Bloomingdale opening talks with animal shelter

Bloomingdale officials will meet next week with Petco attorneys and the director of PACT Humane Society to discuss the future of the animal shelter housed inside the store on Army Trail Road.

The meeting day is still being determined.

PACT — or People and Animals in Community Together — has been operating the shelter since October, caring for and adopting out about 10 dogs and 20 cats with the help of roughly 25 volunteers.

But animal shelters are not permitted in Bloomingdale unless the village board approves a special use permit. PACT never went through the permit process.

Both Petco and PACT officials said they believed opening the shelter would not be a problem, since Petco had vacant space that formerly housed both a doggy day care and cats from another rescue group.

Village President Bob Iden said he welcomes a new animal shelter, but was troubled that Petco and PACT did not alert Bloomingdale about its plans. Instead, the village learned about the shelter’s operation after reading a Feb. 24 feature article in the Daily Herald. The next day, Bloomingdale issued a violation notice to Petco that gave PACT 30 days to vacate the store.

Iden said he does not want to speculate on what will be discussed with Petco attorneys and PACT Director Cherie Travis, but he welcomes an amicable resolution.

Travis said she hopes Bloomingdale will consider an extension of the vacate date while PACT goes through the permitting process. Moving the animals, she said, “would be a hardship.”

“I am happy to give them vet records or anything they need so they know these animals are vaccinated and well cared for,” she said.