Schaumburg to stress pluses of neutering pets           
 By Fernando Diaz Daily Herald Staff Writer              
 Posted Wednesday, January 26, 2005                       
                                                                                                                 
The Schaumburg village board on Tuesday approved a measure to remind residents that responsible pet owners spay and neuter their cats and dogs.                     
                                                                                                                
Following a meeting with the Downers Grove-based PACT Humane Society several months ago, Kathleen Tempesta of the village manager's office began working on a proposal to address the "stray issue in town."                    
                                                                                                                   
"There's not a significant problem in Schaumburg," said Village Manager Ken Fritz, and village officials want to keep it that way.                                                                                            
                                                          
On Tuesday the village board approved spending $3,000 on an information outreach program to emphasize for residents the importance of spaying and neutering their pets.
                                                          
 Responsible pet ownership will have a much more dramatic effect in controlling the population of stray animals than putting them to sleep, Fritz said.
                                                          
The first phase of the village's approach involved publicizing a rebate program by the Cook County Department of Animal Control during the month of February.
                                                                                                                  
Through the Cook County Animal Control program, eligible pet owners are entitled up to $40 in refunds per animal.                                                                                                                  
 

The village has already posted a separate page on its Web site providing information about the program and answers to frequently asked questions.
                                                                                                                    
 For more information on spay and neuter programs offered by the Cook County Department of Animal Control, call (708) 974-6140 or the police department's animal control officer, Debbie Diamond, at (847) 348-7251.