Animal Control

Animal Control Services

The Schaumburg Police Department's Animal Control Officer wants you and your pets to be good neighbors. Often a friendly warning or a word of advice is all it takes.

The Animal Control Officer and Community Service Officers provide the following services:

• Enforcement of all animal-related laws and ordinances.
• Transportation of stray domestic animals found within the village limits to the department's authorized animal hospital/shelter.
• Assistance with nuisance stray/feral cat problems.
  The distribution of no-cost, humane traps for stray/feral cats has been temporarily suspended. The department will reassess this program in the fall.
• Investigate complaints of animal cruelty or neglect.
• For complaints regarding animals, contact the Schaumburg Police Department at (847) 882-3586 or dial 311 in the village.
• If you have wildlife inside the living space of your home, dial 311 or 911 for assistance.

Pet Information

Dogs in Cars

It’s Not Cool to Leave a Dog in a Hot Car!

Leaving a dog inside of a car on a hot summer day can be dangerous and even deadly. The temperature inside a car can go up after just a few minutes. When the sun is shining directly on a vehicle, the car windows collect light, trapping heat inside and pushing temperatures to dangerous and even deadly levels. On a sunny day where the outside temperature is between 80 to 85 degrees, it only takes about 10 minutes for temperatures inside a vehicle to reach 100 degrees, even with the windows cracked. When temperatures reach 100 degrees, pets are in danger of suffering heat stroke. On a hot and humid day, the temperature in a car parked in direct sunlight can rise more than 30 degrees per minute, and quickly become lethal for your pet. If you see a dog left inside a vehicle on a hot day, dial 911 to report it.

Pet Vaccinations

Pets vaccinated outside of Cook County need to register their pets with the Cook County Animal Control Office at (708) 974-6140. If you have questions, dial 311 in Schaumburg.

Spay or Neuter a Pet

Why Is Spaying and Neutering Such an Important Issue?

In six years, one female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies. In seven years, one female cat and her young can produce 420,000 cats. The average animal shelter can only find homes for 10-50% of the animals impounded. Every year 6 to 12 million animals die in shelters. The bottom line is, there are too many pets and not enough homes. These figures can be significantly reduced when procreation is controlled by spaying and neutering one’s pets.

Spaying is the surgical removal of the uterus and both ovaries in a female dog or cat. Neutering is the surgical removal of both testicles on a male dog or cat. Both are performed as painless procedures under anesthesia. This is also known as “altering” or “fixing” your pet.

Still thinking about whether or not you should have your pet spayed or neutered? Many people find themselves struggling with this decision when they get a new pet, wondering if it’s worth the expense, or whether it hurts their pet to have them fixed. Although there are many rumors and myths about spaying and neutering, the facts show that it is one of the most important things you can do as a responsible pet owner to ensure the safety and happiness of your pets. The benefits of spaying or neutering your pets outweigh any potential downside, both for the individual pet and the overall pet population. In fact, spaying or neutering is one of the best things you can do for your pet, your home, and your community.

Spay and neuter surgery carries a one-time cost that is relatively small compared to its long-term benefits. Getting pets spayed or neutered helps them live longer, healthier lives because spaying or neutering your pet will lower the risk of it contracting a number of potentially dangerous diseases. For example, the risk of cancers – ovarian, uterine, and breast in females, and testicular and prostate in males – is dramatically reduced once the animal has been fixed. This alone increases the life expectancy of your pet. Animals that are not sterilized often exhibit more behavioral and temperament problems than those who have been spayed or neutered. Sterilizing your animal lessens their aggressive tendencies and will make them more affectionate companions. The neutering of male dogs and cats will lower their testosterone levels; as a result, the male pet will be less likely to spray and mark his territory. Spaying female dogs and cats removes the menstrual or heat cycles which will prevent them from reproducing unwanted litters. All animals that have been spayed or neutered are less likely to roam, run away, or get into fights and bite other animals.

The cost of spaying or neutering depends on the sex, size, and age of the pet, your veterinarian’s fees, and a few other variables. For more information about spaying or neutering, contact your veterinarian.

Click here for information on Cook County's low cost spay/neuter program.

The Village of Schaumburg would like to encourage you to help control the pet overpopulation. Be a part of the solution. Please have your pet spayed or neutered.

Additional Resources:

• Coyote Information
• Living with Wildlife