The acronyms can get confusing – CACC is used in city materials to refer both to the Chicago Animal Care and Control department and to the supervising board, the Commission on Animal Care and Control – but for budgetary purposes, we’re talking about the department, which provides shelter and stray animal services for the city.
Chicago Animal Care and Control Snapshot: Appropriation & Staffing Changes from 2026 Budget
The 2027 proposal adds six positions to CACC’s budget, all in new titles: three Program Specialist positions and one each in the Assistant Director, Public Relations Coordinator, and Veterinary Medical Manager titles. The Deputy Director and Project Coordinator – Excluded titles have been eliminated, reducing one position each for a net total of four additional positions/FTEs.
All of CACC’s appropriations-level changes were under a million dollars net change, with the largest increases an additional $731,828 for salaries and wages on payroll (up 11.6%) and an additional $525,153 (181.3%) for outside contracting through the professional and technical services appropriation.
Historical Context
From 2011-2026, CACC’s budget grew at an average rate of 5.5% annually, or 3.3% when adjusted for inflation through 2025, almost exactly tracking with the citywide average rate of 5.5% (inflation-adjusted 3.2%). The current proposal would increase the department’s appropriations by 16.6% from the previous year, among the largest of this year’s proportional increases at the departmental level.
Chicago Animal Care and Control Appropriations and Inflation-adjusted Appropriations (2025 dollars)
Values in nominal dollars.
Values in 2025 dollars. No supplied inflation factors for 2026, 2027; those years remain gaps.
City budgets do not break out “fringe” pension and benefit costs for non-grant positions by department, instead grouping them together as citywide expenses under the Finance General section of the budget. To better reflect the real cost of service for departmental operations, BGA Policy has included an estimate of pension and benefit costs for the years 2018-2026, using Department of Finance fringe memos from each relevant year. An estimated fringe cost for the 2027 proposal uses the average annual rate of increase for each of the inputs into the fringe formulae.
Based on the city’s fringe formulae, the CACC fringe cost for nongrant employees averaged 49.1% from 2018-2026, compared to a citywide average of 26.8%.
Chicago Animal Care and Control Appropriations with Estimated Fringe Cost of Pensions and Benefits for Budgeted Non-grant Positions, 2018–2027 (proposed)
Over the past four complete budget years for which local fund actuals/encumbrances data is available, CACC spent on average 89.7% of its locally funded budget, compared to the citywide average 86.6% local fund spend.
Chicago Animal Care and Control Local Fund Actuals, 2022–2025
Staffing levels at CACC have grown relatively slowly over the years, with budgeted headcount growing at an average annual rate of 1.2% from 2011-2026, compared to a citywide average annual change of -0.1%. The current proposal would increase budgeted headcount by four positions, up 4.6% from the previous year.
Chicago Animal Care and Control Budgeted Workforce, 2011–2027 (proposed)
From January through September of 2026, the months for which full-time position vacancy data is currently available, CACC averaged a 19.2% vacancy rate, compared to the citywide average of 11.2%.
Chicago Animal Care and Control Full-time Vacancies, Jan-Sept 2026
Six of the department’s budgeted full-time positions were persistent vacancies (defined as the number of positions within the same combination of title, subsection, section, division, department, and fund codes that remained vacant in all nine months of available data):
Chicago Animal Care and Control Persistent Full-time Vacancies, Jan-Sept 2026
The 2027 proposal adds six positions to CACC’s budget, all in new titles: three Program Specialist positions and one each in the Assistant Director, Public Relations Coordinator, and Veterinary Medical Manager titles. The Deputy Director and Project Coordinator – Excluded titles have been eliminated, reducing one position each for a net total of four additional positions/FTEs.
Chicago Animal Care and Control Net and Percent Position/FTE Changes, 2026 to 2027 (Proposed) Budgets
As with most departments, personnel costs make up the bulk of CACC’s appropriations, with salaries and wages on payroll by far the largest expense category.
Chicago Animal Care and Control Top 10 Largest Appropriations, 2027 proposed
In 2025, the most recent complete budget year for which local fund actuals and encumbrances data is available, CACC spent 90.3% of its locally-funded budget, with no overspend in any categories.
Chicago Animal Care and Control 2025 Actual Spend (Local Funds)
All of CACC’s appropriations-level changes were under a million dollars net change, with the largest increases an additional $731,828 for salaries and wages on payroll (up 11.6%) and an additional $525,153 (181.3%) for outside contracting through the professional and technical services appropriation.
Chicago Animal Care and Control Net and Percent Appropriation Changes, 2026 to 2027 (proposed) Budgets
Geoffrey Cubbage analyzes policy and budgets at the Better Government Association, covering state lawmakers and Chicago City Council. He joined BGA in 2022 after directing policy and economic development for Chicago’s 40th Ward.
