Latest news with #CACC
Miami Herald
10-06-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Puppy abandoned after being diagnosed with deadly disease – but she's a fighter
When humans hear the word 'parvo,' which is an infection known as canine parvovirus, come out of the mouths of their veterinarians, it can cause panic. The virus, which is extremely contagious, attacks 'white blood cells and the gastrointestinal tract of dogs' and in puppies 'can damage the heart muscle,' the American Veterinary Medical Association says. So when a puppy named Lily was diagnosed in a Chicago emergency vet, hope waned. 'A parvovirus diagnosis is the last thing you want to hear as a pet owner. It's deadly, highly contagious, and very expensive to treat, for a pet owner or a shelter,' the PAWSChicago shelter said in a June 5 Instagram post. 'After Lily was admitted to an emergency vet clinic, her owner wouldn't come back for her. Things are hard right now. Pet surrenders are up 312% at CACC, many of them because people are struggling to afford the cost of basic pet care, let alone major medical costs.' Thankfully, the shelter was able to take the sweet girl in. In the video posted to social media, Lily is a spunky girl with large eyes and a boopable nose. 'But Lily can't live at the emergency clinic, and she needed someplace to go. Earlier this week, she came to PAWS to continue her treatment. While she hasn't beat parvo yet, she's doing really well so far!' the shelter said. To keep up with Lily's story, follow the shelter's Instagram.
AsiaOne
08-06-2025
- Business
- AsiaOne
'I'm doing all this from my heart': Senior volunteer on his love of helping the community for almost 30 years, Lifestyle News
At 66, Ramlee bin Kasiman is still working hard — not just at his day job, but also to give back to the community. Currently serving as the chairman of Nee Soon East Malay Activity Executive Committee (MAEC) and Community Arts and Culture Club (CACC), Ramlee has been volunteering for the past 28 years. He joined the People's Association's Grassroots Organisations in 1996. The 66-year-old's duties as the MAEC and CACC chairman include organising events for the community in the area — ranging from festivities like the recent Hari Raya celebration at Nee Soon East Seniors' Hub on April 26 and cultural shows, to food rescues where edible food is collected and distributed for free at community areas. Additionally, Ramlee also attends Meet-the-People sessions every Monday to offer help to those in need — especially ones in the Malay community that might require his help to step forward with their cases due to language barriers. Despite his commitment to serving the community, Ramlee continues to work part-time as a taxi driver — a job he has held since the 90s. Juggling all these responsibilities is no easy feat. According to the chairman, it comes with sacrifices. As a taxi driver, Ramlee stated that "every minute is money", and taking time out of his day to carry out his responsibilities as a volunteer coupled with spending time with his family has impacted his finances. "Most of the time, my income is not that good," he shared openly. But that doesn't deter him from doing his part in the volunteering community. "I'm doing all of this [from] my heart," he continued, while explaining that he could have earned more money driving his taxi instead of attending community meetings. "But I don't think about that," Ramlee said, expressing that he's happy despite the loss of income on days that he chooses to show up at events. Sharing with AsiaOne, the father of two said that he doesn't expect any reward for doing what he does. Despite there being awards being given to members of the community, none of them are important to him. 'I don't care about that. I leave it to them. I'm happy [with] what I'm doing,' he said. What Ramlee does care about are the human connections he gets to make from these experiences. "I'm happiest when I mix around with people. Especially when it's not [just] my committee, [but also] the residents. When we carry out activities like giving out porridge during the fasting month, [we get to] know each other. [The people I help] are happy. That's what I gain," he shared. And it's this passion and dedication that has left a lasting impression on the ones Ramlee has come across on his decades-long volunteering journey — including one resident he's known since the 2000s who still calls him every day now. "Every day this person must call me at least two, three, four times. Because she stays alone,' he shared, adding that the resident suffers from stage-four brain cancer, so he tries to help her to the best of his abilities during times of need. "I help her with what I can. [When] she asks me to [help with] bills or buy bread," he said. Besides being a volunteer himself, Ramlee is also an advocate for volunteerism — and he encourages others to give back to the community by being empathetic. Understanding that many might have other commitments and constraints — he stresses that he invites interested individuals to join him by being open and flexible. Explaining that while volunteering is important, he believes that it's about whether people are willing. "Volunteering is [from] your heart,' Ramlee said, adding that if a committee member doesn't turn up for a meeting, he would never question them. As for those who want to start volunteering but can't fully commit, Ramlee encourages them to take the first step by volunteering at individual community events. "Come join us, but just for the event," he said, emphasising that you don't need to join the committee officially in order to volunteer. As for himself, he intends to continue volunteering for the community for as long as they need him, despite his age. 'Of course, with age catching up, people can take over me. Then, I will become a mentor. [As long as] I'm still breathing, I will do it,' he stated. [[nid:713335]]
