Animal shelter addition approved by Palatine council
A suburban hospital executive's no-kill animal shelter will more than triple in size after gaining Palatine village council approval Monday night.
Council members approved a plan that'll take Barb's Precious Rescue and Adoption Center on Quentin Road from 2,200 square feet to roughly 7,000 square feet. The facility is in a renovated farmhouse.
Barbara Weber, chief operating officer of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, opened the nonprofit, all-volunteer shelter in 2014. She said the work is expected to start in October and finish early next year.
Weber's no-kill facility has focused on cats and kittens, but will include a limited number of dogs as part of the expansion. She said the addition's features will include separate spaces for animals with special needs, mothering rooms and a new ventilation system.
"It's sort of designed like a hospital, in the sense of making sure it's a nice, safe environment for the cats and dogs," Weber said after the village council session.
Barb's Precious Rescue will be able to handle about 200 cats instead of the current 100. The shelter will have room for 250 felines during kitten season.
In addition, the facility for the first time will have space for six dogs. No more than three dogs will be allowed outside on the shelter's property.
Palatine Mayor Jim Schwantz congratulated Weber after Monday's meeting and told her to "keep up the good work." Councilman Tim Millar thanked Weber as he spoke during the session.
"We appreciate what you do and all the hours that you put into that," Millar said.
Not only has Barb's Precious Rescue attracted about 300 volunteers, it also has offered other opportunities in the Palatine area and beyond.
Students at Palatine, Fremd and Lake Zurich high schools may earn community service hours at the rescue operation. The shelter also provides opportunities for adults and children with disabilities to spend time with the cats and kittens, as well as helping with play and care for the animals.
Weber said while additional donations are needed and continue to be solicited on GoFundMe, the shelter has received a $350,000 gift from the Ehlert Family Foundation in Barrington and $30,000 from Wayne and Claudette Johnson of Palatine. The entire project is projected at $600,000, she said.