CITY'S ANIMAL SHELTER ON THE LOWER WEST SIDE ARE MET WITH ROWS OF KENNELS FILLED WITH DOGS AND CATS.

BUT FOR MANY OF THOSE ANIMALS, THEIR LIVES WILL END THE CITY SHELTER IS SEEING AN INCREASE OF STRAY ANIMALS COMING THROUGH ITS DOORS SINCE THE COVID PANDEMIC UP.

47 1% SO FAR THIS YEAR COMPARED TO 2020.

THIS IS LEADING TO MORE ANIMALS BEING EUTHANIZED.

JOINING US TO DISCUSS WHAT THEY'VE SEEN, OUR SUSAN CAPELLO, ACTING DIRECTOR OF CHICAGO, ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL.

PAULA, U.S., CO-FOUNDER OF PART CHICAGO AND CYNTHIA BATHURST CEO AND FOUNDER OF SAFE HUMANE CHICAGO.

THANKS TO THE 3 OF YOU FOR JOINING US.

I'M SUSAN LET'S START WITH YOU, PLEASE.

WHAT IS CAUSING THIS INCREASE IN ANIMALS COMING INTO THE SHELTER?

>> WELL, THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS RIGHT NOW SO DURING THE PANDEMIC, YOU 2020 SOME NUMBERS.

WE WERE DOWN AS LOW 30 ANIMALS IN OUR SHELTER DURING THE PANDEMIC.

THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN IN THE CHICAGO SHELTER BEFORE EVER.

SO RIGHT NOW PEOPLE ARE RETURNING BACK TO WORK.

THERE ARE ISSUES VETERINARY CARE WITH MONEY.

EVERYTHING IS SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.

WE'RE REALLY SEEING TURN IN THEIR ANIMALS BECAUSE THEY CAN THEM ANYMORE.

THEY THEY CAN'T CARE FOR THEM ANYMORE.

AS THE RETURNING TO WORK.

SO THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS.

A COUPLE OF THE MAJOR REASONS SAID.

OF COURSE, WE ALL REMEMBER DURING THE PANDEMIC, EVERYBODY WAS AT HOME AND THEY WANT BUDDY TO KEEP THEM COMPANY.

SO THERE WERE A LOT OF PETS BEING ADOPTED AT THE TIME.

>> I'M PAULO ONE OF THE TRENDS THAT YOU ALL ARE SEEING AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC OR AIR SINCE THE PANDEMIC.

WELL, BASICALLY, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT WE NEED TO HELP ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL MORE AND MORE.

>> WE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR 25 YEARS.

AND THAT'S BEEN OUR NUMBER ONE FOCUS.

BUT SINCE WE'VE BEEN SEEING SO MANY ANIMALS COMING IN AND TRULY, SHOCKINGLY, THE ANIMALS THAT WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

FRENCH BULLDOGS AND THINGS THAT THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING IS A LOT OF BACKYARD BREEDERS.

MAKING MONEY DOING THIS NOW AND THEY'RE JUST TURNING THEM IN.

SO AND LOOK AT IT.

I'M GETTING CALLS FROM EVEN LIKE LAST NIGHT, A VET HOSPITAL UP IN JUST PLANES.

4 LAB.

DROPPED OFF AND THERE THEY DO THE INTAKE FOR THAT COMMUNITY.

AND I'M LIKE, OH, MY GOSH, YOU KNOW, THEY SAID WE HAVEN'T SEEN SO MUCH.

SO IT'S A LOT A LOT OF READERS THAT ARE JUST THAT WE'RE MAKING MONEY AND NOW THEY'RE NOT MAKING PEOPLE AND FIND THEM.

>> SUSAN, HOW TO CHICAGO COMPARED OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

WELL, WE DID SOME COMPARISON AFTERNOON AND WE ARE PRETTY MUCH IN LINE OTHER NATIONWIDE MUNICIPAL ANIMAL CONTROL FACILITIES.

>> SO WE'RE ALL SEEING VERY HIGH AND TAKE.

WE'RE ALL SEEING A LITTLE LOWER NUMBERS IN OUR ADOPTIONS.

BUT IT JUST GOES IN TAKES IT'S REALLY IN ITS NATIONWIDE.

IT'S NOT JUST US.

WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO MILWAUKEE AND ABOUT EQUAL WITH THEM, PROBABLY TAKING IT ANYWHERE BETWEEN 13 15,000 ANIMALS THIS YEAR.