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
As residents and dogs again fill Chicago parks, data shows fewer than 1 in 4 reported bites result in citations
Ed Wolf doesn't quite recall the moments between being knocked off his bike and losing a chunk of his face in November 2023. But he remembers the phone call he made to his wife: 'I said, 'You have to come get me. I've been attacked by a pit bull,'' Wolf said. 'And she goes, 'Are you kidding?'' A day and 50 stitches later Wolf, 68, went to the police station to report the bite and found himself navigating a morass of different systems as he tried to draw official attention to the dog's owner. An officer at the Morgan Park District (22nd) police station helped Wolf get started on a bite report, which kickstarts an investigation at Chicago Animal Care and Control. The city department received some 6,435 bite reports between January 2020 and April 30 of this year, according to a Tribune review of data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. For that same period, data shows that CACC has issued about 1,516 citations, for 'unrestrained violations,' to animal owners. The violations cover dogs found to be off-leash in public areas, but not every violation issued pertains to a bite. All of the investigations save a single one were marked closed, leaving residents and city officials alike to complain that the path to hold owners to account after dog attacks is opaque at best and useless at worst. Wolf's was one of them. An animal control investigator spoke with Wolf about the attack, but stated in the report that Wolf didn't know the owner or how to reach him. Someone was trying to locate better information on the dog's owner, according to the investigation report. The Beverly resident said he tried to follow up with Animal Control but never heard back. A copy of the investigation associated with Wolf's bite report showed the inquiry was marked completed, with no listed resolution. 'I would have liked for there to be some consequences to this,' he said. In the 19th Ward, where Wolf lives, canine attacks have been a problem since a woman jogging in the Dan Ryan Woods was mauled to death by a trio of vicious dogs in 2003. More recently, city data shows that bites are up in that ward and citywide since 2020. Click on the map to see the exact number of reported bites in each ward. The agency received 1,267 bite reports in 2023 and just over 1,300 reports in 2024, according to Chicago Animal Care and Control data. But the number of unrestrained citations it issued dropped by more than half over the same period — from 390 to 177. A CACC representative said in a statement that the department was reviewing Wolf's case and one other closed case listed in a request for comment. The department acknowledged it can be frustrating for the public to deal with multiple agencies in the reporting process, but said it largely relies on the Chicago Police Department for accurate information to push cases forward. CPD representatives didn't respond to multiple requests for comment. Click on the map to see the exact number of violations issued in each ward. Animal Care has been without a permanent leader for more than two years, since then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot appointed Susan Capello as acting director in January 2023. CACC has cut back on its hours for members of the public to bring in animals and is sounding the alarm on a flood of pet surrenders that is testing the capacity of its space and its staff. On Thursday, it reported on social media that 75 animals entered its shelter over a single day. As for why more than three-quarters of the animal bites reported to the agency are closed without a clear resolution, Animal Care and Control Operations Manager Angela Rayburn said investigators contend with missing or inaccurate information in bite reports. 'We have no other way to find the person other than what we're seeing in the official police (report),' she said. Even with the correct information, Rayburn acknowledged, investigators will mark probes closed if they are unable to reach a bite victim or a dog owner. They can reopen investigations if someone calls them back, she added, but said callbacks after the first 24 hours are rare. 'We would probably have over 100 open bite (reports) if we're waiting on people to call us back,' she said. 