CCHS Executive Director Resigns

Since our founding in 1951, the Champaign County Humane Society has been committed to delivering humane care to all animals in need, preventing cruelty to animals, promoting animal welfare and educating the public. Additionally, it has been our goal to reunite lost pets with their guardians and to find homes for that still in need. It is a testament to the good will and generosity of this community, our supporters and members, that the Society has fulfilled its mission for 54 years.

Through the years the Society’s role has changed and grown as our capabilities grew. More recently, our ability to provide services has been challenged by the ever-growing needs of a thriving community. Through the efforts of our staff, volunteers, members and supporters, the Society has been able to meet those demands and challenges. However, we face new challenges.

One challenge has been providing impoundment services for Champaign County and the cities of Champaign and Urbana. Balancing the needs of the Society and fulfilling the requirements and desires of the governments is a complex and demanding task. Last summer, when the Board of Directors found itself unable to always put the Society’s interests first because of having to satisfy the contractual obligations with the County and cities, the Board decided to discontinue impoundment services for them.

As a result of this decision, the County plans on opening an Animal Services Facility, which primarily will be responsible for the impoundment of animals seized by the County and by any cities that contract for impoundment services. Any animal found by the public within the unincorporated areas of the county and contracting cities and villages by a member of the public must be brought to the Animal Services Facility. If an animal is brought to the Humane Society when the Animal Service Facility is not open, then the Society will contact the relevant agency – Champaign or Urbana police departments or the County Animal Control officer on call – to have the animal placed in the Animal Services Facility. CCHS will hold such an animal only until the Animal Services Facility is open.

Our role with the governments clearly will be different than in years past. The Champaign County Humane Society will be responsible for adopting out animals deemed adoptable by the County and transferred to CCHS. It is our desire to make this a cooperative effort with the Animal Services Facility and to work together to provide the best of care to animals in our community.

We believe that you should be assured that the Society’s purpose has not changed. The Society will continue to provide shelter, care and medical treatment for animals prior to their adoption into permanent, loving homes. We will continue to provide stray/owner location services and conduct cruelty investigations. We will maintain our current pre- and post-adoption services and expand these programs to continue to promote animal welfare and humane education. The Society also will maintain its 100 percent spay/neuter rate of animals before adoption.

Although our relationship with the County and the cities of Champaign and Urbana is changing, the Society’s mission is not. As we face these challenges, we look forward to our continued relationship with you, our members. We thank you for your support.

Jason Smith, CCHS Executive Director, and the CCHS Board of Directors