CYNTHIA, WHAT SHELTERS FEEL?

THEY HAVE TO TURN TO EUTHANASIA.

WHAT POINTS DOES THE SHELTER HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS?

WELL, THAT'S AN INDIVIDUAL DECISION.

IT DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF SHELTER THAT THEY THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY THERE.

AND SO THAT REALLY IS LIGHTLY.

>> I THINK THE SHELTER DEFINED.

I DECISION WHICH FRANKLY AM.

I'M NOT REALLY SURE ON.

YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO THINK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE BUTTER.

IT IT DEPENDS ON THE INDIVIDUAL SHELTER AND IT'S A DIFFERENT WHEN YOU'RE A NONPROFIT AND YOU CAN EITHER OPEN OR CLOSE YOUR DOORS OR CHOOSE CERTAIN KINDS OF ANIMALS COMPARED TO A CITY, A GOVERNMENT FACILITY.

IT HAS THAT BASICALLY HAS TO TAKE EVERY ANIMAL THAT COMES TO THE DOOR.

>> AND TO THAT POINT, SUSAN, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE SORT OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES?

I THINK IN OUR FROM WBTW NEWS, YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF STRAYS VERSUS PEOPLE BRINGING IN ANIMAL TO YOU AND KIND OF WHAT IS THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY WHEN YOU WITH WITH STRAYS VERSUS SOMEONE CALLING SAYING, I NEED TO GIVE YOU MY ANIMAL BECAUSE I CAN TAKE CARE OF IT ANYMORE.

SO ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL WE WE DO.

WE ARE OUT THERE TO PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY.

>> SOUTH HEALTH PUBLIC SAFETY IS ONE OF OUR MAIN THINGS.

BUT WE DO FOLLOW THE MUNICIPAL CODE CHICAGO.

REQUIRES US TO PICK UP STRAY ANIMALS FROM THE STREET.

WE DO HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS IN PLACE.

IF WE PICK UP AN ANIMAL THAT HAS A MICROCHIP OR A TAG ON IT, WE WILL TRY TO DO THAT RESEARCH AND RETURN ON RIGHT THEN.

AND THERE INSTEAD OF BRINGING THAT ANIMAL TO THE SHELTER THAT'S WHY IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PET HAS A TAG OR MICROCHIP IN THEM SO THAT WE CAN RETURN THOSE PAT BACK HOME.

BUT YESTERDAY, ANIMAL INTAKE HAS INCREASED OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS.

PAULA.

HOW DOES HOW DOES PAUSE WORK WITH THE CITY TO EASE THIS BURDEN?

WELL, WE TRANCE TRANSFER ABOUT 40% OF THE ANIMALS THAT ANIMAL CARE CONTROL COME TO PASS DIRECTLY.

>> THEY HAVE ANOTHER MAYBE 100 RESCUES THAT ALSO TAKE.

BUT WE ARE BY FAR THE LARGEST TRANSFER AND BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE ALL ON RED ALERT.

WE'RE ALL REALLY FOCUSING AND WE'VE UPPED OUR TRANSFERS AND WE'RE UPPING PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE ANNOUNCING NOW WITH THE CITY THAT WE'RE GOING TO PAUSE WILL ACTUALLY BE POSITIONING PEOPLE AT ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL.

SO OF OUR STAFF WILL BE THERE HELPING TO INCREASE VOLUNTEERS, INCREASE ADOPTIONS.

AND WE ALSO HAVE THE MEDICAL CENTER THAT'S ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF AWAY.

SO WHEN THEY HAVE ANY KIND OF EMERGENCY, THEY CALL US.

WE COME RIGHT OVER AND GET HIM.

>> CYNTHIA WONDER, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BARRIERS TO FOSTER OR ADOPTIVE RIGHT NOW?

I'M NOT SURE THAT I KNOW ALL OF THEM.

BUT THE BIG WINNER, HOUSING ISSUES, INSURANCE ISSUES.

LOT OF THE ECONOMIC ISSUES HE'S GOING TO PAY FOR THE FOOD, THE CARE NEARY ISSUES AND THEN OTHERS IS JUST GETTING PEOPLE EDUCATED AND UNDERSTAND WHAT FOSTERING MEANS, HOW MUCH IT COST TO ADOPTING.

KEEP AN ANIMAL.

AND THAT'S LIKELY.

