Home Care In St Charles, IL

A husky rescued from a pond after a fall through the ice Monday is now at Animal House Shelter in Huntley, after being treated at a vet clinic in Elgin.

Tabitha Browy, a manager at Animal House, said the husky – whose name is Slash, after a comic book character – was originally adopted out from that rescue about two years ago.

“They scanned his microchip and it came back to us,” Browy said. “We tried the owner’s phone and email, but nobody’s been able to make contact. ... He is in stable condition now and so sweet.”

The dog is almost 5 years old, she said.

“We do not know if he was re-homed or ran away. We don’t know if he got dumped or what happened,” Browy said. “We’ll see if anybody steps forward to claim him.”

Neighbors saw Slash on their doorbell cameras all night Sunday and early Monday walking around Crane Road Estates in St. Charles Township.

The subdivision has large homes arranged in a circle around a retention pond.

When they heard him barking and saw he’d fallen through the ice of a retention pond behind their house, they called Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue in St. Charles Township.

Rescue crews arrived about 7:30 a.m. behind a house in the 36W400 block of Hunters Gate Road, Deputy Chief James Niesel said.

“Firefighters put on an exposures suit we call mustang suits to crawl out and lift him out of the water,” Niesel said. “It was a 100-pound husky. We don’t know where he’s from. He didn’t have a collar. The chip came back from West Chicago but nobody answers.”

Niesel said nobody recognized the dog or has an idea who he belonged to.

The retention pond is about an acre in size, he said.

“We got the dog out, then transported him in warm blankets to Dundee Animal Hospital of Elgin,” Niesel said. “They were ready for him and are taking care of him. His body temperature was very low, 90 degrees. It should be 98.”

Veterinarians at the Dundee Animal Hospital in Elgin stabilized Slash, but could not comment about the dog’s care or vet bill, referring all questions to a practice manager who was unavailable.

However, a reporter in the vet clinic waiting room overheard staff say the bill for Slash was over $1,200.

“Some of the neighbors in the area were going to help out with those medical bills. We are happy to take that on, but we don’t know for sure what it’s going to be,” Browy said.

If anyone wants to donate towards the vet bill or for the cost of Slash’s care, it can be done through the website, www.animalhouseshelter.com, or by mailing a check to 13005 Ernesti Road, Huntley, IL 60142.

“He will be staying at the shelter now on a ‘stray hold’ for the time being to make sure he does not have an active owner. If no one claims him, then we would be able to put him up for adoption and find him a new family,” Browy said.

The fire district serves more than 30,000 residents over 38 square miles in the unincorporated areas of St. Charles and Campton townships and the villages of Campton Hills and Wayne, with a portion in DuPage County.

It recently opened its third firehouse. Niesel said firefighters from Station No. 1 and No. 3 both responded to the dog rescue.

The bison were first unloaded into a small corral at Burlington Prairie on Dec. 5.

KANE COUNTY, IL — With a few steps off a trailer and onto Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve in Sycamore, American bison, also known as buffalo, have made a triumphant return to Kane County prairie, for the first time in more than 200 years.

The move follows a three-way partnership between the Forest Preserve District of Kane County as land owner, the American Indian Center of Chicago (AIC) as owner of the animals, and Ruhter Bison as the herd manager. It was an agreement the Forest Preserve District had worked to bring to completion for years, and something promised to residents as part of the 2024 Land Acquisition & Preserve Improvement Referendum.

More than 200 years ago, bison freely roamed Illinois’ waves of prairie grasses that grew as far as one could see.

However, with the industrial revolution, much of Illinois’ prairie was converted to farmland or developed upon. In fact, the prairie nearly vanished from ‘The Prairie State,’ with less than one-tenth of one percent still remaining. Prairie removal and subsequent soil erosion led to the loss of countless plant and animal species that relied upon the important ecosystem. Over a century later, conservation agencies have worked to bring back Illinois prairie and reestablish these important habitats. Larger dreams for these agencies often include bringing bison back to the prairie as well, but have been rarely realized.

“People have wanted to bring buffalo back since we first learned that our actions could cause the extinction of a species,” said Forest Preserve District of Kane County Executive Director Benjamin Haberthur.

“The scale of what has been needed to make this happen has been prohibitive, until now. Land managers have been slowly growing the remnant herds across the country, and now we are hitting a watershed moment in which there are enough animals to see them return to small pockets all across their historic North American range. This is something I’ve waited my entire career to see, and it’s an honor to play a small part in this continental project. This is a moment that transcends generations. This day has honestly been hundreds of years in the making, and I’m glad we’re here to be part of this historic occasion,” Haberthur said.

Forest Preserve District Natural Resource Management Director Patrick Chess said that bison are important to prairie not only because they were originally here, and that’s part of a wider restoration goal, but there are also ecological benefits. These large animals feed on prairie plants, and wallow on and use the land. Wallowing, in turn, causes small depressions that fill with water and then create their own microclimates that provide habitat for other wildlife. Everything is interconnected. Anytime we can restore a property and bring back long-lost flora and fauna, it’s a victory,” he said.

