Reduced hours at Chicago's city animal pound may be creating more work for police
ABC 7 Chicago
[{'start': '0.160', 'end': '4.080', 'text': 'Recent changes at Chicago Animal Care'}, {'start': '2.159', 'end': '6.080', 'text': 'and Control are creating chaos.'}, {'start': '4.080', 'end': '8.240', 'text': 'According to some advocates, sources'}, {'start': '6.080', 'end': '10.320', 'text': 'tell the IT team Chicago police are'}, {'start': '8.240', 'end': '12.639', 'text': 'picking up the slack in many cases,'}, {'start': '10.320', 'end': '15.200', 'text': 'sometimes putting officers and animals'}, {'start': '12.639', 'end': '16.800', 'text': 'at risk. After months of requesting an'}, {'start': '15.200', 'end': '18.720', 'text': 'interview, the head of the department'}, {'start': '16.800', 'end': '20.640', 'text': 'just sat down with the IT team to share'}, {'start': '18.720', 'end': '23.119', 'text': 'the challenges of leading a big city'}, {'start': '20.640', 'end': '27.039', 'text': 'agency for two years in the role of'}, {'start': '23.119', 'end': '29.519', 'text': 'acting executive director.'}, {'start': '27.039', 'end': '31.679', 'text': 'Inside the city pound, we have goats,'}, {'start': '29.519', 'end': '34.320', 'text': 'chickens, pigs, uh, roosters very'}, {'start': '31.679', 'end': '36.399', 'text': 'regularly here. Every afternoon, long'}, {'start': '34.320', 'end': '39.120', 'text': 'lines of people wait, clutching'}, {'start': '36.399', 'end': '41.760', 'text': 'makeshift cages and unorthodox leashes'}, {'start': '39.120', 'end': '44.719', 'text': 'to drop off strays or pets they can no'}, {'start': '41.760', 'end': '46.239', 'text': 'longer care for. Any animal that walks'}, {'start': '44.719', 'end': '48.640', 'text': "into this facility, and I've said this"}, {'start': '46.239', 'end': '50.320', 'text': 'publicly before, can be a candidate for'}, {'start': '48.640', 'end': '52.480', 'text': "euthanasia because you don't know what's"}, {'start': '50.320', 'end': '55.120', 'text': 'coming in tomorrow or the next day.'}, {'start': '52.480', 'end': '57.360', 'text': 'Where you going? Susan Capello has been'}, {'start': '55.120', 'end': '59.600', 'text': 'serving as acting executive director of'}, {'start': '57.360', 'end': '62.000', 'text': 'Chicago Animal Care and Control for more'}, {'start': '59.600', 'end': '63.760', 'text': "than two years. It's been a challenge,"}, {'start': '62.000', 'end': '66.080', 'text': 'she says, to make meaningful'}, {'start': '63.760', 'end': '68.400', 'text': 'improvements as an interim leader.'}, {'start': '66.080', 'end': '70.799', 'text': 'Budget cuts last fall are straining'}, {'start': '68.400', 'end': '73.439', 'text': 'operations. We were previously open from'}, {'start': '70.799', 'end': '75.600', 'text': 'noon to 7, 7 days a week for animal'}, {'start': '73.439', 'end': '77.840', 'text': 'intake from members of the public. We'}, {'start': '75.600', 'end': '80.080', 'text': 'did cut those hours to be 3:00 p.m. to'}, {'start': '77.840', 'end': '82.240', 'text': '7:00 p.m. Once the overtime was cut from'}, {'start': '80.080', 'end': '84.159', 'text': "the budget, that's when we had to make"}, {'start': '82.240', 'end': '87.360', 'text': 'those changes. Animal care officers'}, {'start': '84.159', 'end': '90.400', 'text': 'daily field patrol hours now end at 700'}, {'start': '87.360', 'end': '93.200', 'text': 'p.m. Chicago police are stuck responding'}, {'start': '90.400', 'end': '95.119', 'text': "to calls when there's nobody else. We're"}, {'start': '93.200', 'end': '97.119', 'text': "everything to everybody and when we're"}, {'start': '95.119', 'end': '99.040', 'text': "called, we're going to show up. We just"}, {'start': '97.119', 'end': '101.280', 'text': "came up with a K9 unit that's going to"}, {'start': '99.040', 'end': '103.759', 'text': 'help us out with animal control. Just'}, {'start': '101.280', 'end': '106.560', 'text': 'next door at the gas station, CPD came'}, {'start': '103.759', 'end': '108.479', 'text': 'to address a lost husky. Because of'}, {'start': '106.560', 'end': '109.920', 'text': 'manpower constraints, it was faster for'}, {'start': '108.479', 'end': '112.079', 'text': 'a police officer to get to the scene'}, {'start': '109.920', 'end': '114.000', 'text': 'than it was for an acco, an animal care'}, {'start': '112.079', 'end': '116.079', 'text': 'officer. A Chicago police sergeant'}, {'start': '114.000', 'end': '117.920', 'text': 'shared these photos with the IT team of'}, {'start': '116.079', 'end': '120.240', 'text': 'three dogs trapped in a home in the'}, {'start': '117.920', 'end': '122.560', 'text': 'Austin neighborhood on March 25th,'}, {'start': '120.240', 'end': '124.960', 'text': 'telling us officers spent several hours'}, {'start': '122.560', 'end': '126.640', 'text': 'rescuing the dogs instead of patrolling'}, {'start': '124.960', 'end': '129.200', 'text': 'the district because they were told'}, {'start': '126.640', 'end': '131.760', 'text': 'animal control officers were quote done'}, {'start': '129.200', 'end': '134.640', 'text': 'working for the day. The sergeant says'}, {'start': '131.760', 'end': '136.640', 'text': 'this happens regularly. So you have 18'}, {'start': '134.640', 'end': '138.640', 'text': 'field officers for animal control in the'}, {'start': '136.640', 'end': '141.360', 'text': 'field in Chicago. Yes. Is that enough?'