McHenry County Animal Control and Adoption Center stops offering adoptions due to staffing shortage

Residents interested in adopting a pet will not be able to through the McHenry County Animal Control and Adoption Center for the time being while the facility works through filling holes in its staffing.

After closing its adoption center on May 11, the facility transferred 17 pets to various agencies and partners across the area, McHenry County Department of Health spokeswoman Lindsey Salvatelli said.

At this point, it’s not known exactly when the center will be open again, Salvatelli said. Although officials are optimistic as some candidates are starting to come through. Once they make the hires, there also will be a period of training, she said.

Despite adoption not being available, other services, including pet registration, animal control-related services, accepting relinquished pets and microchipping, still are available, Salvatelli said.

The facility, at 100 N Virginia St. in Crystal Lake, also still is open during its normal business hours, and other services are not at the moment at risk of being reduced, Salvatelli said.

This is not the first time the facility has seen its services reduced, although it is the first caused by a staffing shortage, Salvatelli said. Back at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the facility closed its doors “out of an abundance of caution.”