‘Humane Animal Shelter' Ordinance Proposed To Address AWL Issues

CHICAGO RIDGE, IL — A Chicago Ridge village trustee wants to introduce a new “Humane Animal Shelter” ordinance in response to ongoing issues at the Animal Welfare League. The proposed ordinance comes on the heels of a recent “media kit” released by the group alleging the village was engaged in racial discrimination and eyeing AWL property for a possible commercial development.

Mayor Chuck Tokar read a written statement prepared on the board's behalf by the village attorney Michael Stillman during Tuesday’s board meeting. The statement addressed the “media kit” that was disseminated by the Animal Welfare League's spokesman to various Chicago news outlets during a protest outside the animal shelter on April 26.

“Immediately upon receiving this document, I directed our attorneys to begin discussions with the AWL attorney and to demand a full retraction and apology for the numerous falsehoods and ridiculous conclusions made in the media kit,” the statement said. “As of today, Animal Welfare League and their board have not responded to our demands.”

The village said it was left with no other choice but to attempt to "restore its reputation." Officials say at no time did the village engage in a campaign to put Animal Welfare League out of business. In one instance, a developer asked about a vacant land parcel purchased several years ago by the animal shelter and the village attorney put the developer in touch with AWL.

“For this to be called an attempt to put them out of business, so we could obtain commercial development isn’t just a blatant lie, it is ludicrous,” the statement read.

Tokar also took to task statements made in the “media kit” that the village and specific board members — specifically Tr. Ed Kowalski — were acting against AWL “because of racial intent.”

“This board and I work and will always work in a fair and unprejudiced manner, facts that all businesses know including AWL,” Tokar said. “For the AWL spokesman to put out such unfounded garbage is reprehensible and as I have requested through our attorney to AWL, I expect the [Animal Welfare League] to make a full retraction and apology for these defamatory comments.”

Tokar further added that the Village of Chicago Ridge expected nothing less than for “AWL and its board retract the lies that were published in the Media Kit of April 26.”

Since Patch published exclusive photos showing animals lying in their own blood and feces, as well other filthy conditions, the Animal Welfare League has fallen under investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. AWL's former long-time executive director and board president Linda Estrada was handed a cease and desist order last November by the Illinois Department of Finance and Professional Regulation, for allegedly performing surgeries and administering drugs to shelter animals without a veterinary license. More recently, the same state agency fined AWL $10,000 for violating the humane euthanasia act and placed the shelter’s euthanasia license on “indefinite probation.”

A draft of the proposed Chicago Ridge “Humane Shelter Ordinance” includes such requirements as veterinary care for all shelter animals, established holding periods for stray animals, reasonable attempts to reunite them with their owners and transfer of unclaimed strays to foster care or rescue organizations. The draft proposal would also require animal shelters to establish humane euthanasia protocols and to provide quarterly records of euthanized animals to the village.

Kowalski said the ordinance is based on “common sense reform,” in accordance with ASPCA guidelines and similar humane shelter ordinances in other states.

“I want the public to know that we are committed to this issue, we haven’t stopped working on it,” Kowalski said. “There are concerns with an ordinance like this — what is our authority and jurisdiction. It has never been done in Illinois up to this point. This is new uncharted territory for us.”

The village trustee also addressed the recent allegations made by the Animal Welfare League’s spokesman in the media kit, which he called the “best piece of fiction written this year. It’s defamatory and it will be dealt with.”

Kowalski said he’s been banned from the shelter after two surprise inspections in 2018, when the animal shelter sent a letter to the village implying legal action. One those inspections uncovered 123 fire, electrical and building code violations, as well as infestations of rats and mice and other unsanitary conditions, which Kowalski described as “horrendous.”

“Animal Welfare League released statements that we fined them,” Kowalski said. “Not one of these 123 violations were they fined for. They were told during a meeting at village hall to comply and bring the building up to code. We didn’t want to hurt them financially, we just wanted conditions to improve.”

The only fine imposed on the animal shelter by the village was $150 for keeping a pigeon coop, which is illegal in Chicago Ridge. Kowalski said the proposed ordinance will be discussed in “two or three” workshops prior to going up for a vote before the Chicago Ridge Village Board.

“My intention is to move forward as a unified board,” Kowalski said after the meeting. “Everyone will be accountable for their vote. I do know that we will exercise extreme caution because we’ll be the first in Illinois to adopt such an ordinance.”