Northbrook animal shelter relocating to Wheeling
A Northbrook animal shelter is moving to Wheeling and should open in the new location in November.
Heartland Animal Shelter, a no-kill facility at 2975 N. Milwaukee Ave., is in the process of buying a building at 586 Palwaukee Drive in Wheeling.
Executive Director Gabriella Keresi-Uresti said she's "thrilled" about the move.
"I think we have a lot to offer the community, and the community has a lot to offer us," she said.
The 19-year-old nonprofit organization will renovate and expand the Palwaukee Drive space, with work set to begin this month, Keresi-Uresti told the Wheeling village board during a discussion of the plan Monday night.
After the brief discussion, the village board granted Heartland a special use permit to operate at the Palwaukee Drive site.
The permit was needed because the site is zoned for industrial uses.
Before voting in favor of the request, Trustee Mary Krueger happily noted she adopted her dog from Heartland.
"Thank you for coming to Wheeling," Krueger said.
The Northbrook operation will remain open until the Wheeling site is ready. The lease for the Northbrook space expires in November, Keresi-Uresti said.
The previous occupant of the 8,470-square-foot Wheeling building was a audiology equipment company called e3 Gordon Stowe. It relocated to Arlington Heights.
Heartland plans to install two outdoor fenced areas for dogs and an enclosed patio for cats, documents indicate.
The facility typically houses 10 to 15 dogs and 35 to 45 cats at any time, Keresi-Uresti said, although numbers are lower now because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Three to five employees and eight to 10 volunteers will be at the shelter at any given time, documents indicate.
Heartland officials expect the facility will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.