve had to stop doing that.”