BUT SAFE HUMANE, CHICAGO LIKES TO DO IS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION TO YOUNG PEOPLE, TO YOUNG ADULTS.

WHAT'S INVOLVED IN DOING THAT?

WHERE CAN YOU GET HELP?

BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS.

WE'RE ONLY JUST A LITTLE DROP IN THE BUCKET SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS WHO WILL PROVIDE HELP AND WE NEED TO THOSE RESOURCES AND HELP FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES.

TELL US WHAT THEY NEED AND HELP THEM GET WHAT THEY NEED TO THAT POINT.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO FUTURE?

PET OWNERS ARE CURRENT PET OWNERS.

WHAT DO THEY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SITUATION?

BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, AS WE SAID DURING THE PANDEMIC, THERE'S A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE EVERYBODY WAS GETTING A PET.

>> AND THEN WE SAW A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE HAVING TO RELINQUISH LAKERS THIS PAST BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T TAKE THEM ON FOR WHATEVER REASON ANYMORE.

WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW.

I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR COMMUNITIES SO THAT THEY CAN GET HELP WITHIN THEM.

AND WHAT NONPROFITS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS CAN PROVIDE TO THEM WHERE THEY CAN GO FOR HELP ALSO NEED UNDERSTAND WHAT ANIMALS NEED IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S SORT OF LIKE ANIMALS WENT FROM THE BARNYARD TO THE BACKYARD TO THE BEDROOM AND THEY'RE ALL FAMILY MEMBERS.

AND SO PEOPLE EXPECT A LOT MORE WANT TO PROVIDE MORE.

AND THAT'S MAINE'S MONEY AND RESOURCES.

SO THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE ARE.

AND THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THEY START HAVING DIFFICULTIES, THERE ARE PLENTY OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL HELP THEM SAFE.

HUMANE CHICAGO JUST DOES TRAINING.

THINGS WERE NOT A RESCUE OR SHELTER PAUSE OR OUR CHICAGO ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL WERE MORE LIKE A FRIENDS OF GROUP FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF CHICAGO.

ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL WHAT WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY WILL ORGANIZATION.

SO HOW DO WE GO INTO COMMUNITIES?

BRAIN FOLKS AND SHOW THEM WHAT THE SHELTERS LIKE, SHOW THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO DO AND THEN PROVIDE PROGRAMS SOME OF THAT EDUCATION TRAINING.

SUSAN, I KNOW THAT ALSO STRUGGLED WITH STAFFING, OBVIOUSLY, VOLUNTEERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO BOTH OF YOUR WHY HAS THAT BEEN A CHALLENGE ENSURING OF STAFF AND OF COURSE, VOLUNTEERS.

>> SO STAFFING IS A BIG ONE WITH US ON ESPECIALLY CRITICAL POSITIONS LIKE VETERINARIAN.

>> AND A CERTIFIED THAT TAX OTHER FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.

IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY DIDN'T GO TO SCHOOL AGAIN DURING THE PANDEMIC.

SO WE'RE STRUGGLING HIRING THOSE POSITIONS.

AND THEN TO THE WITH THE CITY OF CHICAGO, THERE'S A BLANKET WAY TO HIRE FOR ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS.

SO WE DO FALL UNDER THAT BLANKET.

THERE NEEDS TO BE A POSTING OF THE POSITION FOR CERTAIN NUMBER OF DAYS.

THEN THERE'S THE INTERVIEW PROCESS AND THE HIRING PROCESS, WHICH DOES TAKE A LITTLE LONG.

IT TURNS PEOPLE AWAY BECAUSE OF THE LINK THE TIME.

SO WE DO HAVE THOSE PEOPLE THAT WAY.

BUT WE ARE CONTINUALLY POSTING OUR POSITIONS IN GETTING PEOPLE HIRED AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.

AS FAR AS VOLUNTEERS, THEY GO THROUGH A VERY SIMILAR PROCESS AS OUR NEW HIRES DO.

I'M NOT AS IN-DEPTH OUR VOLUNTEERS.

SOMETIMES THEY DO FALL THROUGH THE CRACK.

BUT THEY ALSO DON'T REALIZE WHAT WHAT THEY'RE GETTING INTO WHEN THEY COME TO THE SHELTER.

SO I THINK THEY'RE GOING WITH PUPPIES AND KITTENS HAVE A LOT OF CLEANING THE BIGGER SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT ALL BEST OF LUCK TO