As a candidate for the DuPage County Board, I believe we have a responsibility to protect animals, strengthen animal services, and ensure every animal in our county is treated with compassion, dignity, and care.
To better understand how we can provide the highest quality care and adoption services, I have been attending the DuPage County Animal Services Committee meetings and learning directly from those involved in this important work. I want to make sure DuPage County continues to lead with policies and programs that improve outcomes for animals and the families who love them.
My commitment to animals is deeply personal. In high school and college, I worked with horses at a Christian camp, where I taught children how to care for and ride them. As a mother of a daughter with a disability, our family benefited greatly from the therapeutic horseback riding program at The Hanson Center through Ray Graham Association. I also hosted fundraisers to support both the horses and individuals with special needs.
As a County Board Member, I will work closely with DuPage Animal Services and the DuPage County Board Chair to advocate for stronger protections for animals at both the county and state level. I support introducing and advancing statewide legislation to ban the retail sale of commercially bred animals and to stop the pipeline from puppy and kitten mills into local pet stores.
I strongly support DuPage County’s 2020 action declaring puppy and kitten mills a public nuisance, which helped discourage local pet shops from partnering with commercial breeding operations. I will build on that progress by forming a strong coalition of local rescues, volunteers, residents, and local and state legislators to keep this issue front and center.
As a former Downers Grove Township Trustee and District 86 PTO parent, I will also use my relationships with DuPage area mayors and community leaders to encourage municipalities such as Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Lombard, Lisle, Oak Brook, and Westmont to use their home rule authority to ban the sale of commercially bred dogs. Local action matters, and I will support a countywide and statewide coalition to end irresponsible pet sales.
I also believe animal protection means investing in the people and programs that help animals stay safe and find permanent homes. As a County Board Member, I will work to ensure DuPage Animal Services hires and trains staff using best practices and solutions based counseling to help families address challenges.
I support expanding animal training and behavior programs to give dogs the best possible chance at adoption. That includes working alongside veterinarians and behavior specialists to provide safe, effective behavior modification, enrichment, and individualized care plans that reduce stress and improve adaptability. I also support continued investment in Fear Free certification and other proven methods that reduce fear, anxiety, and stress for shelter animals.
As a candidate for the DuPage County Board, I believe we have a responsibility to protect animals, strengthen animal services, and ensure every animal in our county is treated with compassion, dignity, and care.
To better understand how we can provide the highest quality care and adoption services, I have been attending the DuPage County Animal Services Committee meetings and learning directly from those involved in this important work. I want to make sure DuPage County continues to lead with policies and programs that improve outcomes for animals and the families who love them.
My commitment to animals is deeply personal. In high school and college, I worked with horses at a Christian camp, where I taught children how to care for and ride them. As a mother of a daughter with a disability, our family benefited greatly from the therapeutic horseback riding program at The Hanson Center through Ray Graham Association. I also hosted fundraisers to support both the horses and individuals with special needs.
As a County Board Member, I will work closely with DuPage Animal Services and the DuPage County Board Chair to advocate for stronger protections for animals at both the county and state level. I support introducing and advancing statewide legislation to ban the retail sale of commercially bred animals and to stop the pipeline from puppy and kitten mills into local pet stores.
I strongly support DuPage County’s 2020 action declaring puppy and kitten mills a public nuisance, which helped discourage local pet shops from partnering with commercial breeding operations. I will build on that progress by forming a strong coalition of local rescues, volunteers, residents, and local and state legislators to keep this issue front and center.
As a former Downers Grove Township Trustee and District 86 PTO parent, I will also use my relationships with DuPage area mayors and community leaders to encourage municipalities such as Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Lombard, Lisle, Oak Brook, and Westmont to use their home rule authority to ban the sale of commercially bred dogs. Local action matters, and I will support a countywide and statewide coalition to end irresponsible pet sales.
I also believe animal protection means investing in the people and programs that help animals stay safe and find permanent homes. As a County Board Member, I will work to ensure DuPage Animal Services hires and trains staff using best practices and solutions based counseling to help families address challenges.
I support expanding animal training and behavior programs to give dogs the best possible chance at adoption. That includes working alongside veterinarians and behavior specialists to provide safe, effective behavior modification, enrichment, and individualized care plans that reduce stress and improve adaptability. I also support continued investment in Fear Free certification and other proven methods that reduce fear, anxiety, and stress for shelter animals.
What actions have you taken affecting the welfare of animals in the past? Please include actions taken at the local, state, or federal levels.
What actions have you taken affecting the welfare of animals in the past? Please include actions taken at the local, state, or federal levels.
I bring more than twenty years of nonprofit fundraising experience and a long history of supporting animal welfare and community based programs. I hosted a Sip and Shop event at J.McLaughlin in Hinsdale where clients donated pet supplies and 10 percent of the day’s proceeds benefited Hinsdale Humane Society.
