Articles: Chicago Animal Care and Control

A discussion on animal welfare in Chicago will air on CAN-TV with Susan Russell, former executive director Chicago Animal Care & Control; Crystal Broccardo, co-founder Pet Gotcha Day and myself. Moderators Erica Bishaf , co-founder PetGotcha Day and Paul Sippil, CPA, community builder are encouraging your participation. They are seeking questions and comments regarding animal welfare…

The Northern Illinois Transport team needs help to continue to save cat lives. Their sole mission is to move cats and kittens out of Chicago Animal Care & Control (CACC), transporting them safely to rescue partners and foster families. Get this: Since their start in 2014, they’ve rescued over 3,500 cats and kittens, and well…

After just over two years on the job as executive director of Chicago Animal Care and Control, Mayor Rahm Emanuel fired Susan Russell on June 29. There isn’t a City in America that wouldn’t be happy with a live release rate of dogs and cats of just over 90 percent at a municipal animal shelter. I…

After Susan Russell was asked to resign (she didn’t so she was fired) from the position of Chicago Animal Care and Control Executive Director, it was clear that her boss, Mayor Rahm Emanuel hasn’t a clue about animal welfare, and doesn’t care. Mayor Rahm never met Susan, a City department chair – never even bothered…

On Steve Dale’s Pet World, WGN Radio HEAR me talk with Kelly Gandurski, new acting director of Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC) talks about how so many rescues/shelters instantly came together to save 48 small dogs from one property. The good news is that the animals were in great shape. The dogs didn’t really spend…

I hardly ever reprint blog posts, but with renewed interest due to a Chicago Sun Times story depicting part-truth, and again calling the facility “troubled,” I’ve been asked to do so. Rather than tackle the specific allegation of “cherry picking,” appearing in the story, there’s a broader issue of continued and relentless attacks on Chicago…

I’ve had the former director of Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC) Susan Russell on Steve Dale’s Pet World on WGN Radio many times, but listen HERE to the first time since the City of Chicago and Mayor Rahm Emanuel fired her just before July 4. His timing of her firing wasn’t in the best interest…

John Williams interviews Susan Russell, fired executive director of Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC), and I sat in for it as well. Listen HERE to the WGN Radio interview with Williams, one of the best in the business, and he peppers Susan with tough questions, but fair. And Susan handles it all with something called…

Just hours before the protest at Chicago Animal Care and Control of the firing of Executive Director Susan Russell, I appeared on Politics Tonight with Paul Lisnek.  In a prerecorded package prior to me speaking to Paul, Alderman Ray Lopez says he wanted numbers closer to a “no kill city.” We have those numbers, Alderman!…

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel fired Susan Russell, executive director of Chicago Animal Care and Control on June 29. Consider: If Russell’s primary mission was to save animals, she was doing just that. Live release numbers in just over two years swung from just under 70 percent for cats and just 70 percent for dogs to…