Editor’s Note: This story is part of a Day in the Life of Charleston series.

It’s a cold Tuesday morning in mid-November.

A sign in front of a building on a winding route about a mile south of U.S. Route 16, reads: “Life is full of second chances.”

The sun is yet to rise over the farm fields and woods surrounding the building. The Coles County airport, about 200 yards to the west, is relatively quiet.  

Jason Wallace walks outside after clocking in.

He has seen his fair share of adoptions working for the Coles County Animal Shelter. He’s also viewed many cases of neglect and abuse – and, unfortunately, it doesn’t get any better around the holidays.

During his patrols of local towns as an animal control officer, Wallace has seen newly adopted dogs on a chain near the house while the harsh winter winds blow strong.

“Seeing the poor guys shivering in the yards like that,” Wallace pauses, “it really helps me remember the blankets I stitched together in the new shed.”

Only a few yards behind the back entrance of the shelter stands a 25-foot tall brilliant red shed. Inside, it’s a cornucopia of anything a house pet could ask for. PetSmart helps with donations like food, toys, blankets and crates.

For now, Wallace, with some help, grabs about 20 fresh, blue blankets out of the recently installed dryer that will replace yesterday’s set of blankets meant to keep the cats and dogs inside as warm as possible.

As Wallace walks toward the building, he hears the incessant barking of dogs. The population of cats held within the shelter is divided into two separate heated rooms.

This morning, seven cats would be rescued. Among them is Obi Wan Kenobi, a larger cat who loves playing with other cats.

Juliet Woodruff, a junior at Eastern Illinois University, arrives at the shelter prepared with all the necessary paperwork to adopt

“This is my second time rescuing from this spot,” Woodruff says. “Me and my fiancé would never adopt from anyone else, even if there were any alternatives. Mrs. Bennett is the sweetest lady ever.”

That would be Julie Bennett, who runs the Coles County Animal Shelter.

After Obi Wan meets his new adoptive mom, the cat is given the new name “Tails,” named the character of Miles “Tails” Prower from the SEGA franchise Sonic the Hedgehog.

Woodruff is overwhelmed with excitement to be united with her newest family member, giving their other cat, “Knuckles,” a new adoptive sister.

“To me, Julie [Bennett] is a saint,” Woodruff said. “She’s been there for the people. Always.”

The shelter workers are especially diligent during the holidays. During the season, couples, under the guise of wanting to make a romantic gesture, are quick to adopt a pet. 

The animal shelter took in a combined total of 421 dogs and cats during the months of October through December last year.

Starting out at the Shelter

Wallace started working at the shelter after graduating high school in 1996. He had spent a lot of time during his adolescence working on cars, but he wanted a bit of change from the life he was used to.

“I hated spending time in the garage,” he said, “and dreaded spending even more time under the hood of a car, much less the rest of my life.”

He’s done it all when it comes to dealing with animals – from runaway dogs to a 2007 case of multiple escaped horses. No string of days are ever the same. However, they do always start early.

Although the shelter begins operation at 10 a.m., Wallace arrives hours before, handling the constant cries of dogs in the kennels.

Even before customers stop by, there’s a lot to get done: feeding every animal as well as in-processing the new pickups from the previous day’s rescue round-up. From feeding the cats to making take-home bags for the new adoptive parents, the responsibilities shift rapidly.

The loud barks of the newly taken-in dogs are a constant in the shelter’s setting, but hopefully for these animals, it’s not permanent.

For Wallace, however, when he’s not on patrol, he likes to contribute outside, away from the chaos of the office.

“I help in any way I can, but if I’m able to, I’ll fix things around outside, maybe work up some of the donations that were brought in over the last few months in our new shed.”

With a recent surge of donations, the faculty were able to purchase the brand-new red shed, including heating.

For some, it’s a workplace; for Wallace, it’s his favorite spot in the entire compound.

“It has everything I can ask for. Before, we had to use three small sheds to hold all our tools. Now I can play in here all day long,” Wallace said with a loud chuckle.

Wallace prides himself on being able to tackle any odd task around the property. During his time at the shelter, he’s made himself so reliable that in 2017 he was given an assistant manager nod.

However, Wallace said he knows himself well enough to know that although he’s a fantastic worker, he’s not great in a position of authority.

“I couldn’t handle being a boss,” Wallace said. “I don’t have it in me to tell people what to need. I know somebody could have that confidence and a stand-in personality. Me, personally, I’ve found it much easier to fix any problem myself, I trust better than anyone else.”

When times are dire, all it takes is a small post to the more than 29,000 people who follow their page on Facebook to prompt quick donations that sometimes, bring Julie Bennett and staff to tears. The manager has seen and put up with all sorts of people, from the generous ones donating to those who have abandoned their animals.

“If there’s an aspect of the job that challenges me the most, it is the people,” Bennett says. “I could never think it’s the pets that stress me out. After all, they’ve been to Hell and back. I also prefer busy days. I don’t know, it feels kind of off when the days are slow.”

For the main office, the chaos comes through endless calls, tending to whatever shortage of food or water there may be in one of the many small rooms of the place.

The Process for New Animals

There are also new animals to process into the records each day. First, they are brought into the office cubicle, separated from the rest of the main room by a counter almost 4 feet tall.

Next, they are entered into the shelter record system through a microchip given through an injection.

If the workers scattered around the building weren’t aware of the shot being given, the loud shriek that came from the new dog or cat would let them all know the processing was taking place. Staff said it is something that you get used to with time. 

The staff then post the arrival of this new pet on Facebook and house them in the kennel. Sometimes, it’s only a matter of hours. In the worst case, it could be weeks or months of being held.

The worst time to be held would be around the holidays, when the most amount of euthanasia happens.

According to a study done by Shelter Animal Count in 2021, the holiday seasons are the worst period in terms of dogs (pets or strays) being put down because of cold weather worsening an illness.

Adding to that, some conditions, such as canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), chronic renal disease and osteoarthritis, may cause a pet to have more accidents in the house, which may become less tolerable during the chaos, entertaining and travel that often accompany the holidays.

Employee Neal DeLude worked at the front desk up until today. His specialty is mostly the same as everyone else’s.

He prefers to answer the phones the most, as he feels he lets the emotions get to him the least. He fondly remembers the best year on record for the county in dog euthanasia.

“In the 2019 holiday season, we counted only one case of having to put a feller down,” he said, “and that mostly stemmed from us not having enough space that winter.”

Since that miracle year, they’ve had to put down more animals annually.

Throughout the years, facility improvements have come in leaps and bounds, a testament to the respect the shelter has earned from residents in Coles County.

With all the hardships and heartbreaks, Wallace, Julie Bennett and the rest of the employees of the Coles County Animal Shelter believe the noble act of getting to serve an entire community outweighs the hard times that come with a job like this.

Austin Perez can be reached at [email protected].