Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin is currently at capacity with more than 200 cats and kittens. The shelter is offering a $50 Fall in Love cat adoption special for the month of November.

“There’s just so many animals that need homes in our shelter,” said Lesya Kercheval, adoption manager at Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin. “We need someone to take them home and love them.”



Anderson is one of many Chicagoland shelters and rescues facing an influx of puppies, kittens, dogs and cats in recent years because of a variety of reasons. One of those – the biggest, according to some – is the economy.



According to Jill Hanses, president of the Anderson Animal Shelter board of directors, the economy has led to a 25 percent decrease in donation levels from before the recession.



Kercheval has seen more people within the past few years come to the shelter to relinquish their pet because they no longer can afford the basic care required to keep the animal healthy. One family even lost their house and were living out of their car, trying to keep the animal but eventually had to give it up as it was just too difficult.



“People are being evicted and are trying to find apartments and other places that will allow animals,” she said. “It’s so sad.”



Anderson is currently over capacity with cats, keeping well over 200 at the moment. Kercheval noted that the ideal number would be around 175. The shelter currently has 40 dogs on its premises, a number that is still a bit high.



Hosting adoption specials – especially at this time of year when kitten drop-offs are particularly high, according to Kercheval – is something that Anderson is doing in November with kittens and cats. Throughout the month, the shelter is cutting in half the adoption fee for adopting a cat. It’s just one way the shelter is trying to reach out to the public that can afford an animal.



“Maybe the cats aren’t perfect, but they still need good homes,” Kercheval said.



TAILS Humane Society, based in DeKalb, always runs at capacity but they, too, have seen an influx.



“We will always be at capacity but we have noticed an increase in numbers of animals relinquished because of the economic conditions of the owners,” said Beth Drake, executive director of TAILS. “A lot are animals that have developed medical issues and owners can’t afford to care for them anymore – which adds an increased financial burden to us.”



TAILS sees people from the Kane County area adopting and relinquishing pets. A 2010 study by the Morris Animal Foundation based out of Denver and the University of Illinois at Champaign, found that the uncertain financial times has discouraged many potential owners from adopting new pets. The research showed there was a clear distinction in the number of people adopting, which has decreased since the recession started in 2007.



Just because TAILS is always at capacity doesn’t mean officials want just anyone coming in to adopt if they can’t adequately take care of the animal.



“It’s really important that people take their responsibilities as owners seriously,” Drake said. “Just as with humans, there are pet health insurance companies. There are methods by which you can better afford the unforeseen and routine veterinary care.”



TAILS is also offering an adoption special through Monday – any black cats adopted will have their adoption fee waived.



“The animals adopted from here are healthy,” Drake said. “If you adopt from a shelter then you will have some assurance that it won’t be a lot of costs right off the bat.”



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Kercheval has been with Anderson for nearly 10 years, a career track that started with volunteering before she lost a previous job. Her love of animals – she has several dogs at home – began when she was younger and came from her father.



“Animals bring so much joy to our lives, and especially in tough times, you might just need the love of an animal,” she said.



She feels lucky to have a high number volunteers taking time out of their days to come and spend some time helping out around the shelter. Despite the economy forcing many to work two or more jobs, the volunteer levels have stayed the same or even risen in recent years.



Anderson was incorporated in 1996 and moved into the building they currently reside in at 1000 S. LaFox Road, in South Elgin, in 1971. They are a nonprofit humane society that receives no federal, state or local funding – the majority of which comes from individuals throughout the community.



“We’re so lucky to have volunteers that can give their time and help out in so many different ways,” Kercheval said. “It really is a wonderful volunteer base.”



Unfortunately, despite the high levels of volunteers, there are still people abandoning their pets at the shelter during off-hours, something Kercheval says is something that should be avoided at all costs. It’s sad and inhumane, she says, as she recalls stories of people leaving their animals near the facility’s outside pen, at the front door or tied to a tree. It’s even more saddening, she says, when there’s an empty box with a whole at the front steps but no animal in sight.



“It usually means they got away and aren’t being cared for,” she said.



Kercheval strongly encourages people who no longer can care for their pet to call or email the shelter to see what they can do. They will give out a list of other places in the area that someone can visit if Anderson can’t take the animal in at that specific time.



“It’s a lot more ‘I lost my home’ instead of ‘I have allergies’ these days,” Kercheval said.

Dinner and auction



What: Anderson Animal Shelter’s “A Night to Paws” dinner and auction.

Where: Q Center, 1405 N. Fifth Ave., St. Charles.

Cost: From $125, with all proceeds benefiting the shelter.

For information: Visit www.andersonani malshelter.org or contact Jane Whitaker at 847-697-2880 ext. 33 or at jwhitaker@andersonanimalshelter.org.