200-plus rescued animals moved to permanent TAILS shelter, ready for adoption

By MICHAEL VAN DER HARST

The airport hangar at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport has been cleared out.

The 200-plus animals who called the hangar their home for two weeks have been transferred into the TAILS Humane Society foster network.

Some of the animals are being housed at the TAILS shelter on Barber Greene Road in DeKalb.

The transition into family life will be a challenge, but the foster network helps acclimate the animals to their new surroundings.

Volunteers are no longer needed at the hangar, but the organization still needs help at the shelter.

The animals are scheduled to be put up for adoption Saturday, with TAILS taking adoption requests from volunteers first.

“Many volunteers have formed emotional attachments to individual animals,” said Beth Drake, executive director of TAILS in a statement on their Web site. “We think it is important for [the volunteers] to be given the opportunity to adopt before we allow access to the general public.”

O’Leary’s Pub & Grill, 260 E. Lincoln Highway, hosted a benefit for TAILS last Thursday.

“It seems to be an issue the community as whole is supporting and there definitely was a need for it,” said Debbie Witmer, co-owner of the restaurant.

A check for $525 from Thursday’s event was delivered to TAILS Monday afternoon. Ten percent of each customer’s check between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. was donated.

Over 200 patrons attended the event.

“We had a wonderful response to this fundraiser,” Witmer said.

Money is still what TAILS needs the most, as the rescue option has taken a huge toll on the organization.

Adoption Info:

Where: PetSmart, 2512 Sycamore Road

When: Saturday

9 to 11 a.m. – Volunteer adoptions (only those who signed up in the hangar).

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Public adoptions

To donate money and to find out more information on the adoption process, visit www.tailshumanesociety.org.