Twice as many animals euthanized this year at Kane Co. shelter

Kane County's Animal Control shelter will have euthanized more than twice as many dogs and cats by the end of this year as it did last year.

Officials say they'd like to work on lowering those numbers during 2016.

Stats for the fiscal year through October show the shelter put down 61 of the 355 dogs, cats and other animals it took in so far this year. That's an euthanization rate of about 17 percent.

Last year, under a different animal control regime and record keeping system, the shelter put down only 31 of the 479 animals it took in during the same amount of time. That's an euthanization rate of about 6.5 percent.

The animals are euthanized for untreatable health reasons or behavior, and for dangerous aggression, animal control Administrator Brett Youngsteadt told a county board committee this week.

"Allowing an animal to suffer is not for the best," Youngsteadt said. "We are not euthanizing healthy animals."

Stats show 27 of 36 dogs and cats euthanized this year were for behavioral issues or aggressive natures. Almost all of those were dogs, which Youngsteadt said tend to have more behavioral issues than cats.

"Our goal is to always have animals leave through the front door and not the back," he said. "But I have to make sure that animal is a safe animal."

Youngsteadt has implemented several measures to ensure the animals have a healthy stay while in the shelter, including music, exercise and an active volunteer program aimed at giving animals frequent attention.

Youngsteadt also wants to increase public awareness of the shelter as a place to adopt animals and is planning to push more off-site adoption events next year.

The average length of stay for any animal at the shelter is about 17 days. Cats, however, tend to stay about 41 days. Youngsteadt said increasing the adoption rate will lower the average stay.