Pet Rescue license at stake Monday in Bloomingdale

By Elisabeth Mistretta Daily Herald Staff

The Bloomingdale village board Monday will consider whether to revoke the permit for Pet Rescue, the controversial no-kill animal shelter.
After listening to hours of public testimony at three monthly meetings this year, the village's plan commission already voted on March 2 to recommend revocation.
Village Administrator Dan Wennerholm said if Bloomingdale officials ultimately revoke the permit, that would mean the end of Pet Rescue's operations in the village. But, he added, Monday's meeting is just another step in the process and won't lead to any immediate change.
"There are no final decisions at this first board meeting," said Wennerholm. "If the board knows where it wants to go, it could direct the village attorney to prepare an ordinance that outlines those objectives. That ordinance would then come back at a future meeting."
Last year, the state revoked Pet Rescue's license after years of wrangling with the operators, Penny Horak and Dale Armon. The women are facing animal cruelty charges stemming from the operation of the shelter and are expected in DuPage County court April 2, for a hearing on pretrial motions.
Opponents of Pet Rescue have been urging the state and county to shut down the facility for years, claiming Armon and Horak are hoarding the animals and not properly caring for them.
Earlier this year, DuPage County Judge Ronald Sutter gave Pet Rescue operators permission to transfer nearly 200 animals being housed there to other Illinois shelters, although he did not specify a timeline.
"Before that they were not allowed to take in or let out any animals, since their assets were frozen and all they could do was take care of the animals," Wennerholm said.
DuPage County State's Attorney officials said nearly half the animals have already been transferred from the building at 151 N. Bloomingdale Road to other state-licensed shelters.
If Bloomingdale ultimately revokes Pet Rescue's license in a future meeting, Wennerholm said, it would "effectively mean they are done here."
"If an ordinance is passed, they would be given time to comply with respect to moving out," Wennerholm said. "But they would have to cease their operations within some given time frame."