Elgin animal control bringing holiday cheer to pets
If money is tight during the holidays but you still want your pets to have presents, the Elgin Police Department wants to know.
Animal control officers Matt Ciesielczyk and Kristi Woolard spearheaded the collection of more than 100 new pet items and are looking for Elgin families with pets in need, to whom they plan to distribute the donations on Christmas Eve.
"Here in animal control we know that (the holidays) can be a difficult time for people with pets," Ciesielczyk said. "It could be because they can't afford what they need, they lost a job, they're just down on their luck, or the bills are piling up. And we wanted to do something to help."
The donations were collected from residents who took part in last week's "Pet Photos with Santa" event to have their beloved pets - mostly dogs, a few cats and even a guinea pig - immortalized in a holiday-themed photo. In turn, the majority heeded the call to bring items for donation, mostly food, leashes and toys.
The free event included photography donated by Shannon Lesko of Lens 2 Life Photography and the skills of Robert and Carol Hildreth, who played the roles of Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The most unexpected donations? Pet boots and pet sweaters. As for the grand prize, there are three pet beds and a pet carrier.
The police department had offered the "Pet Photos with Santa" event once before, in 2014, when it collected donations for the Police Explorer program.
Ciesielczyk pitched the idea for a collection of pet items to be donated at Christmastime after reading about a similar initiative in Michigan. Woolard jumped on board and the two brought it to top brass.
"If we have more requests than we can handle, I'm sure we'll find a way to make everybody happy," Cmdr. Ana Lalley said.
Residents interested in the donated pet items should call animal control at (847) 289-2502 and request a form to be filled out.
Members of the police department, and even Ciesielczyk's wife, will help out with the deliveries on Christmas Eve.