Officials 'More Confident' They Can Keep Mokena Shelter From Closing

MOKENA, IL — Less than a week before the full-time veterinarian at the NAWS animal shelter in Mokena leaves for a new job, officials with the no-kill facility remain hopeful that they won’t have to close its doors for good due to a lack of incoming funds.

The shelter announced last month that due to the financial hit that the facility will take without a full-time veterinarian, being forced to close permanently remained a real possibility. The NAWS board president told Patch in June that the facility would need about $35,000 per month to keep the shelter from closing, but that organizers of a fundraiser hoped that the community would rally around the shelter.

Over the weekend, Board President Jeannine Huck wrote in a social media post officials with the not-for-profit shelter “feel more confident” that the facility can "find a way forward" to continue to serve its mission of helping local pets.

“We are working tirelessly to find a replacement veterinarian but, in the meantime, we are hoping to secure enough relief doctors to remain in operation until a permanent replacement is found, the post said. “We will continue to provide you with updates as we move along. So please, keep the warrior prayers and positive thoughts going!!”

Huck did not immediately respond to an email asking how much money from the public fundraising effort had yielded.

Officials said last month that the loss of the full-time veterinarian put the entire organization at risk of closing if a replacement cannot be found. NAWS does not typically adopt pets out, officials said, unless they have been spayed, neutered, and fully vaccinated.

Although certified veterinarian technicians are able to perform some of the tasks to assist pets, the facility offers many more services that require a full-time veterinarian. Officials with the shelter told Patch previously that because of the work conditions and workload that are found in a shelter setting, finding veterinarians who may prefer to work in an environment provided by a private practice or animal hospital can be tough.

Those wishing to contribute to the cause to save the shelter can do so by clicking here.