Animal rescuers hope to stay in Barrington Hills

An animal rescue outfit that has operated out of Barrington Hills for 24 years now awaits a formal decision on whether such enterprises will be allowed in the village.

Despite the longevity of Fur Keeps Animal Rescue, Barrington Hills officials say they were unaware of its existence, and such operations aren't recognized under existing local land-use laws.

A neighbor's complaint brought Fur Keeps to the village's attention last fall, prompting the not-for-profit's founder, veterinarian Debra Rykoff, to seek a special-use category for animal rescues.

"Our thing is, it's a useful thing to have in this village," Rykoff said. "There's not another animal shelter facility within 10 to 15 miles."

Or at least one operating as a formal, not-for-profit enterprise, she clarifies. There could be any number of private animal shelters operating among the rural village's many farms.

The distinction between an animal rescue and a farm is at the heart of the issue now before the zoning board of appeals, as keeping a large number of animals on private property is no new phenomenon for Barrington Hills.

What makes an animal rescue significantly different from a farm is that not all its animals are owned by the land owner, and it's likely to generate a higher level of traffic from the public, Barrington Hills zoning board Chairman Jonathan Knight said.

There are several criteria for new special use categories, including that they have no negative effect on neighboring property values, Knight said.

A series of public hearings have been set to help the zoning board make its recommendation to the village board. The first was last week; the next is at 7:30 p.m. June 15.

Though Fur Keeps is technically out of compliance with zoning codes, officials won't shut it down unless or until the village board ultimately decides to ban such uses.

"Dr. Rykoff came to the village in the spirit of doing the right thing," Knight said. "I think the village is being patient to see what the outcome of this is."

On the other hand, while several people have come forward in support of Fur Keeps, what the general public often doesn't understand is that zoning issues aren't popularity contests, Knight said.

Rykoff said Fur Keeps is particularly valuable because it accepts many animals in poor physical condition - animals that many shelters would immediately euthanize.

Still, Fur Keeps only accepts animals that can be rehabilitated enough to be adopted. No animal is accepted with the intention of its staying forever, she said.

Pit bulls are not accepted because of the difficulty of safely placing them through adoption.

Fur Keeps has a capacity of 50 dogs and 50 cats, and typically has 35 to 50 of each at any given time, Rykoff said.

Village Administrator Robert Kosin emphasized the special use under consideration would be for operations that look after such domestic animals. If ultimately approved, it would not allow for rescue of injured wildlife.

Consideration of the proposed zoning category is also confined to the mere number of animals that would be allowed, not the noise such animals would create, he said.

Barking dogs are already addressed under the village's animal welfare provision, which considers a dog to be neglected if it barks constantly for more than 20 minutes.

Knight couldn't predict how long it might take the village to resolve the issue.