Cicero Cuts Ribbon on New State-of-the-Art Animal Shelter

CICERO, IL -- Since 2007, Waggin’ Tails Animal Shelter has provided shelter, safety and hope to the pets -- some considered the dregs of the community -- relinquished to or picked up by Cicero Animal Control.

“We’ve had cats and dogs, guinea pigs, box turtles, rabbits, roosters, “ said Ericka Rosas, director of Cicero Animal Control. “People get evicted from their homes or forget they can’t have chickens in Cicero because of a local ordinance.

Last week, Cicero officials officially cut the ribbon on a new park and state-of-the-art animal shelter at 18th Street and Laramie during ceremonies attended by more than 200 residents. The new Cicero Campus Park will showcase the town’s new animal shelter, joined by three dog parks and walking trails for residents with their pets.

Rosas says locating the animal shelter near the dog parks will improve visibility for the pet available for adoption.

“We hoping to entice responsible pet owners will consider adding another family member or encourage people who’ve always wanted a pet but didn’t know where to look to the animal shelter,” Rosas said. “We also hope to correct the misconception that we are also an animal shelter for pets that are not picked up or relinquished by their owners.”

In the bad old days, Cicero’s strays and waifs were held in a two-car garage. When he was first elected in 2005, one of new Town President Larry Dominick’s first acts was to expand the town’s animal control center.

“It was depressing,” said Town Planning Director Craig Pesek. “There were no program to promote adoptions of the animals. Most of the animals taken there were put to sleep by the prior administration after only a few days/”

After Dominick took office, the new Animal Control Department was expanded to include the Waggin’ Tails Animal Shelter, to take in abandoned and unwanted animals, bring them back to full health and then make them available for adoption.

Today, the no-kill shelter manages more than 100 dogs and cats at one time -- many of which are claimed by frantic owners -- and adopts the dozens of animals relinquished or unclaimed.

The new animal shelter is located adjacent to the existing shelter at 1800 S. Laramie Ave., Cicero. The new shelter offers twice the square footage of the old building -- 6,500 square feet -- and includes separate staging areas for new dogs and new cats brought into the shelter for the first time. New animals are placed in an observation room where any diseases or problems are addressed before they are put into the general population and, if left unclaimed for seven days, placed for adoption.

“We make every effort to reunite families with lost pets,” Rosas said. “We scan them for microchips. We look for collar ID tags or Cook County rabies tags and contact the owner.”

The new shelter property will also offer a covered semi-outdoor play and exercise area for dogs that have not yet been adopted. Families that already have dogs can bring them to play in a dog park, that includes a small dog area and large dog area.

Waggin’ Tails will continue offering monthly vaccination clinics. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, the shelter will offer a Halloween-themed vaccination clinic. Pets will receive goodie bags. Vaccinations -- rabies, parvo/distemper, bordetella -- will be offered at half price. Microchipping will also be offered for half price.

Pet owners can also bring their dogs and cats into the shelter during business hours and have them chipped for $20. No appointment is necessary.

The new Waggin’ Tails’ building will be full operation by Oct. 1, when it will be open to the public. Animals available for adoption through the shelter are posted on petfinders.org, or follow the shelter’s foundlings on Waggin Tails Animal Shelter/Cicero Animal Control Facebook page.

Shelter hours are 1 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The shelter is closed on Sunday. Hours may be subject to change when the new building is fully operational.

Photo: A resident frolics with her dogs at the new dog friendly area near the animal shelter in Cicero Campus Park. | Town of Cicero