Mayor Brandon Johnson is defending his decision to appoint a permanent executive director for Chicago Animal Care and Control, even as volunteers and several City Council members raise concerns about conditions inside the city-run shelter.
Johnson formally recognized Susan Cappello as executive director during a news conference Wednesday at the Lower West Side facility. Cappello had served as acting director for the past three years.
The mayor praised her nearly four decades of city government experience.
“Thirty-six years of city government experience… to dismiss nearly 40 years of government experience — there’s no explanation for that,” Johnson said.
Volunteers Describe Unsanitary Conditions
The appointment comes one week after shelter volunteers spoke during a City Council meeting, describing what they called unsanitary and overcrowded conditions inside the facility.
Former volunteer Elena Burke told NBC 5 there aren’t enough volunteers to care for all the animals in the facility.
“They’re in very small cages. Some of them, it’s hard to turn around. They’re sitting in their own feces, urine,” she said.
Other volunteers expressed concerns about illness spreading among animals and questioned euthanasia rates.
However, Johnson and Cappello said euthanasia rates have remained flat even as intake has increased.
Cappello acknowledged the shelter has been under significant strain.
“Between 2023 and 2025, nearly 5,000 additional cats and dogs entered our care. That pressure is real and constant. Despite that, our team achieved record outcomes — the highest number of adoptions in department history,” Cappello said.
According to the mayor, adoptions reached record levels in 2025, and animal transfers to rescue partners were the highest in more than a decade.
Alders Call for Nationwide Search
Despite the administration’s defense of the appointment, some alderpeople are pushing for a broader search.
Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) and Ald. Ruth Cruz (30th), along with 15 other City Council members, signed a letter asking the mayor to conduct a nationwide search for a qualified executive director.
Villegas told NBC 5 he believes broader shelter-specific experience is needed.
“Although the executive director has worked in the city for a couple of decades, she hasn’t really operated in this space, and her background is not in animal care and control,” Villegas said.
Cruz said she has heard troubling accounts from volunteers and former employees.
“We’re hearing a very toxic environment, also unsanitary and unsafe conditions for the pets, also a lot of fear of retaliation,” Cruz said.
Both alderpeople said volunteers have described what they believe are subpar shelter conditions and management concerns.
Budget Increase Announced
During Wednesday’s press conference, Johnson also announced a nearly $700,000 increase in CACC’s 2026 budget — roughly a 10% boost, according to the administration.
The funding will support additional staffing, operations and shelter programming.
Several alderpeople attended the event in support of Cappello’s appointment, including Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, Lamont Robinson and Nicholas Sposato.
Johnson said the funding increase and permanent leadership will help stabilize operations at the high-volume municipal shelter.
Debate Continues
For now, the mayor says he is confident in Cappello’s leadership and believes the department is making progress despite increased intake levels.
Meanwhile, Villegas and Cruz said they plan to continue pushing for what they describe as greater transparency and accountability at the shelter.
As the debate continues at City Hall, the focus remains on improving conditions for the thousands of animals that pass through Chicago Animal Care and Control each year.
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