Most recently, I donated 75 pounds of dog food to DuPage County Animal Services, along with a financial contribution and a purse for their upcoming auction. I also set up a fundraising event through my social media account for Giving Days with the goal of raising $500.00 for animal services. I also supported animal related and therapeutic programs through my work with The Hanson Center at Ray Graham Association, where I hosted a barn tour event that raised both awareness and $30,000 to support the therapeutic horseback riding center and individuals with special needs.
In addition, I introduced the National Charity League to Ray Graham Association, which helped expand high school student volunteer involvement in support of The Hanson Center’s barn animal care and therapeutic riding programs. Students volunteered by feeding, cleaning, and helping care for the animals, creating meaningful opportunities for youth service while strengthening support for both the animals and the individuals served through the program.
As a DuPage County Board Member, I will continue to support fundraising initiatives, sponsorships, and grant opportunities that strengthen DuPage County Animal Services. I will also work to raise awareness, expand volunteer involvement, and support programs that improve care, increase adoption success, and help Animal Services continue to grow and better serve our community.
I bring more than twenty years of nonprofit fundraising experience and a long history of supporting animal welfare and community based programs. I hosted a Sip and Shop event at J.McLaughlin in Hinsdale where clients donated pet supplies and 10 percent of the day’s proceeds benefited Hinsdale Humane Society.
Most recently, I donated 75 pounds of dog food to DuPage County Animal Services, along with a financial contribution and a purse for their upcoming auction. I also set up a fundraising event through my social media account for Giving Days with the goal of raising $500.00 for animal services. I also supported animal related and therapeutic programs through my work with The Hanson Center at Ray Graham Association, where I hosted a barn tour event that raised both awareness and $30,000 to support the therapeutic horseback riding center and individuals with special needs.
In addition, I introduced the National Charity League to Ray Graham Association, which helped expand high school student volunteer involvement in support of The Hanson Center’s barn animal care and therapeutic riding programs. Students volunteered by feeding, cleaning, and helping care for the animals, creating meaningful opportunities for youth service while strengthening support for both the animals and the individuals served through the program.
As a DuPage County Board Member, I will continue to support fundraising initiatives, sponsorships, and grant opportunities that strengthen DuPage County Animal Services. I will also work to raise awareness, expand volunteer involvement, and support programs that improve care, increase adoption success, and help Animal Services continue to grow and better serve our community.
What actions have you taken affecting the habitats of animals in the past? Please include actions taken at the local, state, or federal levels. Examples may include efforts to address the impacts of natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes on ecosystems.
What actions have you taken affecting the habitats of animals in the past? Please include actions taken at the local, state, or federal levels. Examples may include efforts to address the impacts of natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes on ecosystems.
As a Ray Graham Association Development Committee member, I worked closely with the Therapeutic Horseback Riding Director to address serious drainage issues that were creating unhealthy and unsafe conditions for the horses. The muddy paddocks were affecting hoof health, creating fungus concerns, and making daily care more difficult for both the animals and staff. By partnering with a variety of suppliers and securing state support, we were able to make important improvements to the facility. These upgrades included building new paddocks, installing new feeding and watering stations, and replacing the corral flooring with raised surfaces designed to stay dry and allow for proper runoff during heavy rain. These improvements created a safer, healthier environment for the horses, improved daily operations for staff and volunteers, and strengthened the long term sustainability of the therapeutic riding program while improving the water run off for neighbors.
As a Ray Graham Association Development Committee member, I worked closely with the Therapeutic Horseback Riding Director to address serious drainage issues that were creating unhealthy and unsafe conditions for the horses. The muddy paddocks were affecting hoof health, creating fungus concerns, and making daily care more difficult for both the animals and staff. By partnering with a variety of suppliers and securing state support, we were able to make important improvements to the facility. These upgrades included building new paddocks, installing new feeding and watering stations, and replacing the corral flooring with raised surfaces designed to stay dry and allow for proper runoff during heavy rain. These improvements created a safer, healthier environment for the horses, improved daily operations for staff and volunteers, and strengthened the long term sustainability of the therapeutic riding program while improving the water run off for neighbors.
Are there any animal welfare programs or issues of importance to you that you would take the initiative on If elected, I will focus on three priorities to strengthen animal welfare in DuPage County.
Are there any animal welfare programs or issues of importance to you that you would take the initiative on If elected, I will focus on three priorities to strengthen animal welfare in DuPage County.
If elected, I will focus on three priorities to strengthen animal welfare in DuPage County. First, I will help DuPage County Animal Services expand volunteer opportunities by partnering with local schools, youth groups, and community organizations. More volunteers means more one on one attention, socialization, and human interaction for shelter animals, which helps reduce stress and improve adoption success. Second, I will work with state legislators to ban puppy mills, hold irresponsible breeders accountable, and support stronger laws that protect animals from neglect and inhumane commercial breeding practices. Third, I will support DuPage County Animal Services in meeting its goals through stronger community outreach, public awareness, and partnerships that increase adoptions and encourage responsible pet ownership.
