With 65 dogs on site and an ideal capacity of 41, the Animal Care League in Oak Park is operating at more than 50% over capacity.
Adoptions fell 30 percent in April due probably to economic uncertainty, according to Renee Harlor, executive director of the shelter. Harlor said she has seen an increase in community members tapping into pet food and other supplies offered by the league.
“We’re seeing an increase in that, with rising costs of things,” she said. As far as adoptions, “people either can’t care for them or aren’t able to add another expense to their already maxed out lives,” she said.
While the shelter typically operates right at capacity, and never under capacity, Harlor said this is the highest capacity she’s seen since starting at the Animal Care League last October.
If you’d like to learn more about the newly expanded ACL here are two upcoming opportunities.
On May 17 there will be a speed dating event where you can meet with a series of adoptable dogs. It begins at noon at the shelter and signup is required. Staff will be on hand to help make connections.
The first ACL Open House of the summer will be on June 21.
The Animal Care League is at 1013 Garfield St. in Oak Park.
The shelter is still able to accommodate all of the dogs and allocate them their own space while operating over capacity, but the decline in adoptions has placed a strain on the team of Animal Care League employees and the shelter’s finances.
To compensate for the surplus of adoptable dogs, employees have been picking up extra shifts and working longer hours while the Animal Care League continues looking to fill three additional positions.
But the team has taken on these responsibilities without hesitation, Harlor said. And she can “tell you for certain” that they are motivated by their love for animals.
“Even though we are over capacity, and even though that makes the team have to work harder, we are very, very, very fortunate to have a team that will work extra, stay longer, work extra days to make sure that the animals all get the proper care,” Harlor said.
Because of the Animal Care League staff’s willingness to step up in the wake of unprecedented times, Harlor said, the dogs and their care have not been affected by the high capacity of the shelter.
“The strain is on us. We absorb the challenge by having higher payroll and hired staff and things like that,” Harlor said. “It’s a lot on the team… but they do it, and they do it happily because they know it helps the animals.”
To guide her team out of this time of stress, Harlor has turned to the local community in hopes of becoming a “household name.”
By offering free courses about pet ownership, offering shelter tours and hosting events, Harlor hopes to spread the word about all of the “great dogs available.”
Harlor said she wants the community to know that Animal Care League is more than just an adoption center; they are a “resource for the community.”
“We’re just looking to be part of the community,” Harlor said. “I still think we have a dog for everyone.”
