The Village of Hinsdale was informed two weeks ago by the Hinsdale Humane Society that the nonprofit agency would not be accepting strays from the village’s police department until a formal agreement is finalized between the two parties.
Hinsdale Police Chief Brian King said that, to his knowledge, the village had not operated under a contract for the humane society’s services up to this point but had donated funding in the past. In an email to The Hinsdalean, King said the two have been trying to hammer out a contract for boarding and animal care services at the humane society’s request.
“The village has been negotiating a stray dog contract with the humane society,” King stated, indicating that progress has been made. “We anticipate that this will be on the village board agenda in August.”
In the meantime, his department has been told not to bring strays there but rather to DuPage County Animal Control in Wheaton.
“The humane society informed us that the village is no longer allowed to bring animals to their facility until a contract has been signed,” he stated. “DuPage County agreed to hold our strays in the interim. We have also procured kennels so that short-term housing for local dogs will occur at the police department.”
Responding to rumors circulating on social media that DuPage County Animal Control is a “kill” shelter, King assured that was not the case.
“DuPage is a no-kill shelter,” he said. “Unclaimed stray dogs will be transported to DuPage County for holding. Euthanizing an animal is a rare occurrence at DuPage and they will not be euthanizing our animals.”
King said his department has handled about eight cases of stray animals so far this year. The cost to keep them at DuPage County is $15 a day.
— by Ken Knutson
