Reform AWL Wants Large Turnout At Tuesday’s ‘Peaceful Protest’

CHICAGO RIDGE, IL -- Animal advocates will gather once more in front of Animal Welfare League in Chicago Ridge to protest conditions inside the animal shelter that has found itself at the center of a public relations firestorm after photos of sick and bleeding animals were released exclusively on Patch. The demonstration is being organized by Reform AWL Chicago Ridge. Participants will start gathering at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 17, at 10305 Southwest Highway, Chicago Ridge.

The grassroots animal advocacy group is calling on its supporters for a turnout that is “bigger than ever.” The “peaceful demonstration” is one of a dozen staged in front of AWL since January, comprised of animal lovers and former AWL employees and volunteers, who claim they were banned for criticizing the shelter’s alleged filthy conditions and sketchy euthanasia protocols. Reform AWL has called for the firing and/or resignations of the entire AWL board of directors. The long-time executive director Linda Estrada, who animal advocates blame for letting conditions inside the shelter deteriorate, resigned in May.

Advocates say they were dismayed by recent remarks made by Chicago Ridge Tr. Ed Kowalski, some of whom had served on a special panel organized by Kowalski to meet with AWL board members to work on solutions to improve the shelter. Kowalski, an animal rights activist, has been meeting with the AWL board to address numerous building code violations and unsanitary conditions on the property. He recently expressed optimism that the shelter was getting back on track toward serving the community and restoring public trust after a surprise inspection on July 5. Kowalski had been looked upon as an ally by animal advocates.

“We do not support Ed’s sentiments on AWL’s progress and we don’t feel that they are acting in the best interests of the animals,” said Teri McGinnis, a former AWL volunteer and member of Kowalski’s special panel.

McGinnis said she received a “cease and desist” letter in 2015 from the shelter stating she was no longer welcome as a volunteer. McGinnis believes it revolved around a Facebook page she and other volunteers created to advertise the many pitbulls that were available for adoption. She claims the Facebook page was started because the shelter wouldn’t advertise its adoptable pitbulls.

“We were threatened with legal action if we didn’t shut down our Facebook page,” McGinnis alleged. “We were threatened and banned because we spoke up about an abuse case that AWL grossly mishandled. We posted it on our page and asked for an explanation.”

Leaders of Reform AWL said their supporters are “hunkering down for the long haul” and that “the fight for reform is far from over.”

“We were surprised and angered over Tr. Kowalski’s statements on his recent visit to Animal Welfare League, as were our supporters,” Nikki Ormsby said, one of the admins for the Reform AWL Chicago Ridge Facebook page. “But we also know that Tr. Kowalski is doing everything in his power to help reform AWL. We do believe that AWL is continuing the mistreatment of animals in that building, and we believe the board is to blame for it all.”

Kowalski lays the blame for the shelter’s problems on the Illinois Department of Agriculture, which continually passed AWL over the years, despite photos taken by insiders of pigeon and rodent excrement throughout the shelter. Kowalski defended AWL board, saying that members were acting on faulty information based on past inspection reports.

“I don't blame them,” he said. “Now that the board has accurate information, let's see what they do."

AWL is said to be currently under investigation by the Illinois Department of Finance and Professional Regulation. Federal agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency raided \raided the shelter in February amid reports of missing drugs. That investigation, too, is said to be still open.

The animal shelter is currently rumored to have a widespread parvo outbreak, but Kowalski said that only 15 out of the hundreds of dogs, a good many of them pittie breeds, inside the shelter are being treated for parvo.

“Eight dogs surrendered by owners already had parvo,” he recently told Patch.

Animal Welfare League is an open shelter serving around 54 municipalities, although some have put the number over 100. Police bring lost and injured pets to AWL to be treated and reunited with their owners. Those pets that are not claimed or surrendered by their owners are put up for adoption.

Meanwhile, advocates will do as they have done the past six months by bringing donated pet food, blankets, toys and other supplies to leave at the shelter's front door.

“Getting banned from Animal Welfare League was probably for the better because of the PTSD,” McGinnis said. “[The board] can’t keep cocooning themselves and telling a whole different story and expect the public to buy it.”

Animal advocates gather at previous demonstration in from of AWL | Patch Editor Lorraine Swanson