Vermilion Co. Animal Shelter battling broken A/C amid high temperatures

DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — With temperatures reaching toward the mid-90s in many parts of Central Illinois, it can be risky to sport long sleeves — much less a coat of fur.

Staff with the Vermilion County Animal Shelter are in a sticky situation as they currently battle an air conditioning outage in parts of the building.

Shelter staff said about 200 animals are currently impacted by the indoor humidity. Many cats and dogs are overheating and panting.

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To help, volunteers are bringing in ice to keep the animals cool. Their cats have also been moved to a room with a fan. However, staff said they have to be careful with plugging in too many fans as they could blow a circuit.

Currently, the Vermilion County Animal Shelter is mostly in need of foster homes — even for a weekend or a week — while the situation gets sorted out. Adoptions Manager Kathleen Orcutt said the shelter has dealt with A/C troubles in the past, but this round is especially difficult. She added that they are now worried about what this could mean for the remainder of the summer.

“The rooms that I was working in were 87 degrees with the cats,” volunteer Jody Duncheon said. “This little kitten even got in water to cool himself down, and he’s just been panting and panting. So, I brought ice in today and just started putting it in their cages. But it melts instantly.”

If you are not in a position to foster a pet, the shelter is also accepting ice and cooling mats. A volunteer said cooling mats can lower a cat’s body temperature by 10 degrees.

To drop off items, the Vermilion County Animal Shelter is located at 14775 Catlin Tilton Road in Danville. To foster a pet or make a monetary donation to go towards repairs and more, visit www.vercounty.org/animal-shelter/.

This is a developing story.

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