If elected, I will focus on three priorities to strengthen animal welfare in DuPage County. First, I will help DuPage County Animal Services expand volunteer opportunities by partnering with local schools, youth groups, and community organizations. More volunteers means more one on one attention, socialization, and human interaction for shelter animals, which helps reduce stress and improve adoption success. Second, I will work with state legislators to ban puppy mills, hold irresponsible breeders accountable, and support stronger laws that protect animals from neglect and inhumane commercial breeding practices. Third, I will support DuPage County Animal Services in meeting its goals through stronger community outreach, public awareness, and partnerships that increase adoptions and encourage responsible pet ownership.
Will you post information on your campaign website outlining your positions on animal protection issues?
Will you post information on your campaign website outlining your positions on animal protection issues?
Yes!
Yes!
Do you have any pets in the past that have had an impact on you personally?
Do you have any pets in the past that have had an impact on you personally?
Our family has experienced firsthand the life changing impact animals can have in a home. We adopted a kill shelter in Indiana, a dog named Jimmy. Our family worked with the Ray Graham Association to help train him to support our daughter with autism. Before joining our family, Jimmy needed additional training. With guidance from the Ray Graham Association, he spent two weeks in a women’s correctional facility in Joliet where he received specialized training. When he returned home he was better trained, attentive, and after an additional year of training became a wonderful companion and source of support for our daughter. We also had an Irish Wolfhound, Finnegan who brought tremendous joy to our family. Because of his size and energy, we purchased and moved to an acre of land with a six foot fence so he would have plenty of space to run, explore, and live a happy and active life.
Our family has experienced firsthand the life changing impact animals can have in a home. We adopted a kill shelter in Indiana, a dog named Jimmy. Our family worked with the Ray Graham Association to help train him to support our daughter with autism. Before joining our family, Jimmy needed additional training. With guidance from the Ray Graham Association, he spent two weeks in a women’s correctional facility in Joliet where he received specialized training. When he returned home he was better trained, attentive, and after an additional year of training became a wonderful companion and source of support for our daughter. We also had an Irish Wolfhound, Finnegan who brought tremendous joy to our family. Because of his size and energy, we purchased and moved to an acre of land with a six foot fence so he would have plenty of space to run, explore, and live a happy and active life.
Puppy mills:
Puppy mills:
Internet sales, flea markets, face-to-face sales and the majority of pet stores that sell puppies are getting those dogs from puppy mills. A puppy mill is an inhumane high-volume dog breeding facility that churns out puppies for profit, ignoring the needs of the pups and their mothers. Dogs from puppy mills are often sick and unsocialized. Pet retailers often falsely assure consumers that the puppies they offer for sale are raised in reputable or humane breeding facilities, even when they come from inhumane facilities like mass production puppy mills. Our family of organizations hears from thousands of devastated consumers every year who bring home a dog only to have the animal fall sick and, in some cases, even die.
Internet sales, flea markets, face-to-face sales and the majority of pet stores that sell puppies are getting those dogs from puppy mills. A puppy mill is an inhumane high-volume dog breeding facility that churns out puppies for profit, ignoring the needs of the pups and their mothers. Dogs from puppy mills are often sick and unsocialized. Pet retailers often falsely assure consumers that the puppies they offer for sale are raised in reputable or humane breeding facilities, even when they come from inhumane facilities like mass production puppy mills. Our family of organizations hears from thousands of devastated consumers every year who bring home a dog only to have the animal fall sick and, in some cases, even die.
Will you support efforts to end the sale of puppies sourced from puppy mills in pet stores?
Will you support efforts to end the sale of puppies sourced from puppy mills in pet stores?
YES!
YES!
Fashion:
Fashion:
Animals need their fur coats more than we do. But on fur factory farms around the world, millions of rabbits, foxes, mink and other wild animals spend their entire lives in cramped cages, deprived of the ability to engage in natural behaviors—only to be crudely gassed or electrocuted at the end. In the wild, animals are caught in crippling leghold traps for days without food or water. These archaic traps are indiscriminate, often maiming and killing non-target animals, like threatened species and even pets—all this in the name of fashion.
Animals need their fur coats more than we do. But on fur factory farms around the world, millions of rabbits, foxes, mink and other wild animals spend their entire lives in cramped cages, deprived of the ability to engage in natural behaviors—only to be crudely gassed or electrocuted at the end. In the wild, animals are caught in crippling leghold traps for days without food or water. These archaic traps are indiscriminate, often maiming and killing non-target animals, like threatened species and even pets—all this in the name of fashion.
Will you support efforts to prohibit the sale of new products containing fur from animals?
