The Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center will officially open a newly-constructed Animal Care and Control facility at 18736 W. Peterson Road near Libertyville on July 25. It will replace the present facility at 29278 N. Route 83 near Mundelein, where animals will no longer be accepted starting July 25. Plans are to begin accepting animals at the new location on July 21.

 

"We are very excited about the new building," said Tony Beltran, the Health Department's Executive Director. "The new centrally located facility will provide a humane and comfortable environment for the animals we collect."

 

The new facility was designed by Kluber Architects + Engineers in Gurnee, and construction was coordinated with Paul Bricco Management Inc., in Wadsworth. The one-story, 10,732-square-foot building will house approximately 14 staff, and will be able to provide temporary shelter for as many as 50 dogs and 50 cats monthly. It will include 35 dog kennels, a cat room, a grooming/washing room, spaces for less traditional pets, a garage for safe transfer of animals, a small conference room and office space. Green strategies were employed to create energy efficient design features and building systems. The building will also feature security cameras and will provide 24-hour access to Lake County Sheriff's Office personnel for dropping off stray animals as needed.

 

The present one-story Animal Care and Control facility in Mundelein is approximately 10,000 square feet. It was built in the 1970s as a private kennel. The Health Department moved into the building in 1995. Over the past decade, staff has encountered numerous problems with the building, from flooding, to temperature control issues, to break-ins due to the aging building's lack of security. Plus, renovations to the current facility were limited due to FEMA floodplain regulations.

 

The Health Department's Animal Care and Control program is designed to prevent the spread of rabies through dog and cat vaccinations and registrations, education, bite prevention and impounding stray dogs and cats. Staff is responsible for enforcing county ordinances and state laws pertaining to animal-related complaints. Investigations are performed with regard to nuisance complaints, allegations of animal cruelty and neglect, as well as reports of stray, roaming or injured animals, or dangerous, vicious or biting animals. For more information, please call: (847) 377-4700.

 

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