}, {'start': '138.640', 'end': '144.080', 'text': "No, it's never enough. Some advocates do"}, {'start': '141.360', 'end': '145.840', 'text': 'the rescuing themselves. I do rescue on'}, {'start': '144.080', 'end': '148.319', 'text': 'the street all over the city, mostly on'}, {'start': '145.840', 'end': '150.720', 'text': 'the south side. An IT team data analysis'}, {'start': '148.319', 'end': '155.280', 'text': 'compares Chicago to Houston, a similar'}, {'start': '150.720', 'end': '157.920', 'text': "size city. CACC's $7.2 million budget is"}, {'start': '155.280', 'end': '159.319', 'text': "less than half of Houston's. The shelter"}, {'start': '157.920', 'end': '162.959', 'text': 'took in'}, {'start': '159.319', 'end': '165.599', 'text': '16,813 animals in 2024, the highest'}, {'start': '162.959', 'end': '168.160', 'text': 'number since 2019. The shelter'}, {'start': '165.599', 'end': '171.519', 'text': 'euthanized more than 1,000 animals'}, {'start': '168.160', 'end': '174.720', 'text': 'between April and June of 2024, the most'}, {'start': '171.519', 'end': '176.239', 'text': 'of any quarter since 2018. The animals'}, {'start': '174.720', 'end': '178.160', 'text': 'that need us are those that are sick and'}, {'start': '176.239', 'end': '180.160', 'text': 'injured out in the streets, posing a'}, {'start': '178.160', 'end': '182.720', 'text': 'public health risk, posing a public'}, {'start': '180.160', 'end': '184.879', 'text': "safety risk. There's my man, you know."}, {'start': '182.720', 'end': '187.440', 'text': '15th W alderman and self-proclaimed'}, {'start': '184.879', 'end': '189.519', 'text': 'animal lover Ray Lopez says Capelloa is'}, {'start': '187.440', 'end': '191.440', 'text': 'doing the best she can, but it is'}, {'start': '189.519', 'end': '193.280', 'text': 'important for all of us to put pressure'}, {'start': '191.440', 'end': '195.280', 'text': 'on the mayor to say, "Look, we need you'}, {'start': '193.280', 'end': '197.280', 'text': 'to name a director." Some suggest'}, {'start': '195.280', 'end': '198.959', 'text': 'privatizing the resource challenge'}, {'start': '197.280', 'end': '200.879', 'text': 'department. In a way, it would be a good'}, {'start': '198.959', 'end': '202.720', 'text': 'thing. I think any organization could'}, {'start': '200.879', 'end': '204.879', 'text': 'come in here and run a shelter, but'}, {'start': '202.720', 'end': '206.319', 'text': 'writing citations would be the part that'}, {'start': '204.879', 'end': '208.319', 'text': "I don't know how that can happen. This"}, {'start': '206.319', 'end': '211.280', 'text': "petition that's been circulating since"}, {'start': '208.319', 'end': '214.799', 'text': '2023 asks for leadership changes and to'}, {'start': '211.280', 'end': '218.879', 'text': 'make CACC a no kill shelter. I support'}, {'start': '214.799', 'end': '221.280', 'text': 'the idea of saving every savable animal.'}, {'start': '218.879', 'end': '223.760', 'text': 'We have animals out there who are doing'}, {'start': '221.280', 'end': '225.760', 'text': "harm. You can't say don't kill. There's"}, {'start': '223.760', 'end': '227.280', 'text': 'a public safety aspect to that. How we'}, {'start': '225.760', 'end': '229.840', 'text': 'treat them is a reflection of how we'}, {'start': '227.280', 'end': '231.519', 'text': 'treat us. They are the symptom of the'}, {'start': '229.840', 'end': '233.519', 'text': 'greater illnesses that are happening in'}, {'start': '231.519', 'end': '234.640', 'text': 'our communities. Chicago Animal Care and'}, {'start': '233.519', 'end': '236.560', 'text': 'Control tells the IT team,'}, {'start': '234.640', 'end': '238.879', 'text': '"Collaboration between our departments'}, {'start': '236.560', 'end': '241.040', 'text': 'is critical and they do appreciate the'}, {'start': '238.879', 'end': '243.519', 'text': 'dedication of responding officers, but'}, {'start': '241.040', 'end': '245.920', 'text': 'they do not direct or request CPD'}, {'start': '243.519', 'end': '249.439', 'text': 'officers to intervene in animal related'}, {'start': '245.920', 'end': '249.439', 'text': 'incidents after hours.'}]