At the Whiteside County Board meeting Tuesday, April 17, 2018, the board approved a package of Ordinances to build up Humane Whiteside. The Ordinances address animal welfare issues in our area. Both agencies in collaboration wanted more tools for Whiteside County Animal Control (WAAC) to enforce and to give Happy Tails Humane Society, 1408 McNeil Road, Rock Falls, IL, the tools to offer humane solutions.
The Ordinances amend the Animal Control chapter of the County Code. They
- address hoarding
- implement requirements for breeders
- add penalties for the inhumane treatment of animals
- implement a County-wide, Trap–Neuter–Release program.
When WCAC had a leadership change in September 2017, Happy Tails Humane Society and WCAC began collaborating, to address animal welfare issues. Mark Razo, Vice-President of Happy Tails Humane Society, approached Whiteside County Health Department and WCAC’s new Animal Control Warden, James Garcia, about possible solutions for community cats, hoarding, and animal cruelty.
Whiteside County Health Department took the lead, and the Ordinances passed by the Whiteside County Board [will] address current animal welfare issues.
Happy Tails Humane Society will announce soon a town hall meeting at the shelter, to discuss the new Ordinances. We would like to thank the Whiteside County Board, Whiteside County Health Department, the Whiteside County Animal Control, and the Whiteside County States Attorney’s Office for making these changes possible.