Most of the animals are strays found on the streets. The shelter also gets many animals from owners who are moving, have allergies, can no longer care for or don't have the time.
We do not have a veterinarian on staff to provide this service. This may be done at any of the fine local veterinarians in the area.
We hold all stray animals for 4 full days, per Illinois State Law. After the 4 days, the animals are evaluated for adoption. Once up for adoption there is no preset time limit.
Spaying and neutering is the only way to end the problem of over population. It also is a State Law, if the animal is adopted from this facility.
Everyone in the household is required to see the animal you are adopting prior to the actual adoption. We cannot guarantee the pet you would be adopting is housebroken, nor do we guarantee the temperament of the animal with children, adults, or other pets. Many of the animals we have are stray animals and we do not know their background. This is why, if you do have children or other pets at home, we require you to bring them here to the facility to see how they react with the pet you have chosen.
The City of Aurora reaches into 4 counties: Kane, DuPage, Will and Kendall. While each county administers their own rabies/animal control program, these agencies have varying hours of business. If we pick up a pet that is only wearing a county rabies tag, it may take a bit longer to find its owner/home. If your pet is wearing a City of Aurora pet license, we can move rapidly to get your pet back home to you. Your information will be in our own data base. A city pet license is also required by our City ordinances.
The Animal Care and Control Division can help answer questions about wildlife, provide information to help understand pet behavior, and enforce Local, State and Federal laws pertaining to animals. Animal Control gives educational tours and presentations to interested groups.
Every year, many pets are injured or killed simply because their curiosity compels them to wander off a bit to explore their world. Other pets, after having wandered off, may become scared and may snap, growl or bite at strange animals or people. This is also required by City ordinance.