Wheeling pet owner says she won't give up fifth dog
A whiff of cheese brings Pixie, Twinkles, Oscar, Bubba Bill and Gizmo scurrying to Margaret Bucher's feet.
Their restlessness amplified by the presence of strangers in their home, they scamper, sniff, lick and pace the room before finally settling down, each one taking turns cuddling on Bucher's lap.
Bucher said she couldn't possibly choose which of her five dogs - a Pomeranian, two Maltese, a shih tzu, and a Maltese/shih tzu mix - she would give up to comply with Wheeling village code limiting people to four pets a household.
"I am just so upset," said Bucher, 63. "They are my babies. I live alone. There's just unconditional love. They are in a good, loving, clean home. I just can't see how they can be ripped from me."
Village officials have given Bucher until Wednesday, April 1, to give up one of her dogs or face a fine of between $50 and $500 per day.
Wheeling's Deputy Police Chief Bill Benson said the village was merely responding to a complaint about the number of dogs in Bucher's home.
"We don't proactively go counting animals in private residences," he said. "But if we get a complaint, we will investigate."
Benson said a community resource officer informed Bucher that she was in violation of a village ordinance and of the penalty. He added, the officer gave Bucher 10 days to comply, which she agreed to do at the time.
Bucher, who's lived in Wheeling for 19 years, insists she never agreed to comply. She said she is trying to get her neighbors' support and will move out of town if need be to keep her dogs.
Eight-year-old Pixie, a brown and white Pomeranian, has been with Bucher the longest. In 2007, Bucher bought Twinkles, Oscar and Bubba Bill from Puppy World Inc. in Buffalo Grove when they were a few months old.
Bucher said she didn't know about the village ordinance when she purchased Gizmo in January 2008.
"I just can't give them up for the world," Bucher said. "What are they going to do to me. I don't want to defy (the village). I want to ask other dog lovers to help us in some way reconstruct this law."
Benson said if it's the ordinance Bucher wants changed, there's other ways to do it, such as by appealing to the village board.
"This ordinance has been on the books since 1991," Benson said. "It's not the first time we've had issues where people have complained about too many animals in a residential location. But this is the first time they have been defiant and not complied."
Benson said the village would have given Bucher more time if she was having trouble placing her dog in a good home.
"I think we've been caring and sympathetic and given her time," Benson said. "If she's going to be defiant ... we really have no choice. She's tying our hands and we're going to have to cite her. It's a shame that it has to come to that."