'We don't want to wait months just to leave it open for someone that's probably never going to call.' A department spokesperson said CACC officials and CPD were working to update a 2019 police order governing how officers handle animal-related incidents. That order directs officers to determine whether biting animals belong to anyone, and fill out bite reports for city and county animal control officials, among other obligations. If an officer can identify an owner, the order requires him or her to cite the owner for any alleged violations of city code. CACC investigators will also work with animal owners to 'address concerns rather than defaulting to citations' when appropriate, according to the statement. 'That said, our ability to issue citations or take enforcement action depends on verifiable information, including victim/witness cooperation and confirmed ownership.' People who have tried to make reports complain of a confusing and frustrating process involving multiple agencies. That can include CPD, Animal Control and potentially Cook County Animal Care and Control, which handles rabies investigations. Ald. Matt O'Shea, 19th, has resorted to getting personally involved on behalf of his constituents who need help getting bites reported and investigated. 'There seems to be a lot of confusion,' O'Shea said. 'But when I'm on the scene or I'm on the phone, or I'm getting an email from someone who was just viciously attacked, and there's a whole lot of 'Oh, that's not us' on the other end, that's a problem.' One of those constituents was Kevin Conroy. Conroy, 37, wasn't even sure where he was supposed to report the attack that left his dog Liam with a half-dozen puncture wounds and a $1,300 vet bill while the pair was out for a run on the Major Taylor Trail last fall. Conroy first called 311, he said, and was then told he needed to go to the police station. He ended up calling the Cook County Forest Preserve to report the bite, which cares for the property on which he and his dog were attacked, and filed a bite report through the Police Department. 'That was the last I heard of that,' he said. A Cook County Forest Preserve spokesperson, reached for comment, said Forest Preserve police documented the attack but didn't get any more information after the initial phone call with Conroy. According to the investigative file associated with Conroy's bite report, an Animal Control investigator conducted a phone interview but wrote that no owner information was available. The file does not list an outcome.
Chicago Tribune
01-06-2025
- Chicago Tribune
As residents and dogs again fill Chicago parks, data shows fewer than 1 in 4 reported bites result in citations
Ed Wolf doesn't quite recall the moments between being knocked off his bike and losing a chunk of his face in November 2023. But he remembers the phone call he made to his wife: 'I said, 'You have to come get me. I've been attacked by a pit bull,'' Wolf said. 'And she goes, 'Are you kidding?'' A day and 50 stitches later Wolf, 68, went to the police station to report the bite and found himself navigating a morass of different systems as he tried to draw official attention to the dog's owner. An officer at the Morgan Park District (22nd) police station helped Wolf get started on a bite report, which kickstarts an investigation at Chicago Animal Care and Control. The city department received some 6,435 bite reports between January 2020 and April 30 of this year, according to a Tribune review of data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. For that same period, data shows that CACC has issued about 1,516 citations, for 'unrestrained violations,' to animal owners. The violations cover dogs found to be off-leash in public areas, but not every violation issued pertains to a bite. All of the investigations save a single one were marked closed, leaving residents and city officials alike to complain that the path to hold owners to account after dog attacks is opaque at best and useless at worst. Wolf's was one of them. An animal control investigator spoke with Wolf about the attack, but stated in the report that Wolf didn't know the owner or how to reach him. Someone was trying to locate better information on the dog's owner, according to the investigation report. The Beverly resident said he tried to follow up with Animal Control but never heard back. A copy of the investigation associated with Wolf's bite report showed the inquiry was marked completed, with no listed resolution. 'I would have liked for there to be some consequences to this,' he said. In the 19th Ward, where Wolf lives, canine attacks have been a problem since a woman jogging in the Dan Ryan Woods was mauled to death by a trio of vicious dogs in 2003. More recently, city data shows that bites are up in that ward and citywide since agency received 1,267 bite reports in 2023 and just over 1,300 reports in 2024, according to Chicago Animal Care and Control data. But the number of unrestrained citations it issued dropped by more than half over the same period — from 390 to 177. A CACC representative said in a statement that the department was reviewing Wolf's case and one other closed case listed in a request for comment. The department acknowledged it can be frustrating for the public to deal with multiple agencies in the reporting process, but said it largely relies on the Chicago Police Department for accurate information to