Dogs and cats evacuated from flooded St. Clair County Animal Control facility

St. Clair County Animal Control is getting help from other county departments and volunteers from other animal rescue agencies to evacuate its shelter.

Water from Tuesday’s record rainfall inundated the creek that runs to the west side of the facility, causing it to spill its banks and flood the building at 1250 South 11th St. in Belleville. By about 10 a.m., workers were lining up wire cages in front of the building and waiting on a transport van to come take more than 60 dogs and cats to higher ground.

Animal Control Director Cheri Weaver said some flooding from the creek is not uncommon, but not as bad as it was Tuesday morning. She said the Belleville Fire Department moved animals above the water early on. The public building commission was on scene assisting, as were employees of St. Clair Township, she said.

Most of the water had receded from the building, leaving a thin layer of mud on the tile floors. Herb Simmons, director of St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency, says the building will be repaired.

More pressing, said Weaver, is relocating the dogs and cats. Simmons said they’ll be transported to the county highway garage.

Adoptions won’t be available, she said, until the animals are safely relocated.

“We’re just hanging on,” she said.

Ryan Moore, of the nearby Belleville Humane Society, said his agency is working to move animals into the care of foster families to make room for the displaced dogs and cats from the county facility.

For more information about fostering or adopting a pet through the humane society, call 618-235-3712 or email dogs@bahspets.org or cats@bahspets.org.

Gateway Pet Guardians in East St. Louis also made a public plea for foster families to step up and create room for the animals displaced from St. Clair County Animal Control.

“We need people to step up to foster a dog or cat for at least 1 week,” said Jill Henke, Director of Community programming for Gateway Guardians. “Our shelter was at maximum capacity prior to this flooding, so the only way for us to help these animals is to find foster homes for them.”

In the meantime, temporary capacity is being established and volunteers are needed to help, she said. Volunteers are helping set up crates to accommodate an anticipated influx of animals, Henke said.

To foster an animal from Gateway Pet Guardians or assist with setting up grates, Henke said residents can call 618-687-8007 or submitt an application online at https://gatewaypets.org/how-to-help/foster/ or at 725 N. 15th Street in East St. Louis.

This story was originally published July 26, 2022 at 12:18 PM.