Over the summer, the discovery of animal hoarding has been on the rise causing overcrowding at DeKalb’s animal shelter.

Beth Drake, executive director of TAILS Humane Society, 2250 Barber Greene Road, said the increase is due to the high media coverage of the Rochelle animal hoarding incident last fall.
Three hundred animals had been rescued from a Rochelle home last fall, according to the Northern Star.

“The public knows we’re capable of dealing with hoarding situations Drake said.

Before the Rochelle incident, TAILS received one or two hoarding calls a year. The shelter has received four calls since the Rochelle incident, Drake said.

In May, TAILS assisted animal control by taking in 17 of about 100 dogs being hoarded in Boone County.

TAILS also sheltered 41 cats at the end of July when the sister of the cats’ owner showed up in the TAILS parking lot with the cats. This home was also in Boone County, just outside Kirkland.

“[Hoarding situations] take place over years,” Drake said. It is not becoming more frequent but its discovery is, she added.

TAILS is mostly alone when it comes to dealing with the cases of animal hoarding. DeKalb County Animal Control, 2550 N. Annie Glidden Road, typically has little to do with hoarding situations. DeKalb County Animal Control also does not have an adoption facility.

Dan Berres, the DeKalb County animal warden, said they mostly deal with strays and canines.

Berres said the difference is a matter of philosophy.

“[TAILS] takes a good portion of strays that go unclaimed,” Berres said.

When strays are picked up, they stay for seven days until they are handed over to TAILS or the DeKalb County Animal Shelter, 16173 Baseline Road in Genoa, a non-profit that is not associated with the government.

Making the overcrowding even worse is the decline TAILS has seen in animal adoption. Not only has the shelter had to decrease adoption prices for cats from $75 to the current price of $25, but that price is a cut of an already reduced price made in June and July.

TAILS has noticed the decline in adoption all year, but since the reduction in adoption fees, more people are beginning to adopt, Drake said. Whether the economy has to do with the decline is unclear to Drake, but she said “people are becoming more cautious of how they spend their money.”

Drake said TAILS loses money for every animal they adopt and even more when the prices are cut. TAILS is spending less, however, on feeding the animals since they are in the shelter less.

Adoption fees make up 40 percent of TAILS’s income.

Rising fuel prices are also causing a 15 to 25 percent price increase for animal food and other products necessary for animal care.

TAILS has had to rely more on private donor support, which usually makes up 50 percent of

TAILS’s income. Drake said they need to be creative and work hard to increase their donor base.

TAILSapalooza, scheduled for Oct. 12, is expected to raise money for TAILS.

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