While the animals weren’t so sure about their new surroundings, as they first stepped off the trailer and onto Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve, the small, invite-only crowd was enthusiastic, with Forest Preserve District and AIC representatives welcoming the animals to their new home. AIC also held a ceremonial blessing of the land, prior to the animals’ arrival.

AIC Co-Executive Director Jay Young said, “This is something that feels both historic and deeply personal for us as a community. For us, this isn’t about bringing animals onto the land. It’s a rematriation; it’s the return of relatives who have been missing from this place for far too long. Bison have carried our stories, our teachings, and our responsibilities for generations, and welcoming them home is an important moment for our people and for the generations who will come after us,” he said.

“This is also part of the broader healing work happening at the American Indian Center — reconnecting our community to land, identity and relationships that many urban Natives simply haven’t had access to. Living in an urban area, it’s rare to stand on open prairie, feel the earth move, or be close to bison relatives in a way that reflects our teachings. Bringing them home opens a doorway for our community to remember who we are and to rebuild connections that history tried to sever,” he said.

“AIC will be the community stewards of the bison as part of a two-part project with the Forest Preserve District of Kane County. The first part is this homecoming. The second is the work ahead — building programming, education and opportunities for our community to learn from the bison and the ecosystem they help sustain. This herd is a key part of a prairie regeneration effort, restoring the land with the help of a keystone species that shaped these landscapes long before any of us were here. We’ll also be launching a community science program in conjunction with the Forest Preserve District environmental education team, this spring, where community scientists will work alongside us to monitor prairie health, track changes over time, and learn what it means to care for a living ecosystem in real time. This is a chance for our community to be part of the restoration of both land and relationships,” Young said.

While Forest Preserve District staff call it exciting to return bison to prairie after so many years, they ask residents to be patient a while longer before seeing them, to let the animals acclimate to their new surroundings. The bison were first unloaded into a small corral at Burlington Prairie on Dec. 5. They’re going to be released into the larger, fenced prairie, later this month.

“Quietness and calmness are what is needed to give these animals time to adjust and feel safe and secure at Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve,” said Haberthur. “In addition, Burlington Prairie is one of the preserves that we partially close seasonally, due to the blowing and drifting snow in winter time. This will give the bison even more time to adjust. Come spring, we’re planning public events to celebrate and welcome the buffalo back to Kane,” he said.

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The annual tradition continues, with John 5 stopping by the Chicago area. These shows are great as you will always see familiar faces at them. Regardless of how many times you see John 5 demonstrate his musical prowess, you can’t help but still be blown away by not only the speed but also the musicality of it all. He is one of those guitarists who, while he can and does play extremely fast, it never feels like he’s just playing fast for the sheer hell of it. Each note rings out with beautiful precision.

These days, John 5 seems to favor the leather jacket and pants look over the multiple different costumes he used to change into throughout the set. That’s not to say that he’s done away with all of the theatrics. There’s still an array of face masks, and his love of horror is on display by way of the large screen at the back of the stage. You have to remember, this is John 5, so, of course, there are a number of guitars that are brought out, such as his famous “lava lamp” glow in the dark guitar. The majority of the evening, however, he could be seen playing his signature Ghost Telecaster. The fact that he played some segments on a mandolin and banjo proves that it doesn’t matter what kind of stringed instrument he has his hands on.

What’s better than a night seeing an outstanding guitarist? Seeing two of them on the same lineup, of course! As was the case with John 5, Richie Kotzen is no stranger to the Arcada Theatre, having performed here before, both as a solo artist and with The Winery Dogs. When you see his name on the marquee, you know the crowds will come. It was unfortunate, however, that his set didn’t begin until 10.50 PM, which proved to be too late for some who were unable to stay for his full set.

Kotzen really is the full package. While he is primarily known for his skills on the guitar, he also has an incredible voice which rivals many. He is also a prolific songwriter. Earlier this year, he released the album Black Light/White Noise with Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith as part of Smith/Kotzen. This current tour with John 5, however, is Kotzen on a solo endeavor. The set showcased Kotzen’s unique blend of rock, funk, soul, and blues that he has become known for.

Kotzen is an artist who constantly has something going on. As well as his solo work, and that as part of The Winery Dogs and Smith/Kotzen, he has also signed up to be part of Nuno Bettencourt’s Six String Sanctuary in Las Vegas this coming January. So if you want to work on your guitar skills, this is the place to be! There will be workshops, masterclasses and performances from the likes of Steve Vai, as well as Nuno Bettencourt and Richie Kotzen, and more. So if this show wasn’t enough of a fix for the guitar nerds among us, there’s always the possibility of a trip to Vegas!

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