CITY HALL — City Council members are pushing for a nationwide search for a “qualified” executive director of Chicago Animal Care and Control, the embattled city agency that went without a permanent leader for years until one was appointed this month.
Mayor Brandon Johnson in early February appointed Susan Cappello, Animal Care and Control’s longstanding acting executive director, to the position permanently. The appointment comes after the city-run shelter went over three years without a permanent executive director as pet surrenders and shelter crowding issues increased, leading some volunteers to advocate for change at the agency.
Johnson cited a record number of adoptions in 2025 and the “highest number of animals transferred to rescue partners in over a decade” as part of Cappello’s achievements.
Volunteers from Animal Care and Control voiced disagreement with the appointment during Wednesday’s council meeting, citing concerning conditions inside the shelter.
Irene Jordan, a shelter volunteer, called conditions “unsanitary,” saying animals that arrive healthy are too often leaving on “urgent status” due to illnesses contracted while inside. She said she’s also concerned about the euthanasia rates, which to her are alarmingly high.
“Under the current administration, it has become extremely difficult, if not impossible, to implement positive changes. Volunteers are not heard. Concerns are dismissed and there is a lack of transparency,” Jordan said.
Rosa Glerstikas, who read statements from anonymous volunteers who feared retaliations, described unsanitary kennels smeared with feces, urine and blood. Glerstikas also described the harsh treatment of animals by underqualified staff.
“Dogs are dragged down hallways. Catch poles are used unnecessarily, and cats are scrubbed or prodded under the guise of testing sociability. Staff have little to no training in small animal exotics for wildlife, leaving rabbits, guinea pigs and other species without basic necessities,” Glersikas said.
Animal Care and Control did not respond to a request for comment.
Alds. Gilbert Villegas (36th) and Ruth Cruz (30th) are leading the charge to try to get Johnson to kick off a nationwide search for Animal Care And Control’s executive director position. The letter is signed by 15 other aldermen.
Villegas said he independently met with shelter volunteers and heard of crammed conditions and “concerning” policies that allow staff members to make off-hand decisions if animals are euthanized or not. Oftentimes, dogs also go without walks for days, he said. Villegas said he was deeply disturbed, especially as a dog lover and owner himself.
The letter also lists these concerns from Villegas:
- The city shelter is currently experiencing high euthanasia rates of pets under its care
- The shelter conditions are subpar and animals are not having their basic needs met
- The agency is unable to meet the basic public safety needs of Chicagoans, as dog bites have steadily increased during the past three years
- Chicago police officers are frequently asked to cover Animal Care and Control duties that are best handled by shelter employees
Villegas hasn’t been to the shelter to see the conditions, but said he wouldn’t want to unless he could go unannounced to avoid anything being covered up.
“When you have people working for free, telling you conditions are bad, you have to take their word for it,” Villegas said.
Animal activists and organizers have long called for the city to better support the shelter, which has seen animal surrenders skyrocket in the years since the pandemic, when animal adoption spiked. In July, Chicago Animal Care and Control took in 1,842 cats and dogs, or about 59 animals per day, the agency’s public information officer Armando Tejeda told Block Club. That’s a significant increase from 34 per day from 2013-2017
More than 7,000 dogs entered Chicago Animal Care and Control in 2024, the highest since 2016, according to data on the shelter’s website. And though dog intake was nearly identical in 2024 and in 2019, 2024 saw an additional 944 deaths than the earlier year, per the shelter’s data. This means for every two dogs that died in 2019, five died in 2024.
The letter demands that the executive director search start no later than April 1 and be completed by Sept 1.
Johnson did not commit to a nationwide search, saying during a post-council press conference Wednesday that Cappello “has shown signs of strong commitment to the people of this city,” but said he is taking the “feedback” seriously.
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