While TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) is old news in much of the country, apparently the Lake County Board and the Lake County Health Department are still living in the days when feral cats were caught and killed, as most are unadoptable. To any Lake County Board members; Mark Pfister, Public Health Director; and Robin Van Sickle, Director of Animal Control; who might be reading this, TNR is a real thing. It’s even enshrined in Illinois law, which states:

Sec. 2.16. Owner. “Owner” means any person having a right of property in an animal, or who keeps or harbors an animal, or who has it in his care, or acts as its custodian, or who knowingly permits a dog to remain on any premises occupied by him or her. “Owner” does not include a feral cat caretaker participating in a trap, spay/neuter, vaccinate for rabies, and return program. (Source: P.A. 101-295, eff. 8-9-19.)

Note that last sentence: “Owner does not include a feral cat caretaker participating in a trap, spay/neuter, vaccinate for rabies, and return program.” It’s pretty clear that providing sustenance for a group of sterilized, feral cats does not constitute liability or ownership according to Illinois law. Yet in Lake County, per Section 172.02 DEFINITIONS: Owner is defined as: Any person having a right of property in a dog, cat or other animal, or who keeps or harbors a dog, cat or other animal, or who has it in his care, or by providing medical treatment, or acts as its custodian, or who knowingly permits it to remain on or about any premises occupied by him or her, for a period of seven days or more.

There is no exception for community cat colonies and their caretakers. So while Lake County Animal Control frequently refers residents’ questions regarding feral cats to Spay and Stay (and have a link to Spay and Stay on their website), at the same time, they are happy to cite residents for feeding feral cats who are in a registered Spay and Stay cat colony and have all been vaccinated and sterilized. Seems hypocritical, doesn’t it?

TNR is the humane response to feral cats, and let’s face it, these cats are feral because they, or their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were failed by humans. They were left alone outside to fend for themselves. But one of the reasons TNR has become enshrined in laws in many states and counties is that it works. TNR saves the taxpayers money that would otherwise be used to euthanize unfixed, non-microchipped feral cats. TNR also helps reduce the spread of rabies as each cat that goes through the program is vaccinated, and taxpayers don’t pay for the sterilization or the rabies vaccines! It’s all paid for by the TNR organization. Also, TNR can help stop the spread of disease, as areas with cat colonies have fewer rodent problems.

Right now, a community cat colony is in danger, and its caretakers have been issued violations by Lake County Animal Control. And in this particular colony, one of the cats was cruelly shot and injured. No one is admitting to this illegal act, and it doesn’t seem as if anyone is really investigating it, either. Was it the disgruntled neighbor? There is no proof regarding who did the heinous deed, but supporters of TNR showed up to the hearing wearing shirts that read, “Who shot Ditto?” Ditto being the feral cat who is now terrified to stay on the property where he once felt safe and secure, the property that he knew as home.

The person in charge of Lake County Animal Control, Robin Van Sickle, is not lobbying to have this case disappear. There is certainly a huge irony here. Robin Van Sickle, the director of Lake County Animal Control, is supposed to ensure that animals in Lake County are treated humanely. And Lake County ordinance, under which Lake County Animal Control has cited the colony caretakers, deem anyone who feeds the animals as “owners.” But why has no one pointed out that if the caretakers are, indeed, the owners of the feral cats, and they have been ordered by Lake County, no less, to STOP feeding the cats, that is illegal? You cannot refuse to feed animals under your care, and in fact, doing so would (should) result in a charge of animal cruelty. So which is it? And why is Animal Control ordering the starving of feral cats who have been cared for and fed regularly at their current home? And while at least a few board members have expressed their agreement with the concept of TNR, they do not appear to be taking any steps to address the discrepancies between state and county laws.

Lake County needs to get with the humane solution to feral cats: TNR. Perhaps the board members need encouragement from the public about why this is the humane, right, ethical thing to do. They need to change the Lake County ordinance so that it jibes with Illinois law and Cook County law. Why is Lake County’s Animal Control so behind other counties? In fact, until recently, Lake County Animal Control didn’t even publicly post found cats and dogs. They recently began to do so, perhaps in response to a blog post regarding that issue.

