New leader for Cook County's Department of Animal and Rabies Control

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has appointed Mamadou Diakhate to serve as administrator of the county's Department of Animal and Rabies Control.

Diakhate most recently served as executive director of Chicago's Animal Care and Control. He had been with the Chicago agency since 2004, holding positions including supervisor, shelter manager, operations manager and deputy director.

"Mamadou brings decades of experience and a deep appreciation of animals, which makes him the ideal choice to serve as the administrator of the county's Department of Animal and Rabies Control," Preckwinkle said in an announcement of the appointment. "I am grateful to Mamadou for his commitment to our animal population."

While with the city of Chicago, Diakhate created a disaster relief plan for pets that was implemented in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began. The plan ensured hundreds of pets were provided with adequate care despite staffing constraints caused by the pandemic, and provided assistance to residents who tested positive for COVID-19 and could no longer care for their pets.

He also oversaw the wildlife trap and bite investigations program, in addition to monitoring dangerous dog investigations.

Diakhate has a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Inter-States School of Veterinary Medicine in Senegal. He succeeds Dr. Tom Wake, who served as the administrator since 2018.