Although the DeKalb Police said they receive between three and five calls daily about stray animals, city officials have conflicting opinions about reopening DeKalb’s animal shelter.

Fourth Ward Alderman Rita Tewksbury thinks the stray animal problem in DeKalb is aggravated by NIU students who bring pets into the community and then abandon them when they graduate or return home for the holidays. “I have witnessed them putting little puppies and cats out the car door right on main streets to fend for themselves,” Tewksbury said.

Tewksbury, who wants to reopen the shelter, said DeKalb’s problem with stray animals began when the animal control warden position was cut out of the city budget by the city council in the mid-‘80s. Since there was no warden the shelter was closed.

She said the recommendation for the cut was made by City Manager Mark Stevens and backed by 3rd Ward Alderman William Hanna. Tewksbury explained, “A county animal control officer is in charge of the county, which includes all municipalities in that county. Both of them (Stevens and Hanna) maintain that as long as our taxes pay for this officer, then why should we pay somebody separately in DeKalb?” Tewksbury said.

Tewksbury does not think one county animal control officer can handle all the animal problems in DeKalb County.

Although the police are responsible for enforcing city animal ordinances, they do not have enough manpower or equipment to handle all the city’s animal problems, DeKalb Police Chief Don Berke said. Currently the police can only handle problems with vicious dogs.

Hanna disagreed with Tewksbury and Berke saying there are probably no more than 20 problem dogs in the community. Hanna also said he does not hear any more complaints from his ward concerning animals now than he did when there was an animal control warden.

“There may be a lot of calls, but people are always calling about the same animals,” Hanna said. “One particular dog … a black Airedale mix, runs around through the community. I suspect 20 percent of the complaints in the community refer to that one dog.”

Hanna does not blame NIU students for DeKalb’s stray animal problems. “I don’t think students are any worse with pets than any other young adult on their own in town for the first time,” Hanna said.

He believes young people tend to move out from their parents’ house and then get a pet without realizing that a pet, like a child, is a life-long responsibility. Hanna said young people in DeKalb might aggravate the stray animal problem, but he did not single out NIU students.

Hanna believes that until a study is done of exactly how serious the stray animal problem is in DeKalb, an animal control warden is unnecessary.

During a June 27 city council meeting, Stevens said reviving the DeKalb animal control program would cost the city between $30,000 and $50,000 annually. Hanna thinks that is too much to spend on the program if there are only 20 problem animals in the community.