Judge orders veterinary inspections at Pet Rescue shelter

A veterinarian will now accompany Illinois Department of Agriculture inspectors during visits to the embattled Pet Rescue animal shelter in Bloomingdale.

A DuPage County judge ordered the veterinarian inspections during a brief hearing Wednesday where prosecutors and lawyers for the owners of the animal shelter worked out a deal to allow the visits up to once a week during operating hours. The veterinarian will report his findings to the state inspector, which has been making weekly visits to ensure the 164 cats and 44 dogs are being properly cared for.

Lawyers for the shelter's owners said the veterinarian order was superfluous, but didn't find a reason to fight the request.

"We simply agreed to something we don't believe is necessary," said attorney Rick Schoenfield. "The vet is not going to do a physical examination of each and every animal, and the inspector is trained to look for animals that are sick."

The shelter at 151 N. Bloomingdale Road is operating under a special-use permit, which Bloomingdale officials are looking into revoking because of the ongoing allegations of abuse and mistreatment of the animals. That hearing was originally slated for this month, but village officials pushed it back to January at the earliest. The village's plan commission will hear the case first and then a recommendation will be passed on to the village board for a final decision.

The owners, Dale Armon, 74, of Berkeley and Penny Horak, 69, of Winfield, are facing 16 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. A trial date for the two women was set for March 23 at Wednesday's hearing.

Several animal rights advocates who appeared in court Wednesday said the they are concerned about the animals welfare in the meantime.

Assistant DuPage State's Attorney Mandy Meindl said the judge's order to allow visits by the veterinarian will help ensure the animals are properly cared for while the future of the shelter is being determined.

"They're not being mistreated now even though some people might say otherwise," she said. "This just ensures compliance and that the animals get continued care."

State officials suspended the shelter's operating license in October, but reinstated it a few weeks later pending an administrative hearing. Former workers and volunteers at the shelter accuse Armon and Horak of neglecting the animals in their care, a charge that Schoenfield said will be proven false.