Kane County may be offering low-cost euthanasia services for the first time amid growing remorse over pet purchases due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kane County Animal Control Executive Director Brett Youngstead proposed the service at a recent meeting of the County Commission's Public Health Committee.
The plan would impose a $100 fee on pet owners who want a compassionate end for their pets through sedation, lethal injection or cremation.
Owners are not allowed to be near their pet during the procedure or collect the remains.
Youngstead said his office receives multiple calls every day from residents looking for an affordable way to euthanize their pets. He said many residents purchased pets during the COVID-19 quarantine period. Some pets are isolated from their human families, with no exposure to the wider world of humans or other animals, and no training to adapt to a busy society.
Animals won't be able to adapt after the pandemic, Youngstead said.
“These animals don't understand socialization, so they're biting more now,” he says. “We are facing a big problem.”
Euthanasia at a private veterinary clinic can cost up to $500, Youngstead said.
“It's a hard enough decision for people to make, but it's even harder when people know they don't have the funds,” he said. “It's not what people want to do. It's what people have to do.”
Some committee members shed tears at this proposal. Some people worry that animals are culled simply because their owners are indifferent, rather than because of behavioral issues.
Mr Youngstead said a compassionate vetting process would take place before any decision to euthanize to prevent hasty decisions.
“Animals aren't going to be euthanized just because a couple gets divorced and one person is angry with the other,” Youngstead said. “Believe it or not, we get calls like that every week. We have the right to decide what we think is the best outcome for the animal.”
The Schaumburg-based American Veterinary Medical Association issues guidelines for euthanasia of animals, including pets. The association recognizes that there are moral disagreements about animal euthanasia, but its latest guidelines state that when an animal's life “no longer has positive value or will soon become of negative value” It states that euthanasia may be appropriate.
There was no vote on the proposal, but Youngstead plans to reinstate the formal county code change at the next commission meeting.
Youngstead also wants to increase various fees charged by the firm. His plan would increase the price of rabies vaccines by $5 (total of $15), increase the daily boarding fee for animals (up to $50 per day for unneutered animals), and create a $50 after-hours fee. It has been demanded. Pick-up fees for animal wardens called outside normal business hours.
Youngstead also wants to crack down on pet owners who repeatedly let their pets escape and require animal control to track them down. Youngstead's plan would impose a $50 fee for each third offense after a stray pet is captured by animal control officials.
