Animal Shelter Explains Hinsdale Disagreement
HINSDALE, IL – The Hinsdale Humane Society’s leader said Wednesday that other towns have approved its standard contract for covering part of the costs of taking in stray animals, but Hinsdale has not.
The other towns are Burr Ridge, La Grange, Western Springs, La Grange Park, Oak Brook and Brookfield, the group said.
In a public letter, the society’s president, Jodie Arquilla, said the average cost of care for each animal housed in its shelter at 21 Salt Creek Lane is about $1,500.
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“(O)ur stray contracts simply ask our neighboring villages to offset a portion of the financial support required to safeguard and shelter the stray animals we’ve been brought by their police departments,” Arquilla said.
She said the “unfortunate fact” was that the society could no longer afford to continue to accept Hinsdale’s strays while other towns have signed contracts.
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Last Friday, the group stopped accepting Hinsdale’s strays. It gave the village notice July 10.
In an interview Monday, Hinsdale Police Chief Brian King told Patch the village is now taking animals to DuPage County Animal Services. On Aug. 13, the Village Board plans to consider the proposed contract, he said.
In March 2023, the society presented the standard contact to neighboring towns, including Hinsdale, with a deadline to sign by the end of April 2023, Arquilla said.
“For almost 17 months, the Village of Hinsdale has repeatedly deferred and delayed conversations and has not signed this contract, all the while continuing to bring stray animals to HHS,” she said.
Since March 2023, the local shelter has accepted 52 strays from the village of Hinsdale, Arquilla said. The group had no choice but to stop accepting the village’s animals.
“We look forward to resuming our partnership with the Village of Hinsdale with a signed stray contract while we remain true to our mission and work tirelessly to fulfill our vision to prevent animal suffering and neglect throughout our community and beyond, and to ensure that all animals in shelters and homes are well cared for and treated with compassion,” Arquilla said.
In 2022, the society went public with its “severe financial difficulty.” The group said it cut costs and was running “as lean as possible.”
For 2023, the society reported its operating deficit at $203,000, with expenses at $2 million.
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