Bloomingdale pet shelter needs volunteers
Jeanne Sill of Bloomingdale disappears twice a week to a place she worries few people know about.
Each Monday and Wednesday, she slips into the back of the Petco store on Army Trail Road in Bloomingdale to help care for 30 animals waiting to be adopted from PACT Humane Society, which opened up in the back of the store just four months ago.
“I think if enough people came and saw what's going on here they'd also want to help,” she said. “I don't think a lot of people know we're here yet and we take such good care of these animals. They just want to be loved.”
This is the fourth area shelter to be opened by Downers Grove-based PACT, which stands for People and Animals in Community Together. The no-kill shelter is staffed completely by volunteers and rescues animals from other euthanizing agencies like Cook County Animal Control. The group only adopts out and does not accept animals given up by owners.
Other PACT shelters exist inside two Schaumburg PetSmart stores and another in Darien. The group rents space at all its locations for a reduced fee. But the new Bloomingdale shelter stands out a bit, says PACT President and co-founder Cherie Travis, because it is the first facility that can house dogs.
Currently, about 25 volunteers rotate in shifts to help care for the 20 cats and 10 dogs at the Bloomingdale site. And more are needed, along with donations of old blankets, towels, rugs and other supplies.
Chad Bettencourt of Schaumburg manages the site and said he hasn't spent a day away from the shelter since it opened.
“I'm here every single day trying to get the word out that we're here,” he said.
Volunteers like Sill walk the dogs, socialize the animals, clean the kennels and do their best to make sure they are ready for adoption. Some people also volunteer to foster dogs or cats until they find a permanent home.
“We advocate for animals that many people might not consider, such as older animals or those with health issues like amputations,” Travis said. “Not everyone has the energy or time for a puppy and dogs like these are often the best fit. The owners find it so rewarding.”
To learn more about PACT or to volunteer, visit pacthumanesociety.org or e-mail bloomingdale@pacthumanesociety.org. Adoption hours at the Bloomingdale Petco, 412 W. Army Trail Road, are from 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends and by appointment.