push cases forward. CPD representatives didn't respond to multiple requests for Care has been without a permanent leader for more than two years, since then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot appointed Susan Capello as acting director in January 2023. CACC has cut back on its hours for members of the public to bring in animals and is sounding the alarm on a flood of pet surrenders that is testing the capacity of its space and its staff. On Thursday, it reported on social media that 75 animals entered its shelter over a single day. As for why more than three-quarters of the animal bites reported to the agency are closed without a clear resolution, Animal Care and Control Operations Manager Angela Rayburn said investigators contend with missing or inaccurate information in bite reports. 'We have no other way to find the person other than what we're seeing in the official police (report),' she said. Even with the correct information, Rayburn acknowledged, investigators will mark probes closed if they are unable to reach a bite victim or a dog owner. They can reopen investigations if someone calls them back, she added, but said callbacks after the first 24 hours are rare. 'We would probably have over 100 open bite (reports) if we're waiting on people to call us back,' she said. 'We don't want to wait months just to leave it open for someone that's probably never going to call.' A department spokesperson said CACC officials and CPD were working to update a 2019 police order governing how officers handle animal-related incidents. That order directs officers to determine whether biting animals belong to anyone, and fill out bite reports for city and county animal control officials, among other obligations. If an officer can identify an owner, the order requires him or her to cite the owner for any alleged violations of city code. CACC investigators will also work with animal owners to 'address concerns rather than defaulting to citations' when appropriate, according to the statement. 'That said, our ability to issue citations or take enforcement action depends on verifiable information, including victim/witness cooperation and confirmed ownership.' People who have tried to make reports complain of a confusing and frustrating process involving multiple agencies. That can include CPD, Animal Control and potentially Cook County Animal Care and Control, which handles rabies investigations. Ald. Matt O'Shea, 19th, has resorted to getting personally involved on behalf of his constituents who need help getting bites reported and investigated. 'There seems to be a lot of confusion,' O'Shea said. 'But when I'm on the scene or I'm on the phone, or I'm getting an email from someone who was just viciously attacked, and there's a whole lot of 'Oh, that's not us' on the other end, that's a problem.' One of those constituents was Kevin Conroy. Conroy, 37, wasn't even sure where he was supposed to report the attack that left his dog Liam with a half-dozen puncture wounds and a $1,300 vet bill while the pair was out for a run on the Major Taylor Trail last fall. Conroy first called 311, he said, and was then told he needed to go to the police station. He ended up calling the Cook County Forest Preserve to report the bite, which cares for the property on which he and his dog were attacked, and filed a bite report through the Police Department. 'That was the last I heard of that,' he said. A Cook County Forest Preserve spokesperson, reached for comment, said Forest Preserve police documented the attack but didn't get any more information after the initial phone call with Conroy. According to the investigative file associated with Conroy's bite report, an Animal Control investigator conducted a phone interview but wrote that no owner information was available. The file does not list an outcome.
CBS News
28-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Chicago Animal Care and Control running out of shelter space as stray and pet surrenders keep rising
Chicago Animal Care and Control running out of shelter space as stray and pet surrenders keep rising Chicago Animal Care and Control running out of shelter space as stray and pet surrenders keep rising Chicago Animal Care and Control running out of shelter space as stray and pet surrenders keep rising Chicago Animal Care and Control said it is seeing rising numbers of people turning in stray animals or surrendering their pets to city shelters this spring. The city agency posted on their social media that they've seen 56 animals a day in the first 20 days of May, up from 54 animals a day in April. They also posted a photo of a long line outside their intake center. They're now running out of room to take in new pets. "If you're considering surrendering, talk to us first," CACC wrote. "Rehoming directly gives your pet their best shot." The agency also said they're low on pet food and supplies for families in crisis, and noted families in crisis are more likely to give their pets up to a shelter if they cannot take care of them. They posted a link to their Amazon wishlist if anyone wants to help. Donations can also be dropped off at their facility at 2741 S. Western Avenue on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.