Will you support efforts to prohibit the sale of new products containing fur from animals?
YES!
YES!
Breed-specific legislation:
Breed-specific legislation:
Throughout the United States, entire communities ban or restrict dogs because of their breed, or, more commonly, what is perceived to be their breed. Breed-based policies aren't founded on science or credible data, but on myths and misinformation surrounding different breeds and their natures. The impact of these policies on dogs, families, and animal shelters, though, is heartbreakingly real. Breed bans and restrictions force dogs out of homes and into shelters, taking up kennel space and resources that could be used for animals in need.
Throughout the United States, entire communities ban or restrict dogs because of their breed, or, more commonly, what is perceived to be their breed. Breed-based policies aren't founded on science or credible data, but on myths and misinformation surrounding different breeds and their natures. The impact of these policies on dogs, families, and animal shelters, though, is heartbreakingly real. Breed bans and restrictions force dogs out of homes and into shelters, taking up kennel space and resources that could be used for animals in need.
Will you support efforts to prohibit discriminatory breed-based policies?
Will you support efforts to prohibit discriminatory breed-based policies?
YES!
YES!
Public contact:
While exciting to see up close, wild animals are altogether unfit for public contact. Substandard wildlife attractions like roadside zoos and cub petting operations exploit these animals to turn a quick profit, often with such neglect that horror stories have been recorded through undercover investigations. Not only do wild animals suffer cruelly when captured, transported, and placed in close proximity to humans—the risks they then pose to human health and safety are enormous. Cases of aggression may prove life-threatening, as may a host of zoonotic diseases. In recognition of these dangers, the federal government now prohibits the private ownership, breeding, import, or export of big cats acquired, or maintained and unregistered with the USDA, after June 18th, 2023. All big cats, even those owned and registered prior to the law’s enactment, are now banned from use in public contact.
Will you support efforts to prohibit direct public contact with wild animal species?
Will you support efforts to prohibit direct public contact with wild animal species?
YES!
YES!
Factory farming:
Factory farming:
On factory farms, egg-laying hens are packed into battery cages where they can't even spread their wings. Baby calves are taken from their mothers and confined in pens so small they can barely move, and pigs are locked in gestation crates the width and length of their bodies, unable to even turn around.
On factory farms, egg-laying hens are packed into battery cages where they can't even spread their wings. Baby calves are taken from their mothers and confined in pens so small they can barely move, and pigs are locked in gestation crates the width and length of their bodies, unable to even turn around.
Will you support efforts to prohibit the extreme confinement of breeding pigs, egg-laying hens, and calves raised for veal in restrictive, inadequate, and painful conditions?
Will you support efforts to prohibit the extreme confinement of breeding pigs, egg-laying hens, and calves raised for veal in restrictive, inadequate, and painful conditions?
YES!
YES!
Local control:
Local control:
Across the country, bills are often filed aiming to overturn hundreds of local ordinances related to animals. These overly broad bills seek to eliminate commonsense restrictions on matters of animal protection and public safety, alike, by undoing local ordinances prohibiting the sale of dogs from puppy mills; outlawing roadside zoos and similar cruel, unsafe operations; regulating livestock management; or even requiring safety standards for ingredients in our food or health products.
Across the country, bills are often filed aiming to overturn hundreds of local ordinances related to animals. These overly broad bills seek to eliminate commonsense restrictions on matters of animal protection and public safety, alike, by undoing local ordinances prohibiting the sale of dogs from puppy mills; outlawing roadside zoos and similar cruel, unsafe operations; regulating livestock management; or even requiring safety standards for ingredients in our food or health products.
Will you oppose any efforts to prohibit municipal or county ordinances related to animals?
Will you oppose any efforts to prohibit municipal or county ordinances related to animals?
YES!
YES!
Theresa McClear
A proven leader for DuPage families, dedicated to protecting our tax dollars, securing our neighborhoods, and ensuring excellence in education.
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theresa@theresamcclear.org
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PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF THERESA MCCLEAR
© 2026 Friends of Theressa McClear. All right reserved.
Theresa McClear
A proven leader for DuPage families, dedicated to protecting our tax dollars, securing our neighborhoods, and ensuring excellence in education.
Contact Us
OFFICIAL EMAIL
theresa@theresamcclear.org
Campaign
Proven Experience
Our Priorities
Endorsements
PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF THERESA MCCLEAR
© 2026 Friends of Theressa McClear. All right reserved.
Theresa McClear
A proven leader for DuPage families, dedicated to protecting our tax dollars, securing our neighborhoods, and ensuring excellence in education.
Contact Us
OFFICIAL EMAIL
theresa@theresamcclear.org
Campaign
Proven Experience
Our Priorities
Endorsements
PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF THERESA MCCLEAR
© 2026 Friends of Theressa McClear. All right reserved.