Cache Creek Animal Rescue Looking for a New Home, Hoping to Clear Joliet Shelter

An attorney is still working to keep Cache Creek Animal Rescue in its Joliet location for as long he can, but volunteers are hoping to get as many pets adopted as possible before the rescue is evicted.

• Read: Joliet Animal Shelter Fights Eviction

Founder Donna Hawks said the non-profit’s attorney is still negotiating with the shelter’s Lockport-based landlord, who sent an eviction notice just before Christmas.

Hawks said the landlord did not give a reason for evicting the rescue.

For now, Cache Creek, which is based in southern Illinois, is still occupying the space it leased at 20654 Burl Court.

But the rescue has temporarily cut its adoption fees for dogs and cats by 50 percent in the hopes of clearing the shelter before it has to relocate. The only exception is adoption fees for senior dogs, which remain $60.

The “move out special” lasts from Jan. 16 to Jan. 25.

“The last thing I want to do is bring all the dogs to southern Illinois,” said Hawks, who drives 700 miles each week to pick up dogs from animal control sites in southern Illinois and brings them to either the Cache Creek shelter in Anna, Illinois, or the Joliet location.

A GoFundMe page launched by Cache Creek volunteer Anna Pec has raised more than $80,000 for the rescue as it works to find a new home in Will County and makes repairs on its southern Illinois location.

Hawks said the funding also allowed her to make much-needed repairs on the van she uses to transport animals.

“It’s just been amazing the support we’ve gotten,” Hawks said.

On Friday, Hawks was heading from southern Illinois to Will County to check out potential new homes for Cache Creek.

“We’ve got an offer on a property in New Lenox to lease,” she said, adding the rescue is also looking at a location near Plainfield. “I’m really hoping to hear something this weekend.”

In the meantime, Cache Creek volunteers have been moving items into storage in preparation for the move.

As soon as Cache Creek has a new lease, Hawks said the rescue can move almost immediately. But the organization will have to wait until its Department of Agriculture license is transferred from the Burl Court location to its new home before it can conduct adoptions from the new site.

Hawks said Cache Creek will host adoption events from PetCo and Petsmart locations as it waits for the transfer.

She urged supports to follow Cache Creek on itsFacebook page for adoption event dates and locations. Hawks said she discovered that a “friends” page for Cache Creek had vanished on Jan. 1, but the fans of the rescue can still followCache Creek on the “like” page.

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