No - kill animal shelter manager admits neglect

Volunteers at now-shuttered Bloomingdale facility say animals were emaciated, covered in feces

April 02, 2010By Art Barnum, Tribune reporter

The manager of a no-kill animal shelter in Bloomingdale pleaded guilty Friday to mismanaging the shelter and was sentenced to two years of court supervision.
Penny Horak, 70, of Winfield, manager of Pet Rescue, a 37-year-old animal shelter that was forced to close recently, pleaded guilty to four counts of violation of owner's duty.
Criminal charges were filed in 2008 against Horak and Dale Armon, 74, of Berkeley, the shelter's owner, after volunteers complained of numerous instances of neglect. Armon has asked for a trial.
"What started out as a noble venture years ago went bad," said DuPage Judge Ronald Sutter, who earlier this year ordered the shelter to turn over its nearly 200 animals to other shelters.
"I understand that this was a no-kill shelter, but that level of neglect was severe," Sutter said.
Assistant State's Attorney Amanda Meindl said that the shelter was unsanitary, housing emaciated animals covered in feces. The charges stem from overcrowding and insufficient care of the animals, some of which had to be euthanized.
Last year the state took away the license of the shelter at 151 N. Bloomingdale Road.
Horak, who could have been sentenced to as much as six months in the county jail, apologized and said, "I tried my best."
abarnum@tribune.com