It would be very helpful if Lake County residents would call the board members to encourage them to change the ordinance so that feral cats are protected. Please be polite when communicating. But share the information that when feral cat colonies are properly managed, and the feral cats are sterilized, they stay in that area, they don’t reproduce, they help keep rodent populations down, and they become less of a nuisance. And, of course, it’s humane to give them food and shelter and ensure that they are vaccinated and sterilized.

Please contact:

Mark Pfister, Executive Director, Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center at 847-377-8118

LAKE COUNTY BOARD MEMBERS:
Linda Pedersen (District 1) at 847-445-5504 or at LPedersen@lakecountyil.gov
Adam Schlick (District 2) at 847-313-9155 or at ASchlick@lakecountyil.gov
Ann Maine (District 3) at 847-857-1732 or at AMaine@lakecountyil.gov
Gina Roberts (District 4) at 847-946-7475 or at GRoberts@lakecountyil.gov
J. Kevin Hunter (District 5) at 847-504-7281 or at KHunter@lakecountyil.gov
John Wasik (District 6) at 224-406-6357 or at JWasik@lakecountyil.gov
Carissa Casbon (District 7) at 224-501-5323 or at CCasbon@lakecountyil.gov
Diane Hewitt (District 8) at 224-627-0883 or at DHewitt@lakecountyil.gov
Mary Ross-Cunningham (District 9) at 847-721-1563 or at MCunningham@lakecountyil.gov
Jessica Vealitzek (District 10) at 224-406-3250 or at JVealitzek@lakecountyil.gov
Paul Frank (District 11) at 224-707-1101 or at PFrank@lakecountyil.gov
Paras Parekh (District 12) at 847-946-6832 or at pparekh@lakecountyil.gov
Sandy Hart (District 13) at 224-545-6591 or at smhart@lakecountyil.gov
Angelo D. Kyle (District 14) at 224-406-3532 or at AKyle@lakecountyil.gov
Jennifer Clark (District 15) at 224-406-3007 or at JClark@lakecountyil.gov
Esiah Campos (District 16) at 847-313-9174 or at ecampos@lakecountyil.gov
Michael Danforth (District 17) at 224-760-0027 or at mdanforth@lakecountyil.gov
Sara Frederick Knizhnik (District 18) at 847-313-9178 or at SKnizhnik@lakecountyil.gov
Marah Altenberg (District 19) at 847-562-6247 or at MAltenberg@lakecountyil.gov

Also please contact the members of the Board of Health (emails are in links with phone numbers following):

T.E. Sashko, President (847) 380-3240 x123
Sylvia Johnson Jones, Vice President
Lucille DeVaux, Secretary  (847) 377-8700
Carl B. Hagstrom, (847) 587-5400
Ann Maine, County Board Member, 847-857-1732
Frank Belmonte, (847) 318-9300
Christina Cerk (888) 726-7170
Sandra Larson, Ph.D. (224) 410–9884
Rachel McDowell, MD (847) 362-2900
Paras Parekh, County Board Member (847)946-6832
Kristen Mittl Pollina, (847) 680-8349 ext 306
Nicholas Soulakis, (773) 274-3000

You could include the following in your conversation or email:
I am respectfully requesting that you work to change Lake County’s ordinances so that TNR (trap/neuter/return) if supported and protected under Lake County law. Community cat caretakers should not be considered owners and should be given protection. Illinois law and Cook County ordinance both provide that protection, and there is no reason that Lake County cannot do the same. Supporting TNR is important for many reasons including saving taxpayers money, preventing the spread of rabies, and helping with rodent control. Taxpayers don’t have to pay for the euthanasia of feral cats; they are sterilized, released, fed, and sheltered.

You could also further request that Lake County Animal Control not charge Spay and Stay for feral cats that they pick up and which are microchipped to Spay and Stay. The county does not need this revenue which takes urgently needed funds for Spay and Stay’s mission – to spay and neuter feral cats and assist in their finding a safe colony in which to live.

Please consider sharing this information on social media so that many contact those elected members of the Lake County board. The more residents who make their wishes known, the more likely it is that action will be taken. The next court date is July 8th. Please put it on your calendar.

See the original post regarding this here.