Residents and supporters poured in to help a suburban Chicago animal shelter after heating for the shelter’s concrete flooring went out Friday.
A boiler that heats the concrete flooring at Animal House Shelter in Huntley went out early Friday morning as bitter cold temperatures blasted the area, causing serious concerns for the animals’ well-being, according to shelter Director Cynthia Ritter.
“Their health was definitely in jeopardy,” Ritter said. “It’s not good for the animals to be in those kinds of conditions. Concrete kennel floors get very, very cold this time of year.”
Ritter said volunteers and residents flooded the shelter almost instantaneously with blankets, pillows and jackets to keep the more than 200 cats and dogs warm and off the cold flooring.
“We had a tremendous outpouring of people bringing in bedding for us to keep the animals off the floor,” Ritter said. “It's been wonderful. I mean we’ve had people bringing in all kinds of bedding, blankets, couch cushions, space heaters, pillows.”
The staff was “tearing up” because of the generosity, according to a post on the shelter’s Facebook.
Ritter said a new boiler was being installed Saturday with hopes of heat returning to the floors by Saturday night, but the costly equipment came at a price and the shelter isn’t in the clear just yet.
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“We definitely still need more donations of bedding and things,” she said.
The shelter is also asking for monetary donations to help with the cost of the $4,000 boiler.
To make a donation to the shelter, visit their website. The shelter is accepting blanket donations from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 13005 Ernesti Rd.
