Last week we posted our action alert to encourage all Cook County Residents (including Chicago) to please contact the President of Cook County Board and each County Commissioner Board Member and let them respectfully know that you support the recommended changes presented by the Cook County Inspector General as a FIRST step toward fixing the problems of Cook County Animal Control.
This week we have included a letter to send to each County Commissioner Board Member and the President of Cook County Board. We need to let the President and Cook County Commissioners know that the residents of Cook County overwhelmingly support changes to provide better services to the Cook County Residents and their pets. Please take a few minutes, copy and paste this letter.
Dear Commissioner ________________________,
As you are aware, the Cook County Inspector General recently completed an operational review of the Cook County Animal and Rabies Control Department. The review analyzed the administration, operations, budget and overall practices of Animal Control. The report found things that taxpayers have long known to be true – that the department is woefully mismanaged and not adequately serving the public.
This report revealed several areas of concern, including:
* No centralized database for posting found dogs for Cook County.
* No facility. Nationally, it is incredibly rare for an animal control department to not operate its own facility. Cook County is one of the only local animal control agencies that does not have its own holding facility for stray animals. DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties have shelters to house stray animals, reunite pets with their owners and adopt homeless animals out.
* Millions of dollars budgeted and spent with nothing to show for it. When you compare the County’s animal control department’s budget to that of the City of Chicago, this fact is even more appalling. In 2014, the County only picked up 262 animals. In 2014 alone, the City of Chicago, with less square footage and fewer residents than the County, took in 21,037 animals!
* No central repository system (microchip numbers and rabies tags number) available to other shelters and law enforcement to reunite pets with their family quickly.
These are just a few of the items cited which are disconcerting for taxpayers and voters in Cook County.
Any pet owner in Cook County or surrounding areas is doubly concerned since a lost pet that ends up in this system has virtually no chance of being reunited with its owner and a high probability of death. I urge you to vote for and support major changes at the Cook County Animal and Rabies Control Department.
Over 60% of residents in Cook County are pet owners. They deserve a system that works to protect them and their pets. They deserve your vote for change.
Thank you,
Here is the listing of the President and the County Commissioner Board.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle – Phone: 312.603.4600
Commissioner Richard R .Boykin – District #1
Phone: 312.603.4566 Richard.Boykin@cookcountyil.gov
Commissioner Robert B. Steele – District #2
Phone:312.603.3019 Robert.Steele@cookcountyil.gov
Commissioner Jerry Butler – District #3
Phone: 312.603.6391 Jerry.Butler@cookcountyil.gov
Commissioner Stanley Moore – District #4
Phone: 312.603.2065 Stanley.moore2@cookcountyil.gov
Commissioner Deborah Sims – District #5
Phone: 312.603.6381 Deborah.Sims@cookcountyil.gov
Commissioner Joan Patricia Murphy – District #6
Phone: 312.603.4216 Joan.Murphy@cookcountyil.gov
Commissioner Jesús G. García – District #7
Phone: 312.603.5443 Jesus.Garcia@cookcountyil.gov
Commissioner Luis Arroyo Jr. – District #8
Phone: 312.603.6386 Luis.Arroyojr@cookcountyil.gov
Commissioner Peter N. Silvestri – District #9
Phone: 312.603.4393 cookcty9@aol.com
Commissioner Bridget Gainer District #10
Phone: 312.603.4210 Bridget@bridgetgainer.com
Commissioner John P. Daley – District #11
Phone: 312.603.4400 John.Daley@cookcountyil.gov
Commissioner John A. Fritchey – District #12
If you would like to thank Commissioner Fritchey for initiating this investigation, please contact him.
Commissioner Larry Suffredin – District #13
Phone: 312.603.6383 lsuffredin@aol.com
Commissioner Gregg Goslin – District #14
Phone: 312.603.4932 Commissioner.Goslin@cookcountyil.gov
Commissioner Timothy O. Schneider – District #15
Phone: 312.603.6388 Tim.Schneider@cookcountyil.gov
Commissioner Jeffrey R. Tobolski – District #16
Phone: 312.603.6384 Jeffrey.Tobolski@cookcountyil.gov
Commissioner Sean Morrison – District #17
Phone: 312.603.4215 sean.morrison@cookcountyil.gov