September 10th, 2026 – Whiteside County Animal Control (WCAC) is issuing the following statement to provide clarity on processes involving transfer of custody and relinquishment of ownership of a male dog named Starsky to Whiteside County Animal Control on August 18, 2026 and subsequent Administrative Review and Disposition Determination following an incident.
We first wish to clarify the role that Animal Control plays in our community. Animal Control is a County enforcement agency responsible for public safety of both humans and animals in Whiteside County. Animal Control protects those within our community from rabies through registration and bite investigation, by enforcing local and state laws related to animals, investigating animal welfare and patrolling and controlling dangerous and vicious dogs. Animal Control is not a shelter or rescue but is required to accept stray, loose, injured, or dangerous animals within the county.
On August 18th an incident was reported to Animal Control by Starsky’s owner who received a bite which later required stitches and an additional bite. According to the information received by Animal Control, a foster dog from Happy Tails became tangled near a lawn mower. Starsky’s owner attempted to untangle the foster dog and, in the process, fell or was injured, voices were raised and Starsky reacted by biting. The owner was bitten on the wrist and Starsky engaged in head-shaking while biting. The owner and their partner were eventually able to get Starsky to release the bite, however, Starsky then latched onto the owner’s foot. Following the release of the foot, Starsky’s aggressive behavior ceased as the owner left the scene. The owner subsequently contacted Whiteside County Animal Control to request that Starsky be relinquished to Animal Control and transported from the residence. The owner reported that Starsky continued to growl at them following the incident. An Animal Control Officer was dispatched to the residence at the owner’s request. The owner signed documentation relinquishing ownership and custody of Starsky to Whiteside County Animal Control. Upon relinquishment, WCAC became responsible for Starsky, including completion of the required 10-day rabies observation period and evaluation of whether Starsky could appropriately be transferred to a licensed shelter or rescue organization or otherwise placed for adoption.
On August 31st, Happy Tails Humane Society requested that Starsky be released or transferred into its custody. On September 1st, WCAC responded via email that because Starsky had been surrendered to WCAC following a human bite, no disposition decision would be made until the available records, circumstances surrounding the bite, ownership and relinquishment documents, applicable Illinois law, as well as Whiteside County’s responsibilities, and public safety considerations had been reviewed. A follow up email was received on September 4th alleging Starsky had specific dietary restrictions and medical conditions. Following a review of the Owner Release form and Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, and other health records, no special medical, dietary or skin care needs were identified and WCAC responded by assuring the shelter that medical needs would be addressed if they arose during the review period. Information received from the owners regarding Starsky’s disposition indicated that Starsky displayed protective resource-guarding behaviors around other dogs and at times humans, acknowledged that he had fears and behavior challenges the household did not fully understand and remained growly towards the owner following the incident while being generally affectionate, trainable and historically comfortable with people.
During the administrative review, WCAC received numerous messages from members of the community supporting Starsky and expressing hope that ownership could be transferred to Happy Tails Humane Society. We greatly appreciate the community’s concern for Starsky and the compassion demonstrated by those advocating on his behalf. WCAC recognizes that there are multiple risk and mitigating factors to consider in this situation. The final determination, however, must be based on the available records, applicable law, public health and safety responsibilities, and the County’s assessment of whether the documented risk can be appropriately managed.
Under 510 ILCS 5/11 once an animal has not been redeemed, the animal control facility determines whether a dog is adoptable. Dogs deemed adoptable must be offered for adoption or made available to an appropriately licensed shelter or rescue. The statue separately provides that the animal may be humanely dispatched pursuant to the Humane Euthanasia in Animal Shelters Act. Additionally, following Whiteside County Code 6-33 Animal Bites, if the owner does not redeem the animal following the 10 day observation period, the animal may be humanely dispatched. As the ownership of Starsky was transferred to Whiteside County Animal Control on August 18th, 2026, WCAC assumed responsibility for determining whether Starsky could safely be placed or transferred and whether the documented risks could be appropriately managed.
Following the review, it has been determined that Starsky is not suitable for adoption or transfer through Whiteside County Animal Control because the presently documented behavioral risk cannot be reduced to an acceptable level on evidence available to the County. Mitigating factors given consideration include the lack of a documented prior human-bite history within records reviewed; the stressful circumstances surrounding the incident; the former owner’s description of Starsky as generally affectionate and trainable; the fact that the aggression subsided after the event; and Happy Tails’ willingness to accept the animal and impose restrictions.
These factors were carefully considered. However, WCAC determined that they do not sufficiently mitigate the documented risk to public health and safety or the potential liability associated with transferring Starsky for placement.
The most significant factors are the nature of the bite itself: Starsky reportedly bit a familiar household member who had owned the dog for over 4 months, maintained the bite while shaking his head, required physical intervention to disengage, and thereafter bit the owner a second time with the owner requiring stitches. Following the incident, the owner continued to report concern with Starsky’s behavior and voluntarily relinquished Starsky. The record also contains information concerning established protective and resource guarding behavior. WCAC also considered the reported severity of the bite in relation to established bite-severity frameworks, including Dr. Ian Dunbar’s Dog Bite Scale. Based on the reported circumstances and injuries, the incident was assessed as consistent with a Level 4 bite, which reflects a significant bite involving sustained contact and injury.
After consideration of the complete records presently available, the circumstances surrounding the biting incident, the voluntary surrender of Starsky to Whiteside County Animal Control, the completing of the required rabies-observation period, the representations submitted by Happy Tails Humane Society and the former owner, absence of a qualified behavioral assessment establishing a sufficiently reliable safe placement plan, and the responsibilities imposed upon Whiteside County Animal Control, it has been determined that Starsky will not be released, adopted, or transferred for placement and will be humanely euthanized in accordance with applicable Illinois law and regulatory requirements.
Whiteside County Animal Control recognizes that this is a difficult and emotional outcome. Our responsibility is to balance compassion for individual animals with our obligation to protect the health and safety of the community. We appreciate everyone who took the time to share information, advocate for Starsky, and engage with WCAC throughout this process and we look forward to continuing to work with citizens and local shelters for the wellbeing of animals within our community.
