Kendall Animal Control considers new name
By Steve Lord slord@stmedianetwork.com April 19, 2012 5:32PM
Updated: May 21, 2012 8:57AM
YORKVILLE — Animal control by any other name would do the same job, but Kendall County officials are wondering if a name change will better explain what that job is.
Staff and members of the County Board Animal Control Committee are looking at changing the name of the office to Animal Care and Control.
“It’s a small change,” said Anna Payton, Animal Control warden. “But it lets people know we do adopt.”
Payton brought the possible name change up to the full County Board this week as an informational item.
Animal Committee Chairman Anne Vickery said she supports the change.
“I don’t see a problem with it,” she said. “It’s a minor change, but I think it does add a better description to what we do.”
Vickery pointed out that the official duties of the Animal Control office are “care, custody and control.” She said there are plenty of animals at the facility who get care.
But some board members said they feared putting “care” in the name might give people the wrong impression of what the Animal Control facility does. Board member Jesse Hafenrichter pointed out the county used to call the facility a shelter, but that gave the wrong impression to the public.
“I guess as long as we have animal care and control, it would be all right,” she said. “Just so people know there is control.”
The Animal Control facility does care for animals, but it also controls the animal population and does euthanize animals. Board members said it would be unfair to give the public the idea the facility is a shelter that keeps animals indefinitely.
Payton said both the city of Chicago and DuPage County have added care to their name. She said she would like to see a decision on the name by the time the department gets its new van, so the name can be painted correctly on it.
