Judge orders embattled shelter Pet Rescue to transfer animals

A DuPage County judge Tuesday ordered the operators of a controversial animal shelter in Bloomingdale to begin transferring the nearly 200 animals being housed there immediately to other Illinois shelters.

Judge Ronald Sutter denied requests by the attorney for the operators of Pet Rescue to allow the two women who run the shelter to transfer the animals to facilities in Wisconsin.

Sutter sided with Assistant State's Attorney Mandy Meindl, who provided shelter attorney Rick Schoenfield with a list of state-licensed operations where the animals could be transferred.

The state recently revoked Pet Rescue's license after years of wrangling with the operators, Penny Horak and Dale Armon. The women are facing animal cruelty charges stemming from the operation of the shelter and are facing revocation of the shelter's special use permit as well by the village of Bloomingdale.

Opponents of Pet Rescue have been urging the state and county to shut down the facility for years, claiming Armon and Horak are hoarding the animals and not properly caring for them. Recently, a rescue agency dealing with farm animals took custody of Armon's array of farm animals from her ranch in upstate Hebron.

Sutter didn't specify a timeline for the transfer of the animals from Pet Rescue. When the animals are transferred, the operators have to alert the state's attorney's office within five days with the animal's name, microchip data and shelter information.

At last count, Meindl said there were 149 cats, 29 dogs and a small number of doves, guinea pigs and rabbits all being housed at the Pet Rescue shelter at 151 N. Bloomingdale Road. Meindl's list includes only "no kill" shelters like Pet Rescue purports to be.

Armon and Horak were not in court Tuesday, but they are expected back Feb. 26 for a hearing on pretrial motions in relation to the animal cruelty case against them, Sutter said.